"Health is wealth; you have to take care of yourself and your health at all costs." My mom always advised
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Mom, who was a medical practitioner, takes everything that concerns her health and that of every member of the family seriously. "Working in this line has really exposed that, for a fact, health is wealth, but some people care little or less about their health and just want to keep the hustle going." My mom will always remind us that if we don't take care of our health, then we might end up spending the money we make on drugs.
If not for my mom, I would have been one of those people who only visits the hospital when I break down or fall seriously ill. The fact that I hate taking medications does not stop her from forcing me to visit the hospital once in a blue moon. Sometimes I don't like going home for holidays; whenever it is time to go back to school, I go for a medical checkup and get treated to ensure I don't break down when I am away from home.
"I know you don't like medications, and you feel like we are making you do things you don't want to do, but maybe one day you will realize that it is for your own good." My dad said to me after dropping me off at the hospital one time
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On several occasions, I have seen how important it is to go for a checkup once in a blue moon; you don't have to wait until you fall ill. Sometimes we are sick and won't even know it, but this visit to the hospital will help reveal this disease or illness before it becomes chronic or eats deep. A disease is easily treated before it becomes chronic, as it becomes nearly impossible to treat once it has eaten deep, and this once in a while visit to the clinic helped keep my health in check.
"Indeed, my dad was right, and sometimes our parents know better." I said to myself the other day as I have seen how my once in a while visit to the hospital has saved me from spending more than I am supposed to on medication and treatment of an illness.
Few months back, I also passed this advice to a friend, and it helped her as well, and since then, I have valued this family tradition of visiting the hospital every once in a blue moon the more.
"Kachi, I feel really sick, and I am waiting to breakdown before I go to the hospital. I just don't like hospitals, so I only go there when the need arises." Florence said to me over the phone
"If my mom hears this, I hope you know you are in trouble, right?" I asked her since even she knew about my parents tradition of visiting the hospital every once in a while.
"Haha," she laughed. "I will only go to the hospital if these signs and symptoms persist." She said
"What are the signs and symptoms like? How do you feel?" I asked her
"A lot of things, Kachi. I feel feverish every morning, constant headache that never departs, and of recent I feel a sharp pain on my left breast down till my back; I cannot lie with my face down." She said
"So all these are not enough reasons to go to the hospital?" I asked Florence, and reluctantly she agreed to visit the hospital even though she rarely does it.
We chatted on WhatsApp about a week later, and she kept saying thank you to me, and me, knowing I haven't done anything, was left wondering why she was thanking me but did not want to ask until she asked if she could call, and I let her.
"Kachi, your advice to visit the hospital saved me. After a thorough checkup and several tests, it was discovered I had acute malaria, and the pain on my left breast was caused by a lump growing there, but I have been placed on medication, and hopefully it does not escalate, and I will be going back to the hospital in two weeks. The doctor said I was lucky to have come on time." Florence said
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"Indeed, it pays to visit the hospital once in a blue moon; it prevents diseases from becoming chronic and helps us stay healthy." I responded
