Health report 2012

I’m doing OK.

Went for my annual physical last month. Actually, it was more like 15 or 16 months since the last time, and I don’t know why, since, unlike most of my doctors’ visits, it involves no copay.

She indicated that I was doing OK. I weigh too much, as though I didn’t know, but about 10 pounds less than I thought I was, which was a nice surprise. Still, my arthritic left knee always feels better with every pound lost.

I was concerned about my blood pressure. When I donated blood in April, my BP was around 90/60, which is unusually low for me; I wonder if that affected my donation difficulties. The next donation in July, my BP was 154/90, which was uncharacteristically high for me. So seeing 132/80 was rather comforting. Happy that my blood sugar was good.

There has been a lot of news on the media about whether men should still be getting PSA tests to check for prostate cancer. My doctor is a believer, especially for me, since I have a family history (father) for the disease.

We talked about my vitiligo because people with it may be more prone to diseases of the adrenal glands (Addison’s disease) or thyroid (Graves’ disease). As the NIH notes: “The course of vitiligo varies and is unpredictable. Some areas may regain normal pigment (coloring), but other new areas of pigment loss may appear. Skin that is repigmented may be slightly lighter or darker than the surrounding skin. Pigment loss may get worse over time.” This is true. Not only are some parts of my body getting a little more color, but my gray/white beard suddenly has darker hairs; very strange. I find that my skin is more sensitive, not only to the sun, but to unexplained bruises and cuts. Also, I NEED sunglasses on an overcast day.

But as I said, I’m doing OK.

Now NEXT year, I need to get a colonoscopy…

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