Personal Responsibility

An influential federal task force recently concluded that routine mammograms, as recommended in the past, need to be re-evaluated. This is a challenge to one of the most common medical tests provided women in this country.

I do understand the hue and cry...as a woman who does not have a history of breast cancer in my family, it may not be as visceral a subject as it is to someone who has experienced that medical trauma. Many friends have dealt with that health issue and I have lost friends to the disease.

This brings to mind the articles and discussions about the Swine Flu vaccine...whether this is safe, whether the crisis being presented is real or an inflated medical emergency. And I will try to connect the dots so you can see my underlying concern in these very different situations.

The thought that comes to mind in both instances is the need for each one of us TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR HEALTH CARE DECISIONS. I am not going to become embroiled in a conversation about health care and what insurance companies do and do not cover as fallout from these studies. What I am passionate about is the position that it is our duty as "owners" of our bodies, to become as informed as we possibly can about the health issues that touch our lives and the lives of those we care about. A decision arrived at after study, conversation with the allopathic and homeopathic care givers we rely upon for seasoned and trustworthy information and our own sense of what works for us, is the right decision...whether is agrees with some pharmaceutical, government, or independent research task force or not.

WE ARE NOT SHEEP. Gather in the information needed to make an intelligent decision that takes into account the way you want to live your life and take care of your body. Be prepared to explain/defend that decision. If you can't present you rationale in a dispassionate and logical format, perhaps you haven't done your homework.

It is not only my right, but my moral obligation to participate in decisions that have a bearing on my health and whether I will become a burden to society by reckless disregard for my care. I must be willing to bear the cost of decisions that go against standard insurance practices. I must be willing to bear the brunt of a choice that may not have the desired for outcome. I must be true to myself and what I believe in when it comes to my wellness.

INFORMED...RESPONSIBLE...STANDING FOR MY CORE VALUES...ALLOWING OTHERS TO FOLLOW THEIR OWN PATH...BEING WILLING TO SHARE THE REASONS FOR TRAVELING THE ROAD I AM ON...THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME STEP UP ON MY SOAPBOX.

To your health and the health of our planet.