My Doctor’s Appt
So I recently got a clean bill of health from my doctor. I must admit, I was initially nervous about even going. All we seem to hear about these days is some new rare disease wiping out people or how expensive it is, and even though I have insurance and complete coverage, the thought of using it also sent me into a panic. I didn’t want my premiums to rise or to find out that I have some condition that isn’t covered under the medical plan I have. But, a good friend convinced me of my need to go. Though I have a pretty good track record for being healthy, it is still a good idea to get a checkup. And as a Father who religiously takes his daughter to every appointment, I couldn’t be hypocritical and not get checked out myself. So I went, had a physical, bloodwork, etc....all of it done. I got my eyes checked, blood glucose analysis, the full workup. It took about an hour to do, and I was so nervous that I even began to sweat. When it was over, the doctor told me that I was overall healthy, but I could stand to lose some weight. No major surprise there. He also told me that he was waiting on my blood panels to return from the lab and that once it was all complete he would have more information for me. Now, to say I was nervous at this point would have been an understatement. He told me it would take three to five days and I he would give me a call. Three to five days. Which was actually longer considering my appointment was on a Thursday and his office is closed on the weekend. So in reality, I was waiting SEVEN DAYS to find out if something was wrong with me. Now, I have a pretty active imagination. Always have. So in the seven intervening days I developed such an intense anxiety for all things medical that it was severely affecting my ability to function. I work in retail, and let me tell you something: Try to sell 20k worth of something when in your head you are imagining how you are Patient Zero for a new strain of Super SARS and you will know the level of my anxiety for seven days. I began imagining symptoms, checking my body over and over for any lesions, swelling, rashes, boils, anything that may be the first indicators of some virulent plague ravaging my body. Keep in mind, I have not been sick in months. I haven’t had so much as a sniffle in a year. But once I went to the doctor my mind would not put to bed the notion that I harbored some dark plague that suddenly had received a secret code to ravage my body. I could barely eat, and sleep was out of the question. It wasn’t until today, the FIFTH business day but my SEVENTH in waiting ( I am counting the day I went to the doctor. It’s 2017. WHY ARE THESE TESTS NOT INSTANT?!?!?!?) that my doctor finally calls and tells me I am fine. Slightly elevated cholesterol, but nothing a slight diet change and some good exercise couldn’t cure. HUGE WEIGHT LIFTED! Now I am sitting here at work trying to plan my next move. Because while on the phone I heard “You’re a little fat but otherwise ok,” in my head I heard “YOU ARE THE MACHIAVELLIAN SUPERBEING. GO CLIMB MOUNT EVEREST.
And so in conclusion, I just want to say I am glad I went to the doctor. Put a lot of concerns at peace and also superbly inflated my ego. I am not climbing Everest any time soon, but I am working to lose weight, be healthy, and live a longer, well informed life that will perhaps one day place me at the top of that mountain. Or just ensure I am here to walk my daughter down the isle. Both are great goals.
