Physicals After 40

Today was a day that most people don't get all kinds of excited about for a host of reasons. However, when you are a man in your 40's (welcome to my world), this day takes on its own special kind of dread. Of course, I refer to the day you have to get your physical. Note that I did not mention "annual" physical. As best we can surmise, my last physical was about five, maybe four, years ago when we were still living in SoCal.

Had I any sense, I would have scheduled this little medical dream date in January when I decided to embark on my "Weight Loss Adventure '08." However, I didn't and so I found myself in the offices of Dr. Dorsey-Johnson at the Dupage Medical Group today.

Let me first say that my doctor rocks. This was the first time I saw her as a patient, although since she treats everyone in our family. I had met her during Shari's gall bladder purging fiesta last year as well as for various Parker visits - those who know the Boy know that said visits need no further explanation. Anyway, Dr. Dorsey-Johnson is great. She's got a wicked busy practice but she takes the time to listen, answer questions, and she's thorough. She tells you exactly what she's doing as she does it. So if you ever move to Chicagoland and need a good doctor, she is aces in our book.

Without going into agonizing detail, I got a clean bill of health. I'll be curious to see what the blood tests show though. There were a couple of key learnings and I feel I compelled to share them. First of all the EKG. See the picture below:

I, too, got all wired up just like this man today, including the leads on the ankles. There was one key difference and if you look at him lying comfortably on the gurney, you'll see that he is missing something that I am not. What is that? That would be chest hair. Although the nurse assured me it would be ok and that she'd get the leads where it wouldn't be so bad, umm...it was, well, a little rough when those leads got torn off. Key learning - I should have mowed a little of the grass as it were to make that a little less traumatizing. No wonder my BP was a little high on the second take! Now, the second key learning, when you are a male over 40 and presenting in good health, guess what sweet words you hear from your doctor...that's right, no need for the dreaded, dreaded exam until you are 50! And you know of what exam I speak. If you still don't, see the picture below for a reference:

Why is that the nurse looks so pleased to be snapping on those gloves?

Anyway, although they waited until the very last minute to deliver that heaping helping of good news and I still had to suffer a measure of rubber glove torture, I could not have been more pleased with how the appointment went. So based on my past pattern, I won't be in there for another four years. Works for me!