Celebridade

Regular Guy, Brian Sloan, right here in order to share with you all a quick tale. It's really a little bit uncomfortable. Yet, in all of my article writing within the previous number of years, it appears that my readers want to check out the way I make a horse's rear out of myself instead of scouring through some of my "deep" ideas about the order of the world. And, although this story line wasn't actually a big goof up on my part, I guess it was among my more daunting and humiliating doctor appointments ever. Fortunately, I haven't had any type of significantly bad health conditions that couldn't be fairly well managed. But for the entertainment value of this small adventure, just file away this fact in the back of your mind. I had been taking Amlodipine for somewhat minor high blood pressure for a year or so.

But, that ailment was well under control - I believed. But one issue actually wasn't. Okay, so here it is - fun, fun: I have had chronic prostate troubles for a lot of years (BPH - Benign prostatic hyperplasia, I think that's what it's called). And it's quite annoying. Now, I'm thankful that it isn't cancer. I've had some friends who had to go through that. But my condition is certainly not that serious. It's one found in many much older gentlemen generally. But I've had the blasted thing forever. It feels like I was diagnosed in the 3rd grade. "Mrs. Sloan, just thought I would let you know that your son has a prostate gland about the overall size of a small refrigerator. But don't be concerned, we will definitely make an effort to stop the thing from getting really big." SAY WHAT?? Oh, man, I've coped with this for a long period of time. I'm 54 years young. And seriously, it's not like it's a matter that I bring up at parties. "Everyone listen, you know what? I had this guy in a white lab coat who apparently just won first place in the world's largest finger contest poke his whole arm up my keister earlier today! More chips, please." NO.... It's just one of the things in life you just make an effort to keep to yourself, trust it is going to get better, and you never introduce the topic at the dinner table.

Well, anyway I was minding my own business, just waiting to see my MD, because that's what he makes me do quite a bit regarding my problem. It seems that the small refrigerator sized gland became infected. So, there I am, waiting for my doctor to come into the room. He's honestly a terrific guy and our families had been acquainted quite a while before I began going to him as my M.D. And, I have to tell you, it doesn't matter who it is, if you're sitting in that small room getting ready for the doc to come on in and do the always dreaded finger drill, you ARE NOT in any way relaxed.

So, I'm patiently waiting there in my not relaxed, please hurry up, get in here and let's get this thing over mindset, when it happened. And I had no idea whatsoever that a little something like this could impact my blood pressure as much as this situation would. But, what they had neglected to inform me was that my regular doctor was not available that particular day and his physician's assistant, a sweet young FEMALE, was going to assist me. And please note that I'm not a sexist who doesn't want women serving in the medical field. And I really know that we need many skilled ladies throughout the medical profession. I simply didn't want one of them right there in that particular room at that moment.

So, first she starts asking me questions and in the process of doing so, took my blood pressure levels. Upon doing so she did not do very well hiding a disturbing amount of concern on her face. "Mr. Sloan, this blood pressure is extremely high." I really don't recall her exact wording or the blood pressure numbers. She took the reading once again and I think it was even worse then. If I correctly remember she asked me did I get a touch of doctor's office anxiety at the physician's office. Of course the answer was yes, but I neglected to answer that the actual condition that I had was FMPIWCH (Female Medical Person In a White Coat Hypertension).

So, bless her heart, she's now so concerned because this guy might have a stroke in her office, that she asks me to lay back on the exam table, let her turn off the overhead lights and let her leave me for a few minutes in order for me to rest and settle down, then she would be back in just a bit. Well, the problem with her plan of action was that the odds were highly against her having a sex change operation in the next several minutes and come stepping back into as a male doctor. So I lay there, virtually in the dark on a hard examination room table and tried to relax.....uh huh. But it was not gonna' happen.

So, she came back into the exam room about 10 minutes later, but once again tested and found my BP to be higher than normal, gave me a new prescription for a higher dose of amlodipine for my hypertension, didn't check out my prostate at all, and told me to get back with my regular physician about that problem! So perhaps she understood my anxiety after all. And, eventually we found out that she had done the correct thing. I truly did need a higher dosage of the Amlodipine for my BP condition in general, no matter of who was ready to check the prostate. And they consistently need to remind me to take the amlodipine daily.

I have worked out, watched my eating habits and dropped some substantial weight lately that did help my blood pressure levels. However, I still have to use the medication. Even with my laughter and total embarrassment concerning this incident, our blood pressure is one thing that we definitely must keep under control. High blood pressure isn't called the silent killer for nothing. Get it checked out soon. Make sure that you comply with your physician's directions and don't ever let hypertension place you in jeopardy of severe or deadly physical conditions.

Have yourself a fantastic week!