Last year I had 4 significant medical events. There was the heart attack last April, the torn meniscus that was repaired with surgery in December, and two suspicious lumps in between; both of which are now gone! The insurance company spent a tad over $58,000 to keep me alive and healthy. For the $15 grand I paid in premiums and co-pays, it was the best investment I made all year.

Now that I am immune to the smell of latex, and have spent 2 weeks or more occupying a medical office naked, I have had more than a few instructions on how to take care of myself.

Here is $58K in medical wizardry for free:

Sleep: Resting from workouts is important, but sleep is your weight loss friend! It is also good for your heart, and lots of magical things happen when you are counting sheep.

Stretching: I run with a guy from the office 2 times a week. At 33, 21 years younger than I am, he jumps on the treadmill and rips out 2 miles at 6 MPH. I need to warm up for about 5 minutes, then I do some stretching. According the surgeon who got about 5 grand this year, stretching might have helped me avoid one injury. My trainer insists on it, and that's the story. Just don't stretch cold muscles.

Vacation: Some days we need a break; life is hectic for many of us. Kids don't like schedules, work wants more hours, and in between we have a million errands to do, workouts, shopping... Vacation renews the soul, it's time.

Diet: You can tell yourself it's OK to eat whatever you want, but cumulative consequences of over indulging in anything eventually add up. Find foods that decrease the risk of serious medical conditions.

Stress Relief: I confess, I suck at this. I needed to learn to take a deep breath. I need to learn what is too much, and for a guy with one busy brain cell, I overload easily. I find time for me to relax, to pray, and just plan nothing.

Use My Mind: 50 was a shocker, I think. I can't really remember, but somewhere around there my brain was full. I can remember phone numbers from my childhood, but can't get milk on the way home without a calendar reminder and a text from my wife to remind me to read the reminder. The good news is that I have to create new things every day at work. The math can be challenging and the logic is more of a challenge. It's a good way to keep brain cell uno busy, because he is freakin' lazy. It mostly means shutting off the gadgets and doing a little thinking.

Fitness: That's why we are on MFP.In my Sports Medicine training class, they continually say you have to "move it to lose it." That means heart rates up at 130 or above for extended periods of time.

Sun Block: Both my parents died of cancer and both had skin cancer. My brother has it now. I take it seriously. But If I was any whiter, I wouldn't have a pulse; that may be part of the problem. ;)

Sun Glasses: Apparently I have the same problem with my eyes. BTW they do look less like road maps of Rhode Island now that I don't drink. I actually like my sunglasses so much I wear them inside - I think they call them Detox Glasses.

Seat Belts: It's rare that our first responders unbuckle the dead. Anyway, thought I would pass it on from my primary care physician.

Faith: We can live a little over a month without food, a few days without water, a few minutes without air, but few of us can live a second without faith.

Well, short of icing my privates, that is pretty much the advice the doctors gave me in 2011.

Thanks for the votes and comments - you guys are fantastic!