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This post is sponsored by Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. Personal opinions and thoughts are my own.
I am rebuilding my life right now. All of the sudden, I turned 40 and realized I lost myself in motherhood, being a wife and trying to have a successful career. Part of my rebuild is making all of the appointments I’ve been putting off for years. Can anyone else relate? I don’t even have answers when the dentist or gynecologist asks how long it’s been since my last exam. It’s been “I have no idea” for too long. I realized that I’ve been so busy taking care of everyone else that I forgot about myself. That’s why I’m taking part in the Take Cholesterol to Heart campaign.
Self–care is so important and moms are notorious for neglecting it. I encourage my teenage daughter to take care of herself, but I haven’t been leading by example. I’m now working hard to change that. In addition to scheduling all of my appointments, I’ve been walking, eating healthier and taking time to do the things I enjoy. Sometimes that’s as simple as just going outside to look at the trees in the backyard, snuggling the cat, playing with the dog, getting my makeup done or eating some really good tacos. Taking care of yourself comes in many forms.
Making sure I know and understand what’s going on with my health is also a huge part of self–care. Now that I’m getting all of my checkups, I want to improve my health and build myself back up stronger than before. I have high cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for heart disease – the leading cause of death in the United States. High cholesterol is sneaky. You can’t see it or feel it like some other conditions, so you might not even know you have it. It can have serious consequences, though, if left untreated. I’m glad to have the diagnosis so I know how to work on getting my high cholesterol to a healthier level.
Once someone has been diagnosed with high cholesterol, there can still sometimes be confusion. For example, at least 50% of people taking a statin medication for high cholesterol stop taking it within a year of starting it, and often aren’t told by their doctor that there are multiple statin options available. We aren’t vocal enough with our doctors about how we’re feeling. According to a recent survey of 5,000 Americans aged 45+ with high cholesterol, ACTION: The Statin Survey*, found only 45% of current statin users say they communicate openly with their healthcare provider about challenges with their statin. Let’s change this! Join Take Cholesterol to Heart spokesperson Howie Mandel to help inspire others to speak up before they stop their statin.
I also want my daughter to know her own body and feel comfortable speaking up about her concerns to doctors. I want to learn as much as I can about high cholesterol so I can advocate for myself in tackling it. Our kids pay attention to us even when we think they don’t. She’s going to need to advocate for herself with medical professionals when she goes off to college in less than two years. Part of my self–care is also coming to terms with the fact that my baby is growing up. I want her to be strong, empowered, and use her voice. She’s finally seeing me take care of myself, so I’m confident she’ll do the same.
Where can you go to learn more? Visit TakeCholesteroltoHeart.com for more information on the risk factors of high cholesterol and tools and resources to help you talk to your doctor about finding the statin that’s right for you.
This post is sponsored by Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, and should not be construed to constitute medical advice. Personal opinions and thoughts are my own. I am not a medical professional and am not qualified to give medical advice. Please talk with your doctor about your individual medical situation.
*Harris Poll conducted ACTION: The Statin Survey (Understanding Patient Adherence and Concerns with Statins, and Medication Discussions with Physicians) online on behalf of Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. from July 7 to August 4, 2017, among 5,014 U.S. adults age 45 or older who had been diagnosed with high cholesterol and had used a statin to treat high cholesterol. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
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