Annual

Since tip toeing into the forties six years ago, annual physicals have turned into multi-visit affairs. Generally the marathon of visits are scheduled for early July through early August because this time tends to be the least hectic at the office. This year, however, having been faced with one conundrum after another due to the orchestrations of a Use and Sales Tax auditor from another planet, I couldn't get started until August. I had hoped to have all requisite visits and follow-ups done before the onset of our busiest season.

Before the forties, I didn't expend much energy thinking about my health. No need, really. I stayed relatively active due to chasing around two active young kids. I ate relatively healthful because I fed the two active kids healthful foods. Trips to the primary care doc, every two years, were no muss and no fuss.

Then came the forties and booming changes. I was now a single mom of teenagers, one about to start college, the other high school. I began working longer hours and partaking of fewer healthful meals. I had much less time and energy to get the necessary exercise to counter-balance the fewer healthful meals plus the slowing to a crawl metabolism. The stress I'd been working on packing away, deep, to the back of the closet, inside of the 25 year old bowling ball bag, decided to leak out and settle itself right out there on the rarely used dining room table. Concerns about blood pressure, cholesterol and more became vibrantly relevant.

Over these past few years, particularly the last 12 months, the concerns are being addressed through diet, exercise, slow, deep breaths and lessons in the judicious usage of polite, but firm refusals. Low-sodium, low-fat, and fresh food stuffs are the order for most days now. I work-out vigorously, regularly, if not daily. The judicious usage...a work in progress. Over-all, I'd give myself a B on the efforts.

I knew going in that the primary care doc visit would result in at least one referral, additional visit to a breast center for a mammogram. Much to my chagrin, she also issues two more for radiology for a knee x-ray and pelvic ultra-sound towards pin-pointing cause and treatment strategies for an increasingly achy right knee and tidal wave proportion monthly cycles.

Even after the efforts of the past year the blood pressure remains a serious concern. So serious I must take another pill, on top of the daily vitamins and mild pain relievers. I really do not enjoy taking pills.

So two, maybe three more visits to various technicians are on tap before going back to the primary care doc for assessment and any additional treatment, in a month. On the upside, the blood work is done and no more being left to the ministrations of not one, but two nurses who whined, while trying to find my very small, mobile veins. I hope.

In the meantime, the regimen continues. Achy knees and tidal wave monthlies aside, I'm feeling pretty well. Some days, like last week when this 46 year old mother of two in the twenties, got carded, pretty damn well.

Never-the-less, note this: crankiness level may change with out warning.