Check Yourself!

Earlier this week I had a physical for the first time...since adulthood, really. Among other things, we did some blood work to run the usual battery of tests. I was specifically interested in my cholesterol levels, as I have a familial history that works against me.

First off, I want to give it up for the offices of Dr. Brian First in Clairemont. I called on Monday for an appointment, and went in for the visit first thing Tuesday. I had blood work results by Wednesday and results from my Pap test by Friday. And my nurse practitioner, Shirley Fett, is wonderful and took the time to call me with those results. Highly recommended if you're in the market for a PCP and his office comes up on your provider list.

Having a physical when you're a Lifetime member at goal is kind of hilarious. You get to give all the right answers. Healthy diet? Check. Regular activity? Check. I felt like the teacher's pet, and it took until she checked my ears for me to come up with my fatal flaw: I stick the Q-Tip in my ear canal. I can't help it! It feels so good.

But let's get down to the real point of this entry: my cholesterol results.



Hopefully you can read the results (try clicking on the image if you cannot), but if not - total cholesterol is 231. Blerg. BUT, my HDL (the healthy stuff) is optimal, and my LDL (the bad stuff) is near optimal. Triglycerides are low. The verdict from the nurse practitioner is that I don't need to do anything about this sort-of-high number since my ratio is so advantageous. I, of course, have it in my head that I'm going to be more diligent and see if I can't get that number down a bit.

So what does this tell us? No matter how healthy you are, sometimes there are things worth checking. When I found out 3 of my dad's 5 siblings were on medication for their cholesterol, I knew I had to get tested. This makes keeping to a healthy eating and activity plan even more important for me. If I were to let this slide, and go back to terrible eating habits and inactivity, my cholesterol has nowhere to go but up.

So get yourself checked! Know your cholesterol. Know your blood pressure. Keep in mind your age and whether or not there are other indicators to keep an eye on. Good health is what you're at Weight Watchers for, and this is a critical part of it!