![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
If You Haven't Got Your Health...
I was so worn out from the block party last week that I decided to give myself a whole week in Wisconsin instead of just a flying whirlwind of a trip like usual. I had scheduled my annual physical for Monday, and anticipated having to get some of the required lab work done over the course of the week, anyway, so that was a good excuse! So here I am, enjoying cool weather, yard work, time with my son, and not too many responsibilities -- except to get my lab work done and do a bit of housework, and of course, catching all the Packer preseason football I can while I'm in range of television stations that broadcast the games! :-D
I had my physical on Monday, and it went very well. I really like my doctor. It was a bit "haphazard" in the way we conducted things, but that's the way he is, and it really is kind of "family-like" -- if you know what I mean! Even so, we got everything discussed that I wanted to.
I'm having blood work done, no results on that yet. Didn't get my cholesterol checked, as I had it done a few years ago, and my doctor says it's truly the best good cholesterol number he's ever seen. According to him, with cholesterol like that, I'll never have a heart attack. ;-)
My BP is up a bit, enough that he doesn't like it, but doesn't want to do anything about it yet as it may be a fluke. So I have to monitor it for awhile, and really work at losing weight, which will probably fix anything that needs fixing. My weight is up, which I already knew -- I'm really trying to be good at sticking to WeightWatchers now. DH is also unhappy with his weight -- even though he hardly needs to be, but he knows how he feels -- so we are going to work together to have set mealtimes and try to eat less often on Pakistani time (ie, evening meal at 8 or 9 pm!). Of course, we both need more exercise, which is something that has been very hard for me lately, due to my injuries.
The word on my leg which I did something to in June (doing yard work!) is that the doc says it is healing, though it could take a whole year for it to stop feeling uncomfortable. I'm actually comfortable with it as it is, because it is a lot better, and I know how to be careful and when to use a brace on my knee so that's not going to slow me down any longer. The bruised knee from falling at the block party is almost back to normal now so that is good.
The doc took an xray of my foot that has been hurting so much (probably from one of those falls I had this month, sigh!) and there is nothing to be seen that is wrong with it, so that is comforting. He said it is probably a soft tissue injury, and he gave me a brace to wear on it when I am going to be on my feet. It's just a simple lightweight thing with elastic straps and velcro that fits on like a shoe, but boy, does it help! I really can walk around without pain for a long time wearing that brace! And it doesn't cut off my circulation or make my leg swell, if I don't wear it too tight. I'm very pleased.
I have to go tomorrow to get a mammogram (fun, eh?) and a bone density scan. I had one of those ages ago, and the doc thought it was time for another. I'll be interested in seeing what it turns up, since there's osteoperosis in the family, and I really don't want to have to deal with that -- so knowing what is happening will be good.
I got word from my brother about a health situation with my dad that is somewhat concerning. He's had a lot of trouble with skin cancer in his later years (probably due to work he did as a young man when he was getting a master's degree in plant pathology and was using radioactive stuff and arsenic in his research, of all things). Particularly troublesome have been his ears -- he's had parts of them trimmed thoroughly to remove skin cancer growths. The newest development is that he has a spot that is squamous cell cancer, I believe they call it -- which requires radiation treatment. My brother took him in today to get fitted for some kind of a mold/mask and to have a set-up/test run, but they ended up going ahead and giving him the first treatment. He'll have 16 more, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for about the next six weeks.
I talked to my brother tonight (with my dad calling out jokes in the background), and he sounded really good with it, so that's very cool! My brother being calm about something like this is a miracle itself, he's usually pretty stressed out about everything and then some. Even so, I'm sure it's going to get old fast for him to take off work to drive my dad to Dubuque (IA) three days a week. Fortunately his job is very flexible that way -- and it's not that far, about 40 minutes drive from where they live -- but it's still a pain. I plan to help when I can, by visiting and doing some of the driving and caring for Dad -- especially making sure he eats right during his treatment! Dad is really very healthy right now, for his age (84), so that's a plus! Though they did say he could do with some fattening up...
Anyway, that's my news!
In parting, I shall leave you with this fascinating observation I have recently made -- the cicadas in Wisconsin are very quiet and sedate, while the cicadas in Chicago are very loud and strident. I wonder if they are two different varieties? This calls for some research! :-D
I had my physical on Monday, and it went very well. I really like my doctor. It was a bit "haphazard" in the way we conducted things, but that's the way he is, and it really is kind of "family-like" -- if you know what I mean! Even so, we got everything discussed that I wanted to.
