And tell your doctor and loved ones what you're feeling
My friend's room and the machines she needed.
I have many stories about friends who have ignored signs their body is in trouble and made the problem worse.
A friend called me one February and-unusual for her-was drunk on the phone and very angry about another friend's treatment of her.
Then she complained of fevers and chills, but she said, "On the good side, I've lost 25 pounds in the last two months."
My immediate thought: cancer.
Within the month she was in a hospital where she lived hooked up to many machines.
I watched two doctors come in and flip through her chart and looked puzzled. That scared me.
Within three months she was gone.
Finding a good doctor is key
The most important thing you can do to care for yourself is find a competent, compassionate primary care doctor.
Make sure they sit next to you, look you in the eyes and touch you.
There are so many people for physicians to see that some treat a visit like a McDonald's drive through and time their visit. If you see them look at a watch -run.
As a lot of Alaskans live in rural areas, going to Anchorage or Fairbanks for care is usual and the medical facilities in both places are excellent. Twice though, I have gone from Skagway to Juneau or Anchorage for an appointment and was told the doctor or provider was not in.
Imagine my rage.
A good doctor will know where you live and keep in touch with you and alert you of any changes. You might want to check in too, although nowadays text reminders pop up repeatedly.
A yearly check-up is a must
I was in the emergency room of a hospital and overheard a man say, "I haven't seen a doctor in eight years." I thought, "What a doofus."
A complete blood count is one test that can reveal many pre-conditions and existing problems.
A CBC measures:
Red blood cells that carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body.
White blood cells that fight infections and other diseases. There are five major types of white blood cells. A CBC test measures the total number of white cells in your blood. A different test called a CBC with differential measures the number of each type of these white blood cells.
Platelets stop bleeding by helping your blood to clot.
Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body.
Hematocrit is the amount of whole blood that is made up of red blood cells.
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is the average size of your red blood cells.
Conditions that may cause a low red blood cell count can include:
Anemia
Leukemia, a type of blood cancer
Malnutrition, a condition in which your body does not get the calories, vitamins, and/or minerals needed for good health
Multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow
Kidney failure
Blood loss from injury or other problems
Alcohol use disorder (AUD)
Pregnancy
Conditions that may cause a high red blood cell count can include:
Dehydration
Heart disease
Polycythemia vera, a disease which causes your bone marrow to make too many red blood cells
Scarring of the lungs, often due to cigarette smoking
Lung disease
Kidney cancer
Sleep apnea, a disorder that causes you to repeatedly stop breathing during sleep
No worries
This simple, pretty painless test can reveal so much and with that information in hand you and your doctor can determine next steps.
Be not afraid! The needles of today are so thin you will hardly notice the insertion.
It helps if you are well-hydrated because your veins will stand out and the phlebotomist won't have to "go fishing" for one.
I am not afraid of needles because my mother was a phlebotomist and practiced on us whenever she went back to work.
"My," she would say, "You kids have great veins!"
