So, I had my annual check-up with my doctor this week. First, a nurse started by asking about my general health and performing some basic tests, such as measuring my blood pressure, blood oxygen level, weight, and waist measurements, and she took four vials of my blood. I do not like getting my blood drawn and always have to look away in case I pass out. I used to work in a hospital A&E department, so I saw a lot of blood, and I didn’t pass out once. Something changed in those intervening years. Anyways, a few minutes passed, the nurse left the examination room, and the doctor came in with some results.

Guess what? I’ve gained a few pounds! Whoops! I thought it was because I haven’t been walking as much as I used to since getting a car. Walking to and from work, and an evening walk on top of that equated to an average daily total of sixteen kilometres may have been a bit excessive, but it kept me trim. With the new house and wanting to call out to see Mum at a moment’s notice, the car has been handy, but I’ve begun to miss my long walks.

My husband’s recent comment, ‘You still eat the same food you did when you were a teenager’, held true as maybe being the main culprit for the extra for kilos. It made me think maybe he’s right and breaking my morning habit of eating a bowl of Coco Pops or comfort eating in general to alleviate the stress from all that’s being going on instead of talking about it, are good ideas. On top the weight adjustment, a higher cholesterol level I got from my results will also be fixed in the near term - pinky swear!

Additionally, I sought advice on how to address my snoring and deal with my persistent neck pain from sleeping on my side. I’ll take home a device to monitor my sleep for a night next week, and an MRI is scheduled to scan my neck. It might be nothing, but it’s good to check. I’ve also been feeling overwhelmed lately and thought it might be beneficial to seek guidance from a counselor. We’ll see how the first session goes next Tuesday.