I'm having blood work done, no results on that yet. Didn't get my cholesterol checked, as I had it done a few years ago, and my doctor says it's truly the best good cholesterol number he's ever seen. According to him, with cholesterol like that, I'll never have a heart attack. ;-)
My BP is up a bit, enough that he doesn't like it, but doesn't want to do anything about it yet as it may be a fluke. So I have to monitor it for awhile, and really work at losing weight, which will probably fix anything that needs fixing. My weight is up, which I already knew -- I'm really trying to be good at sticking to WeightWatchers now. DH is also unhappy with his weight -- even though he hardly needs to be, but he knows how he feels -- so we are going to work together to have set mealtimes and try to eat less often on Pakistani time (ie, evening meal at 8 or 9 pm!). Of course, we both need more exercise, which is something that has been very hard for me lately, due to my injuries.
The word on my leg which I did something to in June (doing yard work!) is that the doc says it is healing, though it could take a whole year for it to stop feeling uncomfortable. I'm actually comfortable with it as it is, because it is a lot better, and I know how to be careful and when to use a brace on my knee so that's not going to slow me down any longer. The bruised knee from falling at the block party is almost back to normal now so that is good.
The doc took an xray of my foot that has been hurting so much (probably from one of those falls I had this month, sigh!) and there is nothing to be seen that is wrong with it, so that is comforting. He said it is probably a soft tissue injury, and he gave me a brace to wear on it when I am going to be on my feet. It's just a simple lightweight thing with elastic straps and velcro that fits on like a shoe, but boy, does it help! I really can walk around without pain for a long time wearing that brace! And it doesn't cut off my circulation or make my leg swell, if I don't wear it too tight. I'm very pleased.
I have to go tomorrow to get a mammogram (fun, eh?) and a bone density scan. I had one of those ages ago, and the doc thought it was time for another. I'll be interested in seeing what it turns up, since there's osteoperosis in the family, and I really don't want to have to deal with that -- so knowing what is happening will be good.
I got word from my brother about a health situation with my dad that is somewhat concerning. He's had a lot of trouble with skin cancer in his later years (probably due to work he did as a young man when he was getting a master's degree in plant pathology and was using radioactive stuff and arsenic in his research, of all things). Particularly troublesome have been his ears -- he's had parts of them trimmed thoroughly to remove skin cancer growths. The newest development is that he has a spot that is squamous cell cancer, I believe they call it -- which requires radiation treatment. My brother took him in today to get fitted for some kind of a mold/mask and to have a set-up/test run, but they ended up going ahead and giving him the first treatment. He'll have 16 more, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for about the next six weeks.
I talked to my brother tonight (with my dad calling out jokes in the background), and he sounded really good with it, so that's very cool! My brother being calm about something like this is a miracle itself, he's usually pretty stressed out about everything and then some. Even so, I'm sure it's going to get old fast for him to take off work to drive my dad to Dubuque (IA) three days a week. Fortunately his job is very flexible that way -- and it's not that far, about 40 minutes drive from where they live -- but it's still a pain. I plan to help when I can, by visiting and doing some of the driving and caring for Dad -- especially making sure he eats right during his treatment! Dad is really very healthy right now, for his age (84), so that's a plus! Though they did say he could do with some fattening up...
Anyway, that's my news!
In parting, I shall leave you with this fascinating observation I have recently made -- the cicadas in Wisconsin are very quiet and sedate, while the cicadas in Chicago are very loud and strident. I wonder if they are two different varieties? This calls for some research! :-D
no subject
no subject
Radiation has really come a long way in the last two decades! It shouldn't be as traumatic for your dad as such things once were. Though eating better can't hurt especially if he's lost weight.
I am sure you're enjoying your time with your DS and have caught up on a lot of anime. ;)
EDIT: I was thinking of you when the news came of Brett Favre jumping teams. I think that is a very poor choice on his part. He would be better off career-wise retiring from the Packers and if he must un-retire again, stick with them. This choice seems oddly disloyal though I know players jump all the time, it just seems wrong.
no subject
I really do think this radiation thing isn't the big deal I thought it might be, as you say. So I'm not going to worry about it. ;-)
Don't get me started on Brett Favre. He hasn't been in my good books since he toyed with the Packers after his first unretirement. I know a lot of folks say the Packers did him wrong to send him away, but truly, he didn't really want to come back -- except on his very own quite specific terms. And since the Pack is a team that has to look to the future, his terms wouldn't do. Anyway, I really do believe he's hurt his career and his popularity (at least with his loyal Wisconsinite fans) by not only waffling again, but going to our archrivals! The newest thing in Wisconsin is to wear "We'll Never Forget You, Brent" tshirts -- or #4 jerseys with the 4 taped over with red tape to read #12. :-D
(Pardon my fanaticism showing, I've been a pukka Cheesehead since I was 12, so I have a few opinions, hehe!)
no subject
no subject