LET'S GET PHYSICAL [PART THE FIRST]

I had the first part of my physical on Tuesday, August 1, 2006. For some reason, I thought it would involve the undressing, the poking, the prodding, perhaps a little ball grabbing and quite possibly some anal penetration [EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!!!] BUT, I guess a little discomfort is necessary. Obviously, I'd want to know if there's something festering... growing... in my insides that shouldn't be there.

Before my appointment, I had received a questionnaire in the mail that inquired about my eating habits, drinking habits, smoking habits, family medical history, etc. I completed the forms and submitted them when I checked in.

They took my height and weight. They drew blood. They had me blow 3x into a contraption that measured my lung capacity. They had me read an eye chart. It was all really quick.

Then I received a confidential letter in the mail with their findings...

Would you believe I'm overweight? The following is verbatim from the letter: You are 64 inches (5 feet 4 inches) tall. A healthy weight range for this height is 124 - 143 pounds. At 149 pounds, you are above the healthy weight range for your height. Even being mildy overweight increases the likelihood of developing other risk factors, especially high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Permanent weight loss will result from combining increased physical activity (long distance walking is excellent) with behavior changes in terms of food selection and preparation. This is different from "going on a diet".

The fact that I've never smoked was a plus.

The Vital Capacity (how much air my lungs can hold) and FEV1 (how fast I can move it) were lower than normal. In essence, my lungs are one year older than they should be. If I could get my VC to normal, I could improve my Health Age by 1.0 years. Hrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmm... This may also explain why my stamina sucks when I'm in capoeira. I'll bet when I was a runner, my lungs were much better.

My blood pressure is better than average: 115 systolic; 72 diastolic (115/72).

Resting pulse rate was 60 heartbeats per minute, which is desirable.

Total blood cholesterol level is 247mg, which is elevated. Damn... I hate the idea of giving up chicken skin, of giving up bacon, of giving up pork fat, of having to eat white meat instead of dark meat...

Blood sugar level is 89 mg, which is normal.

Overall, the letter stated: Your Health Age is that of a healthy, low risk 36 year old man. Good though this is, there is still further benefit you can obtain. You could improve your Health Age to 34 years old.

Now, when I first made the decision to have a full physical, I thought I'd change my eating habits and exercise habits about a month or two before the first appointment; just to try to get better scores. But then, I also wanted an honest assessment of my health... So I decided not to alter anything. I'll make any necessary changes after my follow-up.

My second appointment, the big appointment, is Wed, August 23.

WHITE RICE RULES!!! BROWN RICE... ARRRRRRRRRGH!!