Medical Screening

Finally after months of being pestered by the missus, I decided to make an appointment for my medical screening. I did this a few days before the lunar new year I figured, it would be worst after the festivities with all that eating and drinking. So there I was signed up for the full health screening package at Mt Alvernia. When I signed up, they gave me a little plastic container to put my stool sample in. So I was to report at 8am for the medical and it was going to be a half day affair. You had to fast the night before and there were other rules and stuff you need to follow.

I arrived a little late on that day. Managed to get the stool sample the previous night - that has got to be the most disgusting thing you ever have to do for a health screening, to collect your stool. I arrived there at 8.15am registered myself, and they gave me another little container, this time it was for a urine sample. Off I went to the little boys room to go tinker around till the little wee wee comes out and fill half the bottle. They took both my stool and urine sample for analysis.

First station for the day was X-Ray, I had to go to the basement where the X-Ray machines were and I got my chest x-rayed, you know that chicken wing spread you had to do in front of this cold hard steel thing. They took just 1 shot that was good. At the same level (the basement) I did my next station the Ultrasound. I felt like some pregnant woman, the nurse really pressed hard and took shots of my insides. I could not make out what was on the screen but I guess they knew what they were looking for. I did ask, if everything was still intact inside and the nurse replied yep all there still.

Next up it was back to the 1st level to do the ECG scan, had tons of wires hooked up to me and they did some chart printing of my heart rate. After which it was time for my height and weight to be taken. Then it was off to another room for my vision check, colour blindness check and at this room it was also the dreaded 'Vampire' check where my blood sample had to be drawn. I am just glad that I got an elderly nurse as she hit the spot with 1 prick, they took 3 vials of blood using a butterfly needle (I think that was what she called it) as she put a plaster over the place where the needle was inserted, she did a curious thing, after the plaster she put a small cotton bud over the needle hole and covered it with another tape, She told me that will help keep the bruising down. That was interesting.

Well I am almost done, it was time to see the doctor. While waiting for the doctor they gave me something to eat since I had fasted since last night and it was almost lunchtime now, I had coffee and some sandwiches. The doctor did a medical review, the standard family history, eating habits, drinking habits, etc. etc. Took my blood pressure which he commented was on the high side. He flip through my charts, and commented that I had a slow heart rate. For a moment I thought that was a bad thing and asked him if that was bad and he said no exactly it just means your heart is more efficient. Normally he said it's common in athletes. well I guess some of that running since my younger days did some good. He then proceeded to do a full body check starting from the top, the head, nose, ears, eyes, neck, arms, lungs, back, spine, joints, etc. He did that reflex thingy where he hit your 'funny bone' and tickle the soul of your feet as well. He even checked the anus, I had to lie on my side in a foetal position and I think he either jab something in my anus or put his finger up it to check and he gave my postate an all clear.

Lastly it was the threadmill test, where I had to run on a threadmill while attached to all these wires again, it took about 15 minutes for the test to complete.

Once that was done, my medical was over. I made another appointment for the review, well I probably will write about it in the next article.