Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
Speaker 1: tip is to schedule a checkup. If you have some
Speaker 1: sort of health need that hasn't been addressed in a while,
Speaker 1: make that call today. You can cross it off your
Speaker 1: list and stop thinking about it. So I am talking
Speaker 1: about today's tip in part as a nudge to myself.
Speaker 1: All five of my children and my husband recently went
Speaker 1: to the dentist. Guess who did not go to the dentist.
Speaker 1: My kids needed to get a cleaning before the school
Speaker 1: year started so I wouldn't have to pull them out
Speaker 1: of school. I don't have the same restrictions, so I
Speaker 1: could schedule an appointment whenever, but I didn't. So by
Speaker 1: putting this episode out there, I am raising the stakes
Speaker 1: that I will call and get this done. Perhaps you, likewise,
Speaker 1: are overdue for something or another. It could be a
Speaker 1: dentist appointment, or perhaps a basic well exam, or something
Speaker 1: preventive like a mole check or a mammogram. We know
Speaker 1: we should do these things, but they aren't exactly urgent.
Speaker 1: It is not particularly fun to call a doctor's office
Speaker 1: and perhaps wind up on hold, You take some appointment
Speaker 1: time that they offer you, and then you have to
Speaker 1: take time off work or arrange to get to the
Speaker 1: appointment during your free time or when you can arrange childcare.
Speaker 1: A lot of medical and dental care isn't inherently enjoyable.
Speaker 1: Adulting is not always fun, but it is also just
Speaker 1: part of life. So even if it is annoying, why
Speaker 1: not make that call and get that check up on
Speaker 1: your schedule now? To be sure you can, over time
Speaker 1: make these tasks easier on yourself. Choose providers who make
Speaker 1: it easier to schedule an increasing number allow for online
Speaker 1: scheduling so you can choose from a list of available
Speaker 1: times or available practitioners. Services like ZocDoc help you find
Speaker 1: specialists you might not have known about, like a highly
Speaker 1: rated dermatologist if you haven't been to one before. You
Speaker 1: can also get in the habit of scheduling your next
Speaker 1: appointment while you're at your last one. If you have
Speaker 1: a provider that isn't organized enough to allow for that,
Speaker 1: like a dentist that only books three months out when
Speaker 1: the usual rhythm for coming is every six months, that
Speaker 1: might not be a very good sign. I am also
Speaker 1: a fan of places that offer early morning appointments and
Speaker 1: evening appointments and weekend appointments. Places that are patient friendly
Speaker 1: will offer appointments very soon, so when you call, you
Speaker 1: don't have to guess your schedule eight weeks from now.
Speaker 1: All that said, even if your favorite office is only
Speaker 1: offering appointments four months from now, better to make that
Speaker 1: appointment and have the four months pass than not make
Speaker 1: the appointment and have four months pass. Anyway, take a
Speaker 1: few minutes this morning to call wherever you are hoping
Speaker 1: to schedule a checkup and get something scheduled. You will
Speaker 1: feel better having done it, and you can cross one
Speaker 1: more thing off the to do list. In the meantime.
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to
Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,
Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook,
Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the
Speaker 1: number four then Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me
Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeartMedia dot com
Speaker 1: That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Speaker 1: Thanks so much. Should I look forward to Staying in
Speaker 1: Touch Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more
Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.