A slightly-overdue visit to the doctor for my regular physical is coming up tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it. At my age, about the best you can expect to hear is that you're not declining as quickly as most people your age.
To make matters worse, I have "white coat blood pressure:" my blood pressure is always higher than usual at the doctor's office. None of them follow the correct procedure -- you're supposed to have been sitting quietly for five minutes first -- and that doesn't help. Then there's the way the thresholds for hypertension and pre-hypertension keep getting lower and lower. So I'll be doing my best to think soothing thoughts.
Still -- I just don't see much reason in seeing a doctor unless I'm sick or injured. Aging isn't a disease; it's a natural (if unwelcome) process. Getting my sinuses cleared out last year? Great use of doctorin'. Being hectored about my blood pressure and two or three Reeses Peanut Butter Cups per workday, not so much. They've never been able to do a darned thing about my migraines, after all, and the list of foods that are bad for you vs. good for you changes almost monthly. I'll smile, be polite, get through it and keep my own council.
When I was in the Air Force there were similar feelings about seeing the Flight Surgeon. The best outcome was that he would keep you on Flight Status, which you already were, so no gain.
ReplyDeleteHe might also pull you off of Flight Status. Which meant you picked up all the scut jobs nobody else had time for because they were busy filling the hole you left in the flight schedule.
So, seeing the Flight Surgeon if you weren't actively sick had no upside, a major possible downside, and was at best a continuation of status quo.
Here's hoping you at least achieve maintaining the status quo, though an improvement would always be nice.
I also have a checkup today.
ReplyDeleteI have hypertension which is exacerbated by the smell of a doctor's office, the anticipation of stepping on a scale, and several other things. Also this is the discuss-the-annual-bloodwork visit, and because of some stupid glitch I haven't been able to access my results through the "handy" online portal so I walk in there not knowing if:
1. Everything is fine (as it has been in the past)
2. Something is minorly off which will necessitate a further medication being added to my regime, or yet another lifestyle modification
3. Something is majorly wrong and I am facing down many more rounds of testing and possibly some awful medical stuff.
I mean, I'm basically healthy (didn't even get a cold last year) but I've known too many people blindsided by things-medical to be able to relax.
Re: The Reese's PB cups. "Something is eventually going to kill you; it might as well be something you enjoy."
ReplyDeleteMarch 1 for me.
ReplyDeleteRe: white coat blood pressure, I remember my first and only visit to the PCP I just replaced. BP was taken shortly after I sat in the waiting room for an hour and a half with the teevee cranked up to the threshold of pain and not One. Redacted. Thing. to read (not even the local paper or People or US or something equally sordid, sodden, and hopeless). Yeah, it was a bit higher than usual.
Ken, that's why I have a small Kindle, and have the Kindle app on my phone. I used to always carry a paperback book -- sometimes with a spare, if I was near the end. Too often, there's nothing to read in waiting rooms.
ReplyDeleteI knew a guy years ago who claimed Reese's PB cups were the only thing that helped control his migraines. Best of luck on that front.
ReplyDeleteYeah, well my doctor's office keeps emailing me to come in for Medicare checkup...another waste of my taxes. The doctor's office is full of sick people and germs and half the time I have to tell the nurse and doctor to wash hands, not that anyone really touches their patients anymore; too busy inputting the computer. How did we ever get thru life for years without seeing a doctor? I tell them I will call them when I get sick, until then leave me alone.
ReplyDelete