Getting Fit

I had a brace of doctor appointments in the last two weeks. Actually, those and a test.

This is normal stuff for me. Being an older gentleman, I have an entourage of doctors that typically alternate on six month schedules. I see the endocrinologist and gut doctor in June/July. I see the cardiologist and the internist (for a yearly physical) this month.

This month I had an echocardiogram. They size up my pump with a sonogram. Then I meet the doctor. And this time, it was the big man hisself. Last year I saw the PA, who warned me I’d drop dead jogging at my age. Everything looked great. I told the doc it was tough for the first two blocks until I warmed up, then I was good for the next three miles or so. More often than not I feel like I can keep going. It gets my ticker moving, but also lets my brain chew on things. Unlike his PA, he thought that was great.

It is.

Next up was my physical. I have a Korean doc. A younger dude that reminds me of Spock. He seemed surprised when I told him my exercise schedule. This was in the midst of me telling him that, sure, my BP was high. It always is in the mornings. By evening, it’ll be in the toilet. On evening it was 90/50 with a heart rate of 61. I prefer the higher numbers, myself. I feel better when they are higher, TBH. I’m thinking it’s hydration. In the mornings I’m drinking high octane breakfast tea. That and maybe an herbal one, since I cut down.

In the afternoons, after I get back from riding the bike or running, I’m downing a quart or so of water with an electrolyte mix as well as drinking water as I work. Who knows. It think a lot of this is bullshit anyhow. They keep lowering the numbers. To wit:

Back in the day, a BP of 140/90 was considered ‘elevated’. What shows as elevated on that handy guide was considered normal. My BP runs 140/90 or so in the mornings as I’m drinking tea and my BP meds kick in. IT’s 6:30 PM as I type this. My handy BP tester says 105/65. Fuggit.

I go to Baylor for all my docs. They have a great portal. I get a notice the blood test results showed up, and can study them and see the doctors notes. They all looked great. The big ones for me, A1C and PSA are looking dynamite. My A1C has been falling since I’ve been losing weight. It’s well within the green zone now. Far as PSA tests go, I’ll take them any day of the week over a finger up the ass. My old doctor admitted he never found anything doing that. Bad news always showed with a PSA. I guess the finger up the butt is cheaper for the insurance.

So, healthy as a horse, I am.

When I moved, I took a pass on the gut doc. I like the old guy, and it’s tough to get in and see him. But he thought it stupid to travel all the way up to Plano for a butt scoping, which was due.

Now, it’s over due. So Spock lined me up a doc down here.

So that’ll be next up.

Livin’ the dream.