{"id":13888,"date":"2026-04-07T06:52:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T10:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/?p=13888"},"modified":"2026-04-07T07:26:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T11:26:04","slug":"world-health-day-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/es\/2026\/04\/07\/world-health-day-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"A World Health Day Reflection: The Body I Live in Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Health Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

World Health Day is recognized each year on April 7th, bringing attention to global health and the importance of well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the conversation focuses on awareness, prevention, and access to care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My reflection isn\u2019t about advice. It\u2019s about what it\u2019s actually like to live it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for some of us, health isn\u2019t something we think about once a year. It\u2019s something we live with every single day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rick<\/a>
Morning Routine<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Mornings I Wake Up To <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I wake up sore most days like an old man in pain. My shoulders, neck and knees ache even before I even get out of bed. When that happens, I already know what type of day it’s going to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then come the pills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirteen in the morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, I make my coffee. Tim Horton’s. Every morning like clockwork. Even if I don’t venture out until later, I still use their K-Cups at home. It’s a Small thing\u2026 but it\u2019s mine and it’s one thing I don’t compromise its cost on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the day drags on, it’s one extra pill in the afternoon. It helps with the pains that haven’t worked themselves out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there are four more at night right around dinner time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pink<\/a>
My Morning<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Health Used to Mean <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There was a time I didn\u2019t think about my health. Didn\u2019t think about what was growing inside me or needed fixed. And I never thought how far I could go or how hard I could push. I just lived. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even before the cancer was announced, my heart had me doing things differently. Not always in big, obvious ways\u2014but in the quiet one’s people don\u2019t see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living With Heart Disease<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Living with heart disease isn\u2019t just about your heart. It\u2019s awareness. A constant, low hum in the background reminding you\u2014you\u2019re not invincible. Some days it\u2019s subtle. Other days it\u2019s not. It shows up in the pacing. In the second-guessing. In the moments when I stop and ask myself, \u201cIs this too much today?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there\u2019s the ICD<\/strong>. Always there. Quiet\u2026 until it\u2019s not. It\u2019s meant to protect me\u2014to step in if my heart decides to do something it shouldn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it comes with a thought that never really leaves: what if today\u2019s the day it goes off? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve learned to live with it because I don\u2019t have a choice. That awareness\u2026 it never disappears. It just becomes part of the background noise of my life. A safety net\u2014that I hope I never to have to feel. But have too often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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