" 140/90 isn't that bad is it?"
"Ummmmm. Well it's not perfect but I don't think your heart is going
to explode.....today. What did the doctor say about it?"
"Well he asked if there as a history of high bloodpressure in the family
which i guess would be a yes."
"He also asked if there was any stress in my life."
*SNORT*
I'm guessing since he asked, our doctor doesn't read my blog. If he did, he would have known the answer.
So Al's got a follow-up in a couple months and he's supposed to go to the pharmacy occasionally and check his bp on their machine in the mean time.
I believe there was also some mention of loosing a wee bit o' weight which I'm pretty involves cutting down on the PAILS of icecream consumed on a regular basis and while the work we do is pretty darn physical, I'm thinking a little cardio could be helpful.
Now the reason Al was at the Dr's office to begin with wasn't that he wasn't feeling well. Honestly, that man never gets sick. It acually makes me sick cuz I just have to hear the word strep and it infects me (Al's nephew just tested positive so it should be any day now for me - ohjoy) and yet I can share a drink with Al and he would be just fine. Grrrrr (doh..sidetracked rant)
Anyway, the reason for the Dr's visit was that as part of getting his Class 1 license, he had to have a "medical check-up". Now they (the licensing people) say this is a "physical" but in retrospect ---- it so isn't! The entire "check-up" involved being weighed and having his bp taken and answering a handful of questions.
Do you have a drinking problem? No.
Do you have an icecream problem? Yes....oh wait...that wasn't one of the questions - but it should have been.
Do you abuse drugs? No.
Have you ever abused drugs? No.
Have you have a history of kidney or heart problems? No and No.
And.....
That's it.
The entire "check-up" in a nut-shell.
The Dr marked off the appropriate boxes, noted his weight and bloodpressure and they were done.
No blood work or nothing.
And for that we got to write a glorious cheque in the amount of $95.
He can't be very concerned about Al's blood pressure if that's what he's charging to fill out paperwork. I know it shot mine up a couple points.
Come on!
For that kind of cash dammit I expected the man to put on a pair of gloves and make Al cough!
A few hours later I was at the same Dr's office too. Aarica had an appointment for her prescription refill. Seriously, there were more questions asked and more tests ordered at Aarica's appointment. He asked how things are going on the meds (GOOD!) and how things were in general (it is what it is). He asked if we had any counciling help - which is a big negative since our phychologist guy took another job. *sigh* and he talked to Aarica about her boyfriend situation and gasp even asked her about sex. It was quite the chitchat.
After he handed us another 3 months prescription PLUS a lab requisition for some tests, I shoo'd her out of the room (and she actually went to the lab on her own and made the appointments for her tests...all on her own...how cool) and I talked to the Dr briefly about Aarica and boys and the possibility that birthcontrol might be an option in the near future - just for safety sake more than anything. She's so unaware of life and could so easily be taken advantage of so it's something that is on our minds these days.
In the mean time, he's ordered fasting blood sugar and a EKG to check her sugars and her heart function - things that need to be kept an eye on with long term use of the meds she's taking and we will talk some more about the results and everything else next time.
And for all that Manitoba Health picks up the tab, but not to fill out a simple form for a class 1 drivers license application.
Go Figure - Not that I'm complaining.
My blood pressure probably wouldn't have been too stellar if I'd been given a bill for Aarica's appointment. Wonder what that would have cost me in the US?
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