Went in to refill my prescriptions this past week and was told that there wasn't a refill, so I'd have to make an appointment with the Dr to get a new prescription.
So.... I call the Doc & she writes a prescription for 2 weeks to get me by, until I can get lab work done to make sure everything's looking OK. I currently take medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I stop at the clinic to get some blood work done and at the same time I figure I can pick up my prescriptions in Pipestone.
Well, the next day, the fun starts.
I get a call from my Dr.'s nurse who starts going over "numbers" with me.
I'm a little familiar with what some of these "numbers" should be, due to the fact that I'm a volunteer EMT and have had emergency medicine training.
The nurse starts by telling me that my blood sugar is high and they want to test me for diabetes. I ask her what the number was, and she tells me.... and it's a little higher than optimal, but nothing to make me get super concerned.
However, I have to get tested for diabetes later this month....and in the meantime I'll be monitoring my blood sugar.
She then asks me if I have been back to Mayo Clinic for a prostrate exam follow-up that was done in June, 2009. At the time, I had an abnormal exam locally which included an enlarged prostate gland, as well as a couple of possible 'nodules' or areas that were a little harder than what would be considered normal.
This could be due to me having a prostate gland that is just a little bit more firm than what you'd see on most men.
I was referred to Mayo where they did another exam and basically confirmed the original diagnosis.
At the time, the Dr at Mayo recommended biopsies along with a couple of other procedures that seemed a little bit more invasive than I was geared up for.
We did discuss the options and decided to keep an eye on things and get it re-checked in 6 months...and hold off on any other procedures.
Well, 2 years later, I guess it's time to re-check it.
So... I tell the nurse that it's on my "list of things to do" and will get an appointment scheduled.
She affirms that the Dr. really does want me to get this done.... I assure her that I will.
I've made an appointment that is app 2 weeks from now.
I'm not looking forward to this at all! I just got a feelin' in my gut that they're going to want to go ahead and do the biopsies and other procedures this time.... (and the exam itself isn't something that gets me excited)
She then goes on to tell me that "numbers" associated with my liver are higher than optimal and they are going to change my cholesterol medication to see if they can get on top of that.
Moving on to the next "number".....she tells me that my kidneys don't seem to be working quite the way they should....or at least "that's what the number's indicate". :)
About this time.... I simply say to her, "Why the heck are all the "numbers" too high?" to which she replies, "that's what we want to find out".
Now, I'm not overly concerned about all of this.... but it's not exactly what I'd call, 'aging gracefully'.
All of the numbers that are high, (except the ones I'm already on medication for) are not exceedingly high, but just slightly over what is optimal.
I do however know and understand that this could be a sign of some underlying problem, so I'll do what I can to figure things out...including obeying Dr.'s orders, doing lab work, changing diet if needed, and exercising more....etc...etc....
None of that is a real big deal to me....
I am a poker player and am blessed with the ability to be pretty discerning.
I could tell that the nurse is concerned enough about things that I shouldn't just ignore it.
That being said, my outlook on life might not be typical.
I lived life in the fast lane when I was younger. From a young age, I smoked, I drank.... occasionally smoked and ingested things that are considerably harder on your body than cigarettes.... I would throw caution to the wind, when it came to doing 'fun' stuff like trying to break land speed records, etc... :)
When I was younger, I told myself and others that if I lived to be over 40 years old, it would be a small miracle in and of itself. I figured that if I did make it to 40, anything over and above that would be considered a 'freeroll'. I'd be living on borrowed time....
Well, I've made it to 45....and now...I'm thinkin' I'll probably make it considerably higher than that number.... (However if not...I wouldn't have anything to complain about)
My wife & I have been extremely blessed throughout our life.
We enjoy life itself, we enjoy close family on both sides...and we enjoy an extremely close relationship with our kids and grandkids....We enjoy the freedom that we have to travel and do fun things all the time...
Life is good for us....and I'm sure it'll be good for us well into the future...
I'll keep you posted on my "numbers"....but in the meantime, Christine & I are going to enjoy a very nice, very long, very relaxing weekend together in Shakopee, MN......(starting tomorrow) playing cards, playing bingo, and just kickin' back.....
