I’ve got a confession to make…

I’ve always been bad at self-care. Not lazy or even indifferent, just super, super inconsistent and frequently negligent.

Sometimes it was about putting the family first. If you were never an unwed teenage daddy, or even just a single parent, you might not understand how taking care of yourself takes a backseat to almost everything else in life…. I think there’s an argument to be made about two-parent homes falling apart because of two-income needs.

Sometimes it’s just habit. You say “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” enough times and that starts to make sense. Why would I see a doctor? I feel fine! Yeah, I DO complain about my back a lot and losing weight seems like a fantasy born out of impending mid-life panic. But why get a stethoscope up in my business?

Well, the chickens have come home to roost.

One part of this needs to wait until I’ve had some tests done. I’m not dying, but I think I may be making some lifestyle changes in the near future. New Year, New You?!?! God, no. More like I’d rather not let a manageable situation get out of hand to the point where my options start to become limited.

The other part is that damn tooth.

We’ve been talking about it on the air for at least a month. My upper right rear-most molar is FUBAR. I tried ignoring it. I tried having it crowned. I’ve done everything but what most needed to be done: A root canal.

I’m not a whiner when it comes to pain. Call it Toxic Masculinity if you want, but I think it’s undignified to complain about how you feel unless it’s truly an issue. I’m in so much pain right now it’s almost like a new level of consciousness. I can feel my pulse in my eye socket. My neck is stiff. The tooth feels like it’s being roasted over a Zippo lighter.

Obviously it’s infected and I’m already on antibiotics, but I’m almost definitely going to miss the show tomorrow. One way or another I will be in on Friday, because if there are no endodontic specialists ready get it done I’m having the damn thing pulled. And if I get any talk-back about an extraction I’m going to get a cold chisel and a light mallet and make a mess in someone’s waiting room. This has been going on long enough.

So, my New Year’s message as we roll into 2020 is this:

Take care of yourself. Eat right, listen to your doctor, and don’t ignore a sore tooth!

This will be a theme on and off the air. Skip is a hiker, runner, and all-around wellness-focused person. My goal (if there is such a thing, health-wise) is simply to treat myself better than I have for the past 20 years. But if you’re betting on any kind of race or physical contest (other than just straight-up strength) my money’s on her until 2021 or so!