Monday, January 31, 2011

Preparing for the Vampire

As part of my New Year's kick up the butt. I thought it would be a good idea to go see a doctor to reassess my prescribed medication. The doctor who had looked after Boy and I for the last 14 years, took the opportunity to leg it, while I was in Trinidad (jeez, was it something I said?) and so I had to find a new one.

I'm a bit old fashioned in my views about GPs. I believe in continuity of care. If I see you for my veruuca, I want to see you for my blood pressure. I have these odd beliefs that the GP I see will actually put the face and the name together and our 10 minute consultation will be memorable enough that when I next go to see them, they'll remember who I am. And they'll give a shit. Perhaps I should have started the paragraph off with, 'I'm a bit optimistic in my views about GPs'?

Anway, to cut a long story short, I trooped along to the GP I'd briefly met a couple of weeks ago. I liked her a lot. She was energetic and fun and she seemed sensible. We had a brief discussion about my prescription meds. It's coming up to the dreaded Hayfever season and I've learnt that if I start taking my antihistamines a couple of months before, I am less miserable. So, she gives me access to more drugs and we talk about my dragging backside. She decides she want the full blood work up, just to make sure I'm not anaemic or anything. While I'm there, I ask about having a cholesterol test. She agrees it would be a good idea.

As I sit here, waking up without a cup of coffee, I disagree. It's not a good idea. It's not a good idea to start a Monday without my steaming cup of good coffee next to me. I can survive on the water. That's fine. I can put up with it. But Ladies and Gentlemen, it's just wrong not to have coffee to kick the day off. I know I need to have the blood tests done. It's a good thing to know whether the steady diet of butter, double cream and chicken skin is clogging up my arteries. However, no coffee. Now that's not good.

Given my genetic makeup is such that my cholesterol will be high; the question is, will it be high enough to warrant regular blood tests? I do hope not. The thought of starting my day off without caffeine is becoming more than I can bear.

15 comments:

  1. "I believe in continuity of care."

    Corollary: I believe in following doctor's orders!

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  2. I bet my doctor is glad I had my hip done. I haven't bothered him since September 09. But our medical practise is great, you always see the doctor of your choice next day. Well, always unless they're on holiday. Obv,

    Hope your test results are fine.

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  3. Your dragging arse? Sounds like worms to me... Blodtest shmudtest... it's only a little prick and sometimes if your lucky he's the one holding the needle...
    Treat yourself to a real coffee on the way home... that keeps my habit in check...

    All will be well regardless of the results...

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  4. xl ~ umm...if that were true, I would have stopped smoking 2 years ago.

    z ~ I had to wait to see her, which was fine. If it was anything urgent, there's always a duty doctor available.

    princess ~ do you know, that's the one blood test they didn't do? After years of acupuncture, needles worry me less and less these days.

    I'm really not expecting any surprises to be honest. They're checking for anaemia, thyriod and cholesterol. It's been about 10 years since my cholesterol was last done and my diet hasn't improved. I am expecting having to cut out the fats that I love. Boo Hiss.

    mj ~ it sounds just the product for me. Can I order two jars?

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  5. Oh wow. Tough morning for you dear!

    I must say that I used to see the same GP too. Then about five years ago my old family doctor retired and they restructured the office so now you don't know which doctor you get. Well, you can book a particular doctor obviously but as a general rule you don't have one particular doctor.

    I request the hot one every time.

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  6. petra ~ it's comforting seeing the same doctor every time, isn't it? We don't have any hot ones at my surgery. I looked.

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  7. Absolutely! Knowing that the hot doctor will be straddling me warms the cockles of my heart.

    Too bad you don't have a hot one. Not sure how talented mine is but he is easy on the eyes

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  8. In other news, I just created you (and IDV) in Sims and you are going to KiLL me haha

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  9. cyberpete (1) ~ the closest I get to that is my dishy osteopath. He's really cute.

    cyberpete (2) ~ Oh. My. God. You're so dead.

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  10. Slo-Niacin.

    It's OTC & readily available - it raises your HDL (good cholesteral) which helps to lower your LDL (the bad stuff).

    One pill every night before bedtime does the trick!

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  11. If it makes it any better, I've done you, Tim, IDV, Scarlet, MJ, Beastie, Princess and myself. So you are not alone in getting exposed.

    I tried to be kind and truthful to what I imagine people look like. Truth be told I was probably spending a bit more time making sure that IDV, Tim and you ended up close to the original. As for myself, I was maybe a little less truthful and a little or a lot, more kind.

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  12. roxy ~ I'm hoping it won't come to that, I'm rather enjoying the red wine therapy.

    cyberpete ~ well, as long as you also make a RDJ to keep me company, I might forgive you.

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  13. My cholesterol was normal, when my GP checked last year, but my triglycerides were a bit high, so he put me on statins. I take that to mean I can eat as many cream cakes as I like now.

    If I had to drink coffee when I got up, I'd stay in bed.

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  14. Sorry, no can do.

    There's not room for more people in the household. You'll have to keep yourself company or try and put the moves on Tim. Along with the rest of us.

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