Saturday, July 14, 2018

Humorous report on the state of my health

It's mostly good news from my exam at the doctor except maybe my eyesight. I forgot my reading glasses and there was tiny print on the questionnaire I filled out in the waiting room. Many of the questions dealt with sexuality. Safe sex, STDs and so forth.

When it was time for the nurse to enter my answers into a computer, he couldn't figure out why I put "talking and looking at people" as my method of birth control. That was good for a laugh and I guess I should have brought my glasses.

Aside from small print, my eyes aren't too bad. Both the male nurse and the doctor were extremely good looking.

On a question as to whether I should get tested for HIV, my answer was also good for a bit of humor. I said, "If athlete's foot was considered a sexual disease that would be what I am most at risk of." "From having conversations in places of nudity and also, maybe, dancing on barefoot dance floors."

On to the blood test results. The numbers looked quite good. I'll admit, a few of those numbers are helped by some prescriptions that I have been taking for years. A mild statin for lowering cholesterol, for instance.

Also my blood sugar is a bit high so the topic of diet came up. I mentioned that I reduce sugar intake by drinking unsweetened ice tea with just a tad of Pepsi in it. As soon as I mentioned the word "Pepsi," the doctor nearly gagged. Pepsi; another word for poison, I guess.

Then he said that it's a matter of balance. If one has to have a bit of Pepsi to enjoy life, it's part of the equation. Pleasure matters also in health. One can be a Buddhist Monk and live a long time, but quality of life is important also. Maybe I'll cut back a bit on the Pepsi; however.

Then I mentioned that I use instant tea; the powdered version. That started the doctor on a philosophical discussion about how health is not really the highest priority for a business that's there to make money. Businesses make things, like instant tea, to increase sales. They mainly care about taste and also convenience. Long shelf life in the warehouse might mean more to a business than health. Again, it's a matter of balance.

Foods that are less processed are usually best and for beverages, water has stood the test of time over thousands of years.

For me, water is a bit boring, but balance is the key. News from the doctor is pretty good and I basically like his philosophy.