“I’m stretched way too thin these days. Between work, getting my kids to band practice, soccer and school, checking in on my parents and just trying to keep my house together, there’s no time left in the day for me.”
If this sounds like your life, you’re not alone. The demands on working moms’ time and energy are real, and COVID-19 hasn’t made things easier. Working from home can further blur the boundaries between work life and home life. We’ll check our email after putting the kids to bed or push dinner later and later to finish that report.
All too often, we put our own needs, including health care, at the bottom of the list. But that’s the last thing that should take a back seat.
“Lots of women delay getting what should be regular care, both because of stressful schedules and the pandemic,” says Christina Metcalf, a certified family nurse practitioner at Mercy Clinic Family Medicine in Greenwood. “But regular care, including preventive screenings, is a huge part of staying healthy. Diagnosing a problem or disease in the early stages before it becomes serious can literally be the difference between life and death.”
So what types of regular care should women be receiving? Here’s a reminder:
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yearly checkup with your primary care physician
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annual women’s wellness exam from your OB/GYN
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annual mammogram
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colonoscopy (after the age of 50)
These are particularly important as we get into our 40s and 50s, since that’s statistically when most issues begin to appear.
Health care providers have also made it easy to get the care that keeps you healthy with modern options like:
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online scheduling
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virtual care/video visits
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appointment reminders by phone and text
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free apps that let you book appointments, pay bills, view test results, communicate with your care team and more
Ready to get started? Explore scheduling options here.