Turn your head and cough

I've been fasting since last night.  Got a physical early this morning and I am not supposed to eat or drink anything for 10 hours prior except water or coffee (thank you).  This is one of those healthcare assessments being coordinated by work.  Everyone has to have an assessment done as part of the baseline for insurance coverage.  This is part of the company's new initiative of encouraging everyone towards a healthier lifestyle.  It is supposed to reduce insurance costs and motivate people to think healthy.  I applaud their initiative.  Not everyone gets checked out on a regular basis.  Some people avoid going to the doc for years or until something's broke.  I used to get routine physicals every year.  Not because I was a conscientious health nut, but the Boy Scouts required it as part of their long term camp programs.  Young & old, everyone had to have a Class III Physical to attend camp.  It was their way of making sure everyone was physically capable of attending camp without problems.  If you were over 50, you fell into the "extra attention" category and got the full service exam just to make sure you didn't cash out while at camp.  That may sound funny, but I know of two cases where an older (circa 55) scout leader had heart attacks at camp (one guy was just playing frisbee in the parking lot of Philmont).    


After my son graduated and went off to college, I stopped attending scout camps so the need to do physicals wasn't as pressing.  Then my insurance company changed and my doctor wouldn't take AETNA, so I had to change to one of those conglomerate doctor practices to get checked out.  Last year, AETNA and the conglomerate split the sheets so I am back trying to find another doctor to get "friendly" with.  Turns out my old doc now takes AETNA so I am headed back to see him again in June.  Even though I am getting a a general check up  today (blood work, blood pressure, EKG, etc.), I intend to do a full blown tune up with him just to check out the power train.  You never know what might fall off without warning.     


It was during one of those scout "camp physicals" when I got carded for an elevated PSA which, of course, led to the prostate cancer diagnosis.  If I hadn't done the physical at the time and hadn't followed through on the check ups, I don't know what the outcome would have been.  I don't consider my self a hypochondriac and will generally avoid the doctor's office on minor issues (ok, trying to reset my dislocated shoulder was a wee bit out of my league), but somethings you need an expert opinion upon.


Life's short.  Smile while you still have the teeth.  

Oh, and why is it when I am fasting for a test, the first thing that pops into my head this morning is BACON?