By Nancy Johnson
D-day is today. It looks like I have finally run out of reasons why I should not do my annual physical. Why has it been 2 years since my last physical?
Is it because I have a cold and uncaring doctor with horrible bedside manners? Nope. I actually have a great primary care physician. She is part of a practice of doctors where everyone in the office is very warm and friendly. In fact, I have gone to the same doctor for almost 10 years. She has seen me through two surgeries -- the last one for a disease I cannot pronounce -- OPLL (Google that).
Is it because of the vampire bloodsucking technician? Nope. I don't mind the blood work. Because of my bashful veins, I know that on today I will be her problem child for the day. I am guaranteed to have a good laugh watching her pray for blood to rain.
D-day is today. It looks like I have finally run out of reasons why I should not do my annual physical. Why has it been 2 years since my last physical?
Is it because I have a cold and uncaring doctor with horrible bedside manners? Nope. I actually have a great primary care physician. She is part of a practice of doctors where everyone in the office is very warm and friendly. In fact, I have gone to the same doctor for almost 10 years. She has seen me through two surgeries -- the last one for a disease I cannot pronounce -- OPLL (Google that).
Is it because of the vampire bloodsucking technician? Nope. I don't mind the blood work. Because of my bashful veins, I know that on today I will be her problem child for the day. I am guaranteed to have a good laugh watching her pray for blood to rain.
So, if it's not the doctor and it's not the blood work, why have I avoided my annual physical for 2 whole years? Two things.
One -- the dreaded gown that does NOT fit plus-sized people like myself. I know I am a little bit larger than most, but must I be reminded of the size I SHOULD be whenever I must take off my clothes? Hmmm?
Two -- The scale. I always dreaded the scale at the doctor’s office. I especially dread it now that I have put on at least 15 pounds since my last physical. My doctor has an old school scale. You know the kind that requires the nurse to guess a weight and then nudge the metal until she guesses the correct weight. This scale is in the hallway so that everyone can see the look of shock on my and the nurse's face.
One -- the dreaded gown that does NOT fit plus-sized people like myself. I know I am a little bit larger than most, but must I be reminded of the size I SHOULD be whenever I must take off my clothes? Hmmm?
Two -- The scale. I always dreaded the scale at the doctor’s office. I especially dread it now that I have put on at least 15 pounds since my last physical. My doctor has an old school scale. You know the kind that requires the nurse to guess a weight and then nudge the metal until she guesses the correct weight. This scale is in the hallway so that everyone can see the look of shock on my and the nurse's face.
At first glance, the scale appears to be just as friendly as everyone else at the doctor’s office. But once I am on that scale, bare foot and with empty pockets, I can hear the scale laughing as the nurse makes several attempts to guess my weight.
The biggest problem I have with this scale is that it always disagrees with all other scales I might use. Somehow it always adds at least 5 pounds onto my already mind boggling weight.
The biggest problem I have with this scale is that it always disagrees with all other scales I might use. Somehow it always adds at least 5 pounds onto my already mind boggling weight.
As someone who is approaching 50 with a smile on my face and a sword in my hand, I fully understand the importance of the annual physical on catching medical issues early on. So at 1:40 p.m. today, I will grimace as I once again face that monster in the doctor's hallway who always manages to keep it real.
I"ll let you know tomorrow whether I was victor or victim.
I"ll let you know tomorrow whether I was victor or victim.
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3 comments:
Nancy,
Hope it went well. Remember, even if you are heavier than 2 years ago, you went into that Doc's office on a mission to get healthy! You went in DOING something to get healthy! That's much, much, much more than most folks who are overweight. No matter what the scale says, you are ahead of the game. On Biggest Loser, they scare the heck out of the participants. It is important to be scared but don't let it paralyze you or cause stress eating - power through. You can be a hero to many. You are a hero for even trying.
My doctor's office has the same scale! On the bright side, when you get home and hop on your scale, you'll have lost 5 lbs!
You know we have one of those scales on the 2nd floor of the EC, right? When your home scale blows up and you have to use that thing, right there in the hallway where God and all your co-workers can see you, that's a test! It lets you know how much other people's opinion of you matters to you. I'm at the point where it doesn't matter to me. It's not like everyone thinks I'm skinny until I hop on that scale.
We just have to use the scale to our advantage - as motivation to get back out there and do what we need to do so that the next time we step on it, the number is smaller. You are strong-minded enough that I'm sure you can do that.
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