By Cheryl Mattox Berry
The Olympics
Watching the female athletes perform at the Olympics demonstrates once again how sports can play an important role in a girl or young woman’s life. When you read the back stories of the athletes, you’ll learn that many of them overcame tremendous odds on the road to Rio de Janiero.
It was through their sport that they learned how to channel their feelings into something positive for themselves and their country. Sports teaches a girl discipline, goal-setting, team building skills and how to accept defeat. It gives her self-confidence and pushes her beyond what she thinks she’s capable of doing.
Studies show that high school girls who play sports are less likely to get pregnant; get better grades in school; and graduate at higher rates than girls who don’t play sports. They also have higher self-esteem and a more positive body image.
Even if she doesn’t become an Olympian, a girl can benefit from the lessons learned by participating in sports. Encourage your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, cousins and goddaughters to find a sport they like and excel in it. They’ll thank you later.
Another Reason to Get Active
According to a study published in Health Affairs, blacks are more likely to face disabilities in their later years than whites. Sixty-five-year-old whites could expect 15 of their remaining 20 years to be active, compared with black seniors who could expect only 12 of their remaining 18 years to be active.
The reasons: Blacks are more likely to be in worse health earlier in life, uninsured and have higher rates of obesity and cardiovascular risk factors.
Misdiagnosis
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my sprained ankle. As it turns out, the doctor at the urgent care clinic failed to properly diagnose my injury. He took x-rays and found “no broken bones,” and gave me a prescription for Naproxen. He didn’t advise me to follow up with my doctor.
About four weeks later, my foot was still swollen and painful. I went to a podiatrist, who also took x-rays. He found three fractures and said I probably had more. He gave me two anti-inflammatory shots in the foot and ordered an MRI, which found a total of six fractures and contusions in my mid-foot.
The podiatrist said urgent care doctors miss 25 to 30 percent of fractures because they’re not specialists.
He said it’s too late to put my foot in a cast. It will have to heal on its on, and that may take several months. He gave me two more anti-inflammatory shots and a script for more anti-inflammatory meds.
Until the foot heals, no excessive walking, running, dancing or exercise using the foot. That doesn’t leave me with very many options. Once again – as I did with the ruptured Achilles tendon – I’m calling on the patience gods to keep me sane through this process.
The takeaway: Avoid urgent care clinics if you can. Go to the emergency room or your primary care physician.