So, today they gave me a full physical. It took nearly 2 hours. One of the benefits of doing this is getting all of this free stuff. Want a free physical? Give blood or apply for life insurance. Anyway, they took 5 tubes of blood to be tested. Then they gave me a chest x-ray and an EKG.
A couple of things they look for on the x-ray: First, and most important, they want to know if your lungs are clear. Next, they check your torso for any masses that may be cancerous, or for kidney stones, stuff like that. It never hurts to look at the bones that show up to make sure they're healthy- you don't have any displaced vertebrae or broken ribs. Last, when you look at a chest x-ray, you can see a faint white substance on the middle left- it's your heart. If it shows much more than that, it may mean you have an enlarged heart. If any other organs show up, it could mean they're enlarged, too. Needless to say, mine was clear.
EKGs are always fun, because no two people's hearts are the same- not even identical twins. Everyone has something unique. They put these little things on you that almost remind you of the hot wax they put on you when you go and get a wax job- they hurt a little coming off. I encourage anyone who hasn't gotten one to have one done, just to find out about your heart. They took pulse, temp., and blood pressure (my vitals always run a little low, for some reason), height (just under the 5'9" that I tell everyone that I am), weight (155 lbs., as usual), and gave me an exam. They reminded me to not tan, or drink coffee, or smoke (I don't, except for the tanning thing come summer- I'm kind of white).
By the way, I know this is something quite sensative, but many cancers are preventable, if not by habit, by examination. In addition to self examination, I don't mind the doctors reminding me, from time to time, how to do it. This way I know I'm doing it correctly. Basically, you should examine any part of your body that is a gland for lumps or discharge, about once monthly. Anyway, it's worth noting that men can get breast cancer, too- Mr. T had it; Rod Roddy died from it. Finally, every man's favorite part of a physical, a hernia and prostate check- it sucks, but the alternative, I can imagine would suck waaaaayyyyyyyyyy more.
They'll let me know next week, but everything seemed to be fine.
No comments:
Post a Comment