Body Basics - Brief Article

Ebony, Feb, 1999 by Laura B. Randolph

I was having dinner with a Sister-friend the other night when she dropped a bomb. Between the appetizer and the entree, Beth told me she hadn't seen an OB-GYN in more than two years and hadn't had a general physical in five. When I asked her why, she stared at me as it I'd just asked her why she didn't quit her job, sell all of her possessions and join a convent.

"Between the job and the kids, I just don't have time to get to the doctor for a check-up," Beth finally answered when I really pressed her for an explanation.

That's when I ordered us both a glass of wine--in penance for the self-neglect we Sisters are famous for. Let's be honest here. While part of me was genuinely stunned by Beth's announcement, the truth is, when it comes to looking out for No. 1, she is more typical of Black women than any of us wants to admit.

If you are a Sister over 30, you know exactly what I am talking about. While nobody is better at monitoring the health care of all the people in our lives--our kids, our elders, our husbands, our lovers--we Sisters don't take enough responsibility for or interest in our own.

We have traditionally neglected our own bodies, not to mention our minds and spirits, disregarding all the advice and recommendations we give to others about the importance of taking care of our health and seeking proper care. The result: Far too many Sisters--and I am including myself--pay lip service to the importance of adopting a proactive approach to our well-being, but when life gets too crazy or we're feeling overburdened and overwhelmed, taking care of ourselves isn't even on our radar screens.

Of all people, Beth and I should know better. We both remember when a routine mammogram saved a Sister-friend's life. After this woman's last radiation treatment, a bunch of us threw her a party at which we gave her three drop-dead gorgeous swimsuits, two first-class tickets to the Bahamas and one compulsory instruction: From this moment on, Live-Life-To-The-Fullest-And-Find-The-Joy-In-Every-Single-Thing-You-Do.

Before the evening ended, we each said a prayer of thanks for our friend's recovery. Then we all held hands and took a vow--To take charge of our own health care. To look out for ourselves as much as we look out for others. To make the time--no matter what else is going on in our lives--to seek proper care. That night the 12 of us sent out an SOS--to save our strength, save our Sisters, save ourselves--that we all promised to honor.

That's what we promised. However, that is not, I'm ashamed to tell you, what we did. What we did was go back to life as usual. As if we hadn't just witnessed why keeping that promise is so important. As if we didn't have living, breathing proof of how keeping it could save our lives. As if not keeping that promise wouldn't take years off our lives or life off our years. As I told Beth at dinner, that is such a shame since keeping that promise is the first step toward a healthy, happy life, not to mention a body that looks and performs at its best.

If, like so many Sisters across the country, you are like Beth and think you don't have the time to squeeze in health checks, ask yourself this question (Be honest, and I think you'll see why I say that taking care of ourselves is a matter of setting priorities): How many Sisters do you know who say they can't find time to see a doctor, but always seem to find the time to see their hairdresser? See what I mean?

So, Sisters, as we head into 1999, as a Valentine's Day gift to ourselves, let's make a pact--to take care of the body basics. Starting right here, right now, let's vow to take charge of our own well-being and keep that vow as if our lives depended on it. Because they do. To help us all get started, I've put together a list of five tests that, depending on your age, you shouldn't go into the millennium without having.

Pap Smear: The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that sexually active women get a pap smear once a year

Mammogram: The American Cancer Society recommends women who are age 40 and over get a mammogram every year. However, because Black women ususally are victims of the disease at an earlier age than White women, many health-care professionals advise African-American women to ask their doctor when they should begin screening. (Every year, as a gift to herself, Oprah has a mammogram on her birthday.)

Cholesterol Test: If women don't have a history of high cholesterol, The American Heart Association recommends those who are age 20 and older have their cholesterol checked once every five years. If you do have a history, ask your doctor how often you should be screened.

Type II Diabetes Test: The American Diabetes Association recommends women age 45 and older have a test every three years. (That's how Patti LaBelle learned she was a diabetic.) If you have risk factors, however (e.g., obesity, gestational diabetes, family history of the disease), the ADA recommends that you get tested more frequently.

Blood Pressure Test: Medical experts recommend that women who are age 21 and older who have no family history have their blood pressure checked a minimum of once every two years. Women who have a family history should be tested every year.