I have always been one of those women who basically just paid attention to my immediate surroundings. I catch the news here and there via television or the net or by word of mouth but never really have dove into what my views, thoughts, and opinions really are regarding the hundreds of thousands of topics out there. Today's blog is specific to my concern, and a couple other women's concern, on a particular health issue weighing on them.
One of two major concerns for me is infertility. As a mother of two little blessings myself, I have the good fortune of having many great and wonderful women and mothers in my life. I have friends who struggle with infertility and it's a heartbreaking situation to watch someone close to you go through. There are so many internal "goings on" within a woman's body that factor into this sad problem. Proper hormonal balance, all the working parts need to be in tact and functioning, as well as the age of the tiny fragile eggs. I am not a professional, but I know that there are so many more factors involved other than what I mentioned. Much like we would all love to see a cure to cancer, I would love to see a cure to infertility.
The second concern would be the importance of exercise to bring health and wellness to a woman's body both inside and out. Obesity in women is out of control to say the least. Not only does exercise help us to look great on the outside but it helps bring balance, decrease cholesterol levels, increase serotonin levels (helping with mood), and increase our strength, endurance, and stamina. Heart disease is the #1 leading killer for women (http://www.americanheart.org/). Just by learning a way to incorporate some type of exercise into our lives daily, not only are we helping our outside appearance, we are helping to hopefully prevent more serious health issues like heart disease.
After speaking with one woman, age 54, I learned she had some similar and some different concerns than me. Heart disease was also a concern of hers. There is a misconception out there that breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women. It's not, it's actually heart disease. So the overall concern here is just being aware and knowledgeable of the different misconceptions regarding certain issues. Another major concern for her that I haven't given much thought to is healthcare for the elderly. Being that I am only 29, this issue seems to be in the distant future for me and not a "right now" worry. I'm slowly changing that! The questions on her mind include the following: What are the costs of coverage going to be? Prescription costs? What doctors will accept medicare because not all do? What about pre-existing condition coverage? In speaking with a woman at age 50 and hearing about preventative health screenings and tests etc., and also health insurance concerns I am encouraged to give more thought to these topics and follow the news in these issues. Afterall, one day, I will be 54 and facing these same things.
An African American woman discussed with me her concerns specifically pertaining to diabetes and reproductive system type cancers. Diabetes and high blood pressure both run in her family and she is aware of the problems with both health matters. Proper nutrition, exercise, and knowledge are helping her to control the development of diabetes and to decrease her blood pressure. She has known women over the years that have had to fight breast cancer and other types of cancer that metastacized to the uterus. As a woman it scares her to think of cancer attacking those particular organs. Globally, she has given thought to the AIDS epidemic in Africa and she is of the opinion that education to those people is the key. If there were more effective and resourceful ways for the people of Africa to be knowledgeable about the disease than maybe that would help control the spread of it.
After looking into concerning health issues for myself and others I realize that I am more curious about them just in general and on a personal level. It is important to be educated about current topics in health both locally and globally.
Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance.
Nancy Pelosi
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteYou brought up so many health issues that affect women during different seasons of life. The point is, when it relates to you or a loved one , the issue becomes personal and relevant. It is wise to look ahead, I am 40 and my kids are 16,12, and 7. Women cannot let the crazy and hectice blur of raising children blind them from taking care of themselves. This can include research, education, and getting second opinions when things come up (and they do- I'm there!) Thanks for sharing a little about yourself and the insight from other ladies!
Amy
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I never really thought about infertility as a health concern until this exact moment. It is definitely an issue which touches my heart, as a mother and as a woman. Sometimes, we as people take for granted things like childbirth, not realizing that it is a precious blessing that not everyone has the joy of experiencing. Thank you for helping me to remember that health is not only a physical component but a mental one as well.
There are so many health issues which evoke different thoughts amongst different people. All of which are very valid. I believe that as a multi cultural society we should stay educated on susceptibility factors and work to change behaviors that will ultimately increase negative outcomes.
I understand your concerns for fertility; I have a couple of friends who are having issues becoming pregnant. I am also blessed to have two sweet girls and can not imagine life without them! After my first healthy pregnancy, I became pregnant but had a miscarriage in my 9th week. It was devastating, and so was the lack of support from the OB/GYN! I got no explanation or understanding of why it happened. Thank goodness I have an awesome supportive family! I was very blessed to become pregnant again, but it was a stressful pregnancy and I wasn’t able to enjoy it. Then I had another happy healthy daughter. It made me feel complete having them in my life and making me feel I have a purpose in life; to raise two girls in a world full of challenges, and help them become a loving, compassionate, and educated adult.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the website for the American Heart Association. I didn’t realize that September was National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Being a Mother and COTA in the schools you realize how obesity not only affects their health but their skills needed in school. The school lunches do not help the situation either. I wish the government would start putting stricter guidelines on the lunches that are being served to our children!