We’ve all had the experience of a temporary illness. You’re healthy one day, but the next morning, you wake up with some kind of bug. You take some medicine, get some rest, and a couple days later, you’re back to normal. In a week, this episode is all but forgotten. It’s a health hiccup, a short-term setback.
But perhaps you’ve reached the age when your peers are always sharing about their latest maladies. On social media, you read about another former classmate dying suddenly from a heart attack. You discover that a friend or a neighbor is going in for a follow-up appointment after a suspicious mammogram. Then you realize it has been more than two years since you’ve seen your doctor. You make an appointment and show up for a wellness exam and—surprise! Your blood pressure and cholesterol are both a good bit higher than they should be. After your “wellness” visit, you don’t feel so well anymore.
