MEN�S HEALTH
by Pastor Rick
Sams
I think I know what I�ll do in my retirement years.
I�ll open a men�s clinic. The advertising banner out front will say: "Walk
it off! and "We can fix that with duct tape. Men are notorious for
not going to the doctor. We are guys. We love the DYI image. A
friend of mine walked to the hospital from the doctor�s office where he was told
he�d just had a heart attack and must get to the hospital IMMEDIATELY. My
dentist told me of being summoned in the middle of the night to a patient�s home
where the patient was "leading himself around the front yard with a pair of
pliers clamped on his tooth, trying desperately to pull the thing,
hemorrhaging all the while.
Real men don�t stop for directions, on the
highway or while pulling our own teeth. We also die from many preventable
illnesses.
So horrible was that fact about guys to Pastor Keith Troy, he
did something unheard of in his Columbus, Ohio, church one Sunday. He made
all the men stand, list their names and phone numbers, and then he ordered them
to get complete physicals in the next three months. If they couldn�t
afford one, money would be provided. No excuses.
A friend of his
had just died unexpectedly from the complications of diabetes and high blood
pressure. But it was the fourth male death in one week in his 4500 member
predominantly African-American congregation.
Statistics show black men
are among the least likely to see a doctor. They also have the highest
blood pressure rates and highest risk of dying of stroke compared with white or
Hispanic men. But white guys aren�t far behind (Review, Jan 12-13, 2008,
p. B5).
The solutions are relatively simple and inexpensive.
They are not always easy. First get your yearly check up, especially the
PSA test, but also get some other vital tests-like blood fats and sugars.
Know your family history and have your doc check those areas closer.
Get
moving. You don�t need to run marathons, but you need to get your heart
beating faster at least 3-5 times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes a
day. Eat 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Cut down on
the fats big time. Go easy on the red meat. Quit smoking. Cut
down on drinking, and NEVER drive after doing so. Wear your seat
belt. Get the standard amount of shut-eye. Sleep is cheap
medicine. Take time to enjoy life. Count your blessings in a
gratitude notebook.
This comes from a guy who practices and doesn�t just
preach. I�ve jogged 15 miles a week for 35 years and have logged less than
five sick days in the past 20 years. I usually get my yearly check
ups. I�m just looking forward to the day I can do it in my own men�s
clinic.