A couple of weeks ago I either woke up feeling too good or I decided I really should use that health insurance I’ve been paying for all these years.

Now being new to this whole going to the doctor thing I scheduled the daily double. A trip to the physician in the AM for a check up and a trip to the eye doctor in the afternoon.Now I hadn’t been to any kind of doctor since my knee injury over six years ago and it had probably been eight years since a regular check up. I had always been surprised in the past with my not so wonderful diet and my lack of exercise that they hadn’t found anything in the past. So I went into that day with that feeling good, bullet proof attitude.

Well I got a good lesson in blood pressure that day. It was determined that 140 (my usual golf score) over 102 is not such a good thing. SO he put me on blood pressure medication and took blood. After all the results of the blood work came in this week, I was informed my cholesterol was too high. He recommended I exercise and change my diet. For a guy that likes to eat red meat daily, this was not what I wanted to hear. I also think he talked to my Mom because he recommended I eat more fruits and vegetables. This shouldn’t be too hard because if I eat any it will be more.

So fresh off of the good news that I am no longer bullet proof I sauntered on to the eye doctor. The last time I had seen an eye doctor was probably 1997. I was expecting to have to read some letters and numbers and be told I needed glasses. After some painful eye drops, dilation, touching my eyes with some thingee and shining spotlights in them from a 1/4 inch away; the doctor pulled out some kiddie type book and started to talk to me about glaucoma. Considering I couldn’t see anything at this point but a blur and I had no idea what glaucoma is, it was all quite disturbing.

I then proceeded to pay for the visit with the wrong credit card becasue I couldn’t see and I had no idea until I saw the receipt later. They could have charged me anything. Note to self, bring someone with me the next time to drive home. Though it was an uneventful blur driving the 2 miles home, I knew it was a mistake when I was only 60% sure that the I really had a green arrow when I turned on to my street.

At that point I went home and was pretty bummed about the whole day, I woke up healthy and then those dang doctors had to go and ruin everything.

After more contemplation though I decided it was better to know than to drop dead blind one day and wonder why.

I went back to the doctor with my designated driver for some more tests today and while I remain a candidate for having glaucoma in the future, I don’t have it now.

Phew.

The other good news was it inspired me to put the exercise bicycle together yesterday. I rode it for ten minutes and it said I went 2.1 miles but when I stopped I was exactly where I started, just more tired.

So I can check that off my list.