While sitting in my doctor’s waiting room the morning my birthday, I asked myself, “Why am I doing this again?”
Every year on her birthday, Susan takes the day off and schedules her yearly physical. That makes it easy to remember (kind of like changing the batteries on your smoke detectors when you change your clocks for daylight savings time), so I decided to try the same thing this year. Between fasting (so I could do blood work) and not being able to celebrate with my friends at work, it didn’t take me long to realize that the doctor’s office isn’t a fun place to spend your birthday.
I know I weigh too much. I can see that on the outside. My concern was, what’s going on on the inside. I was worried about my blood pressure. I was worried about being pre-diabetic. I was worried about my cholesterol levels. I was worried about a lot of things.
I’ll not bury the lead; here are the comments I got back from the doctor, along with my lab results:
Your labs look fantastic!! The exercise and better eating has helped lower your blood sugar and cholesterol a few more points. Not that your numbers were bad, but they’re even better now. As for your vitamin D, it is now normal. I would keep taking the supplement as directed. Otherwise, your kidneys, liver, electrolytes, urine, blood count, and thyroid are good.
For any health/number nerds, my A1C was 4.9% (anything under 5.7% is considered normal). My cholesterol was 159 (below 200 is desirable), and my triglycerides were well within the normal range. Last year, my vitamin D levels were low. I’ve been taking a vitamin D supplement, and that seems to have corrected the problem.
The best news of the day was that my blood pressure was 136/82. At least year’s check up, it was 155/88. I’ll take it.
As for the weight, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. It’s working, little by little.
Of all the birthday gifts I received this year, the test results from my physical were perhaps the most relieving.
Also, Susan says my ear looks fine, which is amazing since this is a tool used for eye exams.
Slow and steady wins the race. Congrats on a good year, Rob.
I was low on potassium so I take a tablet twice a day. The Dr. advised me it might make me limp !!!! I asked him is it a drug side effect? His answer. NO it’s commonly dropped because of it’s size and slick coating! Most people take their morning pill at the breakfast table. Some people are still not completely dressed at that early hour. So be sure and check your shoes in case one of these big pills fell in it, cause it’ll make ya limp !!