Stay Well Preparing for Prosperity

Dominica’s glory days lie ahead – and you want to be part of it! Nothing breaks my heart more than regularly bidding farewell to patriots who never lived to see the redemption of the native land. Here’s what you want I can do to change this narrative.

Accidents happen. But even those can be scientifically reviewed to minimize our national loss. Such is the case with occupational safety and the carnage on our roads. We do not have to reinvent the wheel but simply institute basic international road safety measures. At a minimum, this includes the wearing of seatbelts, helmets and protective gear for motorcyclists as well as stricter enforcement of speed limits and drunk driving laws.

The safest drivers can be victimized by the road rage and carelessness of others. However, each one of us is responsible for the generally recommended screening tests. One effective way to remind yourself is to get this done around the time of your birthday. Some may prefer to schedule this in the week afterward. In this way, it becomes a celebration and preparation for another year of life year. 

Pap smears and mammograms are the gold standards for females. A fair amount of women complain of discomfort when the breasts are secured between the x-ray plates. This is particularly true for those plagued with fibrocystic changes, lumpiness and increased tenderness around that time of the month. However, do not let this issue prevent you from an annual professional breast examination. Your doctor or nurse practitioner may substitute a more gentle procedure like an ultrasound depending on family history.

For men the rectal examination he can be in major show-stopper. Together with the PSA  (prostate-specific antigen) blood test ordered beforehand, this completes the evaluation of the prostate. When your health care provider at the same time performs the simple test for hidden blood in the stool, the finger examination also screens for colorectal cancer. This condition, unfortunately, is becoming increasingly prevalent as our generation moved further away from more natural foods. 

Men universally tend to consider being ‘penetrated’ as taboo. This is further complicated among males who may have been molested. Instead of being dismissive and annoyed, health care providers need the be more sensitive that this could be a very teachable opportunity.

Kudos to the Dominica Cancer Society for the increasingly impressive awareness activities such as the Pointe Michel / Massacre to Bayfront walk a couple of weeks ago. Many people see nutrition reminders as boring, yet moving towards a more plant-based diet is indeed one way to give thanks and praise for our fertile soil and abundant water. 

Diet and exercise are the antidote for increasing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. As has been wisely observed, “Dominica is last in too many things.” Put another way, we are at the top, or close to, when it comes to negatives such as obesity, amputation, substance abuse, and unemployment. This is closely associated with the increased rate of chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension. 

Commit yourself to this every year: insist that your doctor monitor your cholesterol as well as your A1C. The letter test actually reveals your risk of becoming diabetic. 

By staying strong & healthy while steadfastly maintaining an attitude of gratitude, you position yourself to be a valuable national asset. Nurture your relationships and commit yourself to a cause that is bigger than yourself. It is this reverence for life that fuels our struggle to restore dignity and prosperity to our beloved Dominica.

Surgeon and author, Dr. Sam Christian serves as Chief Medical Officer of the Dominica Cadet Corps & a candidate for the Soufriere constituency. Please direct any questions or comments samchrn@gmail.com or 767 265-0886.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *