My yearly checkup with my cardiologist went fine. Taking echo-cardiograms is becoming second-nature to me now, though I’m regularly impressed how the technician can look at the odd stuff on the screen and know what they are looking at. And as the assistant was hooking me up for an EKG I suddenly pictured myself as a cow being hooked up to a milking machine.

Anyway, the bottom line is that nothing has changed significantly since last year. And that’s good. The longer my situation remains unchanged the better. It means major surgery is not in my immediate future, and if I can hold it off long enough technology may advance sufficiently to where it will no longer require major surgery. I’m all for that. Better a nanobot injection in twenty years than valve replacement today.

So what does this have to do with self-reliance? Well, you can’t be entirely self-reliant without your health. The more you know about your health the more you can do about it. The earlier you detect problems the sooner you can deal with them–preferably by yourself and not with significant medical intervention. I’ve nothing against medical intervention, but if you can do something to keep from needing it, why not do it? Being proactive in your health allows you the most control over your medical future.

In my case it’s a reassurance to know that I’m still okay. It’s also reassurance that my current level of preventive action is sufficient. I don’t have to guess what I need to be doing. I’m doing it, and it’s working. That in itself is peace of mind.