Susan Curren
November 16th, 2007
While my story and how I’ve overcome a health challenge may not involve the most deadly of diseases, it does show how taking control of a chronic ailment can lead to a longer, healthier life. I was diagnosed with high cholesterol a number of years ago, and my doctor stressed how important it was to monitor the issue and my overall health to ensure I’d be around for many years to come. When he told me I had high cholesterol, he told me, “Susan, you better take care of this and take your medicine every day, so that we can get this under control.” He wasn’t more right! I started taking my medicine but didn’t always take it everyday for a number of reasons… I had recently moved to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, from my home in Vermont to take care of my 82 year-old mother. She had just broken both of her hips, and it was my responsibility to take care of her. My children were all grown up by this time and had moved on to their new lives, so my responsibility was now with my mother. I started a new career in real estate and was just getting on my feet again. I was trying to take my medicine everyday, but it didn’t always happen that way.
Thanks to outside help from others, I have my medicine and I take it everyday…Boy, have I seen the results!!! I now can go to the doctor’s office confidently and sure enough, my doctor tells me, “Your levels are great!” The bottom line is this: I want to be healthy for myself, yes. But most of all, I want to be healthy for my kids. I don’t want to be a burden on them as I get older, and when I take my medicine, I help ensure that my health isn’t a problem. The lesson here is that you should take your medicine everyday, or as directed, and then you can take control of the health challenges you are facing. This is not only a responsibility to myself, but for all those I love around me.
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