This morning a health fair was held at the Smithhaven Mall, an annual event sponsored by our local University Hospital. I had four tests done: blood pressure, glucose level, cholesterol, and vascular screening of the two carotid arteries. All for free (not a bad price). The carotid arteries, as you probably know, are the two thingies that run down your neck and swell up when you laugh hysterically or get angry.
First the technician greased up my neck, then held the scope or whatever it was just below my ears, and peered intently at the computer screen. I couldn't see the screen but all the people in line behind me could see it and their faces looked serious. (Uh-oh, should I head right for the hospital?)
Then she smiled and said "Both sides normal"and I breathed a big sigh of relief. I was sure it would be otherwise. Every now and then it's good to be normal!!
Since I'm in a confessional mood I will further tell you ... how very hard it was for me to skip breakfast and come to the Mall in a fasting condition!! Irritation galore. But... gift horse in the mouth and all that.
At the risk of becoming normal, won't you all go and have your carotid arteries checked? It only takes two minutes and it's very important.
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7 comments:
That's a test the health fair here didn't cover. I wish it did. Glad to here you got a clean bill of health at least in that area!
(( laughing )) Priscilla - you are such a case!! Were you able to get all that goop off your neck??
The annual health fair that is held here (in Walmart's parking lot) didn't have that test either.
The thing that puzzled me was the chloresterol (sp?) test results that I got. On my little readout, the 2 types of c. were both comfortably in the good range, the total was also in the good range BUT the attendee advised me to see a Dr. about lowering my c.
Wha??
I was shuffled off to the next station before I realized the difference in the readout numbers and what she had advised. I wanted to ask her about it to determine whether she had simply mis-read the results -or- why else she said that .... but it was too crowded and busy to backtrack to her...
They always recommend seeing a doctor and/or taking medicine! My BP was a little high (left arm lower than right, oddly enough)and she was talking about medication to bring it down ... but not too quickly. I said thank you very much but I intend to lose 20 ponds and bring it down that way. Yeesh. My glucose number was within the normal range but it was 6 points higher than last year (better lay off that ice cream and pie). My cholesterol figure (just the total) was 48 points lower than last year, and I really doubt the accuracy of the machine on that one!! last year: 234; yesterday: 186. I'd like to believe it but I don't. The machine must have been remembering the young woman ahead of me. This was the first year they did the vascular screening. The goop sinks in and there was nothing to wipe off.
That's 20 pounds, of course.
(( grin )) and I thought that you were collecting/hoarding frog habitats ......
No, that's your daughter's bailiwick...
Ribbit!
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