By Scott Rutherford
une is chock-full of national and international days, some serious, some a bit less-so. We start with the first day of the month, which is both Dinosaur Day and Nail Polish Day. We progress to National Leave the Office Early Day on the 2nd, followed by Yo-Yo Day on the 5th, and Donald Duck Day on the 9th.
Father’s Day, which falls on the 19th, is preceded by National Go Fishing Day the day before. Why not make it a two-day trip and celebrate both? At the very least, everyone who still has dear old dad with them should give him a call. The month winds down with National Chocolate Éclair Day – seriously, what day isn’t a good day for an éclair? — on the 22nd, Global Beatles Day and National Catfish Day on the 25th, and National Corvette Day on the 30th. Feel free to celebrate or ignore any of these special days, but there’s one national day in June that we probably shouldn’t ignore, especially as we get on in years – National Call Your Doctor Day.
National Call Your Doctor Day started as a way to encourage women to set an annual wellness exam and was founded by the non-governmental organization Bright Pink. The first event was held June 21, 2016, and continuing observations are held each year on the second Tuesday of June. This year, that’s June 14.
The emphasis of the day is not so much on going to the doctor when we feel ill or sense that we have a problem. Hopefully, we all have the good sense to do that. Rather, it is to make sure that we are making annual wellness visits, which can help detect problems in their early stages when they are often more treatable.
According to Liza Torborg of the Mayo Clinic, wellness visits often include “blood or urine tests to evaluate your kidneys, electrolytes, blood sugar level, thyroid, blood counts, (and) cholesterol.” She adds that doctors often screen for diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and various types of cancer, in addition to recommending vaccines, as appropriate. Flu shots are often recommended, and, in the era since the pandemic, many doctors will also recommend Covid vaccination or boosters if you haven’t already had them. And since National Call Your Doctor Day is followed by National Eat Your Veggies Day three days later, you may even get some dietary advice.