So.... I call the Doc & she writes a prescription for 2 weeks to get me by, until I can get lab work done to make sure everything's looking OK. I currently take medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I stop at the clinic to get some blood work done and at the same time I figure I can pick up my prescriptions in Pipestone.
Well, the next day, the fun starts.
I get a call from my Dr.'s nurse who starts going over "numbers" with me.
I'm a little familiar with what some of these "numbers" should be, due to the fact that I'm a volunteer EMT and have had emergency medicine training.
The nurse starts by telling me that my blood sugar is high and they want to test me for diabetes. I ask her what the number was, and she tells me.... and it's a little higher than optimal, but nothing to make me get super concerned.
However, I have to get tested for diabetes later this month....and in the meantime I'll be monitoring my blood sugar.
She then asks me if I have been back to Mayo Clinic for a prostrate exam follow-up that was done in June, 2009. At the time, I had an abnormal exam locally which included an enlarged prostate gland, as well as a couple of possible 'nodules' or areas that were a little harder than what would be considered normal.
This could be due to me having a prostate gland that is just a little bit more firm than what you'd see on most men.
I was referred to Mayo where they did another exam and basically confirmed the original diagnosis.
At the time, the Dr at Mayo recommended biopsies along with a couple of other procedures that seemed a little bit more invasive than I was geared up for.
We did discuss the options and decided to keep an eye on things and get it re-checked in 6 months...and hold off on any other procedures.
Well, 2 years later, I guess it's time to re-check it.
So... I tell the nurse that it's on my "list of things to do" and will get an appointment scheduled.
She affirms that the Dr. really does want me to get this done.... I assure her that I will.
I've made an appointment that is app 2 weeks from now.
I'm not looking forward to this at all! I just got a feelin' in my gut that they're going to want to go ahead and do the biopsies and other procedures this time.... (and the exam itself isn't something that gets me excited)
She then goes on to tell me that "numbers" associated with my liver are higher than optimal and they are going to change my cholesterol medication to see if they can get on top of that.
Moving on to the next "number".....she tells me that my kidneys don't seem to be working quite the way they should....or at least "that's what the number's indicate". :)
About this time.... I simply say to her, "Why the heck are all the "numbers" too high?" to which she replies, "that's what we want to find out".
Now, I'm not overly concerned about all of this.... but it's not exactly what I'd call, 'aging gracefully'.
All of the numbers that are high, (except the ones I'm already on medication for) are not exceedingly high, but just slightly over what is optimal.
I do however know and understand that this could be a sign of some underlying problem, so I'll do what I can to figure things out...including obeying Dr.'s orders, doing lab work, changing diet if needed, and exercising more....etc...etc....
None of that is a real big deal to me....
I am a poker player and am blessed with the ability to be pretty discerning.
I could tell that the nurse is concerned enough about things that I shouldn't just ignore it.
That being said, my outlook on life might not be typical.
I lived life in the fast lane when I was younger. From a young age, I smoked, I drank.... occasionally smoked and ingested things that are considerably harder on your body than cigarettes.... I would throw caution to the wind, when it came to doing 'fun' stuff like trying to break land speed records, etc... :)
When I was younger, I told myself and others that if I lived to be over 40 years old, it would be a small miracle in and of itself. I figured that if I did make it to 40, anything over and above that would be considered a 'freeroll'. I'd be living on borrowed time....
Well, I've made it to 45....and now...I'm thinkin' I'll probably make it considerably higher than that number.... (However if not...I wouldn't have anything to complain about)
My wife & I have been extremely blessed throughout our life.
We enjoy life itself, we enjoy close family on both sides...and we enjoy an extremely close relationship with our kids and grandkids....We enjoy the freedom that we have to travel and do fun things all the time...
Life is good for us....and I'm sure it'll be good for us well into the future...
I'll keep you posted on my "numbers"....but in the meantime, Christine & I are going to enjoy a very nice, very long, very relaxing weekend together in Shakopee, MN......(starting tomorrow) playing cards, playing bingo, and just kickin' back.....
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