SimplyMom - Mind, Body and Soul

Posted by Mary

I Got Your Back - How to Keep Your Partner Healthy

My husband and I have given each other a lot of gifts through the years, but none as important as the gift of health. When my husband suddenly started breathing strangely while he slept, I pointed out the change. A week later, he was hospitalized with pneumonia - which he may have dismissed if I hadn't expressed concern.

As a couple, we have each other's back - and each other's ear. So why end one of your "date nights" with a regular health check? After all, sometimes "in sickness or in health" is all up to you. Here are a few easy ways to keep each other healthy:

• Diagnose A Problem – be mindful of changes. If something concerns you – like Scott’s night breathing worried me – have your partner check it out. Encourage the regular check-ups, including mammograms. Call and make the appointment for your partner, if he claims to be too busy.
• Promise to “Go With” – don’t just set up an appointment – go with your partner. Sometimes the person being examined is too nervous to really absorb what is being said. A partner can listen as well, and they can compare notes after the appointment. The partner can also ask the questions a patient may forget, or those he’s too embarrassed to ask.
• Be A Second Set of Eyes – after the check-up, review his results and look for red flags. Even when Senator John Kerry boasted about lower cholesterol level, wife Theresa wasn’t happy with what she saw on his prostrate cancer screen. She sent her husband back for additional blood work – and he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Thanks to his wife, his cancer was caught early enough for successful treatment.
• Encourage Healthy Lifestyles – volunteer to be your lover’s exercise buddy. Stock your kitchen with healthy foods, and push for activities that will keep you and your partner moving aerobically.
• Learn Life Saving Skills – since the two of you spend more time with each other than anyone else, you’ll probably be together when a health problem strikes. Be prepared by learning CPR, the Heimlich maneuver and other life-saving methods. Better yet, take classes together!
• Give Each Other The Eye – no, not just the “once over.” Couples should regularly examine each other for changes on the skin, which could indicate skin cancer. Remember when you used to check each other out? Enjoy yourself - it might just save his life this time around.
• Be A Stress Reducer – give each other a massage. Take a walk together and share happy memories. Or just share a warm bath in soft light.

Remember you're in this until death do you part....but you want to make that a long time away. So start taking care of each other now!

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