Cao Ying once rushed for career relentlessly, until an early gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosis made her realize health is the only true possession.
During the filming of a variety show in 2023, Cao Ying kept a bottle of fast-acting heart medicine clenched in her palm at all times, her knuckles turning pale and bluish from the pressure. At the time, she had just been diagnosed with early-stage gastric fundus adenocarcinoma; less than half a month after her surgery, she rushed to the rehearsal studio to participate in the recording.In her forties, she struggled to keep up with the high-intensity dance routines that even the younger trainees found challenging. Her chest often felt heavy and constricted, and that small bottle of medicine became her lifeline as she pushed through one rehearsal after another.
Twenty years ago, Cao Ying was a highly acclaimed host on China Central Television (CCTV), and after playing the role of Huo Shuixian in the TV series *Love in the Mist*, she became a household name. She had worked tirelessly to advance her career for many years,but the medical checkup reports piling up in her home drawers often went unopened for long periods as she had no time to deal with them. The minor ailments caused by her long-term high-pressure lifestyle gradually accumulated into more serious health issues. In her early years, she went through a period of postpartum depression, which she endured alone, gritting her teeth and never speaking much about it to others.
On the day she received the diagnosis, she stood there in a daze for a long time, finding it hard to accept.The first to stay by her side was her son, Wang Zihan, who was still quite young at the time. In the past, he would cry at the sight of a needle, but that day he clenched his sleeve and bravely endured the blood draw to obtain his health certificate—all so he could stay in the hospital room with her.He would bring her water and help her take her medicine every day, make sure she ate her nutritional meals as prescribed, and would always place his perfect-score test papers on her bedside table as a source of comfort for his mother. Her husband, Wang Ban, however, could hardly guarantee his full-time presence due to work commitments.
Cao Ying has now gradually recovered her health.She no longer rushes from one job to the next, and she has set all her work chat groups to “Do Not Disturb.” These days, she often spends her time leisurely strolling through the farmers’ market with her son. She later said that after spending half her life chasing fame and fortune, it wasn’t until she had a brush with death that she realized health is the only tangible thing she truly holds in her own hands.
By middle age, most people are busy juggling family, children, and careers. When they occasionally experience a headache or a fever, they tend to think they can just tough it out and it will pass. They put off health checkups time and again, always feeling that serious illness is still a long way off. It is only when their bodies send clear signals that they realize all the external things they’ve been chasing are ultimately fleeting.
Why not start today by digging out those medical exam forms you’ve been putting off at home, taking the time to get the necessary checkups done, and taking good care of your health?
