The Things We Would Rather Not Know
Hi, Joyful Humans!
Can I confess something?
I don’t particularly enjoy stepping on the scale.
I know exactly how weight works. I know that the number doesn’t define my worth. I know that information is neither good nor bad. It’s simply information.
And yet, if I’m being honest, there are days when I would rather not know.
The same is true for lab work.
Even as a physician, there is a small part of me that hopes everything looks perfect and a slightly larger part that wonders, “What if it doesn’t?”
Because here’s the truth: knowing can be uncomfortable.
Most of us have experienced this feeling in one form or another.
We put off getting on the scale.
We delay scheduling the mammogram.
We ignore the blood pressure cuff.
We postpone the colonoscopy.
We tell ourselves we’ll make the appointment next month.
Or next season.
Or after things settle down.
Not because we don’t care.
But because we care very much.
Sometimes we worry about what we might find.
Sometimes we fear being judged.
Sometimes we simply feel overwhelmed by one more thing on an already crowded to-do list.
The irony, of course, is that avoiding information rarely reduces anxiety. It often increases it.
The unopened bill still exists.
The strange noise in the car doesn’t disappear because we turn up the radio.
And the health concern we’ve been quietly worrying about tends to occupy more space in our minds the longer we avoid it.
One of the most rewarding parts of primary care is seeing what happens when people finally decide to look.
Most of the time, the result is reassuring.
The mammogram is normal.
The lab work looks good.
The blood pressure is better than expected.
The symptom turns out to be something manageable.
And even when we do discover a problem, finding it early almost always gives us more options, more control, and better outcomes.
Information may not always be comfortable.
But it is empowering.
I often think about how differently we treat physical injuries.
If you fell and thought you might have broken your leg, you probably wouldn’t avoid an X-ray because you were afraid of seeing the fracture. You would want to know what was wrong so you could begin healing.
Yet many of us treat our health differently.
We avoid the information because we’re afraid of what it might tell us.
The reality is that a diagnosis doesn’t begin when we discover it.
It begins when it happens.
Finding out simply gives us the opportunity to do something about it.
Whether it’s high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, or something else entirely, knowing gives us choices.
And choices are powerful.
So if there’s a test you’ve been putting off, a symptom you’ve been ignoring, or a question you’ve been meaning to ask, consider this your gentle nudge.
Not because I want you to worry.
Quite the opposite.
Because peace of mind is often found on the other side of uncertainty.
You do not have to be fearless to take care of your health.
You only have to be willing.
With joy,
Dr. Kristy Mount
Founder, Deserving of Joy Direct Primary Care
This newsletter is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice.