I write a lot about exercise. That's because it's clear the practice prevents all sorts of illness and disease, including cancer, and I think you should know all about it. I also write so much about the topic so the health lessons pertaining to physical fitness sink deep into my brain because I, like everyone else, need a reminder now and then about how importance it is to stay fit. So, here I am, back with another morsel about this noble endeavor we call exercise.

Think about this:

Making a habit out of exercise may help you stick with a routine you find hard to keep. It can be hard -- to create a ritual in an already-hectic schedule -- but it's possible. Experts suggest piggybacking any desired behavior, like exercise, with already firmly-established tasks. Perhaps you can forgo a shower until you have exercised for the day or watch TV only after you've mastered some endurance training on the treadmill. How about turning a nightly stroll with your dog into a brisk power walk -- this workout will benefit not only yourself, but your pet too. Maybe huff and puff a bit every evening before dinner. Reward yourself with a refreshing fruit salad after every strenuous workout. You get the drill. Now get those tennis shoes on and give it a go!

Source: Canyon Ranch Connection, Spring 2007

On Friday, I had my annual OB/GYN appointment. It's the appointment known by all women for (1) its blood pressure check and humbling weigh-in, (2) the pee-in-a-cup ritual, (3) the get naked and change-into-a-paper-dress routine, (4) the finger-stick-iron-check, (5) the clinical breast exam, (6) the manual internal pelvic exam, and (7) the ever popular feet-in-stirrups Pap test. It's all so uncomfortable, so not fun. Yet it's all so necessary.

It was a visit with my OB/GYN that resulted in my breast cancer diagnosis two years ago this month. It was the clinical breast exam that confirmed the hard little lump I had found in the shower the previous day. It's what prompted my emergency mammogram a day later. It's what sent me on the wildest ride of my life. It's what keeps me going back for repeat yearly visits -- because I know if something goes wrong with my female parts, this doctor is likely the one who will make the discovery. He is likely the one who will save me from a late diagnosis of something terrible, the doctor who will set the wheels in motion for whatever comes after something terrible is detected.

I know already that (1) my blood pressure and weight are normal, (2) my urine is normal, (3) the paper dress is so not flattering, (4) my iron is normal, (5) my breasts are normal, and (6) my ovaries and uterus feel normal. I am only waiting on (7) the results of my Pap test that will reveal any abnormalities in the tissue of my cervix. This is the one test that can save me from cervical cancer or detect the disease in a stage that is completely curable. It's one of the best cancer screening tests around -- and I plan to receive it every year, year after year -- even if I have not one ounce of modesty left when it's said and done.

It's not so bad really. I'm accustomed to the rituals of the annual exam. I know the drill, know I will survive it all, know it's all critical for maintaining my health. So it's good really. Good -- compared to what could happen if something went undiscovered.