by Todd Schmicker

We’ve all had aches and pains that we attribute to lifting something too heavy or lifting it incorrectly. We tell ourselves, “I should have had some help moving that. I’m sure that is why my back hurts now.” Or, “Oh, I know. I lifted too many bags of seed this week. That’s why my arm hurts again today, too.”

Now, let’s talk about putting off health care. I’m talking to you, farmers and family members — to all of you.

Most of us have put off making an appointment with a health care professional to look at something that has possibly been troubling us for too long. We’ve been born and bred as farmers to take a little pain. Some of us take more pain than we should. Taking pain constantly and not seeking help can be dangerous.

We just buried our youngest brother, Dan, who passed away from cancer at 53 years old. Terrible word: cancer. Just typing the word sends emotions through me. There are many things that are always trying to take us from this Earth. Today, let’s focus on just one: cancer.

There are screening procedures that will catch it early, such as pap smears, mammograms, PSA tests for men, colonoscopies and many more. It’s been 10 years since my last colonoscopy, and my next one is scheduled.

Emphasize preventive care

Talking to my family, I mentioned I wasn’t looking forward to that procedure. They asked, “Then why are you doing it? Have you been having problems?” I said no and explained that doctors would be looking for any issue that could turn into cancer.

While talking to close friends and family at the funeral home, I soon realized many people have the wrong approach to preventive health care. Some said, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Others said, “I don’t want to know.”

That is not the path we need to be on for our best health. Why wouldn’t you use a tool that might help you be happier, stay here longer and be healthier? To put it into an analogy farmers can wrap their head around, you do preventive care on your equipment, so why not use it on yourself?

You can’t bury your head in the sand on this issue. If you do, they may be burying the rest of you very soon.

Schmicker farms near Winamac, Ind.