Contributor: “Dr. J”Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.
Most of us are familiar with the song “Tomorrow” from the Broadway musical “Annie,” based on the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” The opening phrase, “The sun’ll come out tomorrow,” seems to hold out an optimistic vision, yet the song ends with the cautionary line, “Tomorrow. You’re always a day away.”
Consequences of Putting Things Off
I lost a good friend recently. Mercifully, he passed quickly from a massive stroke, unlike Tom, the best teacher I ever had, who lingered almost a year, paralyzed before his death. Also, my good friend was too young to die, and his death shocked the community. In fact, he was overweight, ate poorly and had other behavioral habits that do not bode well for a long healthy life. I’m sure he thought about improving his behaviors tomorrow.
I have another friend whom I’ve written about before. I have talked to him many times about his unhealthy lifestyle. He is a good man. Always listened intently and agreed with my counseling with the two-word phrase, “I know.” Over the years I’ve watched him go from a well-conditioned athlete to a morbidly obese man with two knee replacements. He still listens to my pleas for change and replies, “I know.” I’m sure he will do something, tomorrow.
Friendly Advice
I was playing tennis yesterday with a close friend. He is a wonderful tennis player, and I value the time we spend together. He has had a difficult year health wise. He had a TIA (mini stroke) several months ago, which necessitated an operation on the carotid artery to hopefully prevent a recurrence. His blood pressure is too high, and he is overweight. We have talked about his needing to lose weight, decrease the salt in his diet, increase his physical conditioning and several other health related behaviors that he can do to improve going forward. His doctors are treating him with a combination of several drugs. Whenever we talk about any of this, he seems to understand the need for behavioral changes, but I am not seeing any. He talks about how he will start doing things in the spring when the weather improves. It was 70 degrees today. He said that he is avoiding the fitness center because of fear of catching a cold there. He told me that for the first time two months ago. I suggested he buy an aerobic machine for his home. He said he should. He seems to feel that he can do all of this tomorrow.
There is a story about a famous, powerful man. It seems that one day he called his gardener to his office and told him he would like to have an olive tree and asked if he could do that tomorrow. The gardener said he would, but cautioned his employer that it would take several years for the olive tree to bear fruit. “In that case,” his employer said, “Plant it today.” When it comes to making those important health related changes that you know you need to make, I implore you: Plant it today!
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