I got a referral from my doctor to see a cardiologist.  Here’s the outcome. He looked at all my vital signs, recent bloodwork, complimented my physical fitness and then asked so why are you here?

I said I was being proactive.  There’s some heart disease in my family history, although I thankfully have never experienced any indication to cause concern.  

Proactive?

Why wait for a surprise when you can find out the beginning of the story and not just the tragic ending.

I guess it’s standard practice to wait until your chest explodes before you start worrying.  Not a great plan.  He said I was perfectly fine and encouraged me to get on with my life.  Well I thought I was doing that by seeing him.  Seems being proactive in the medical world is discouraged.  

Wait until you hit a wall before pumping the brakes.

Your weight is fine and you’re in good shape.

I go to the gym at least four times a week.

Then why not just go now instead of sitting in my office predicting doom?

I was kind of floored by his response.  I thought I was doing a good thing.  I guess you don’t make money on a car that runs.  You need a car that won’t start to warrant attention.  Or a heart that starts but stutters.  

He added that even arteries that are 70% clogged still work.  Well I don’t want my functionality to be 30%.  I want the full monte.  Get in there and scrub ’em.  But it doesn’t seem to work that way.

In complete contrast to that visit, I had my eyes tested because I noticed while watching two weeks of Wimbledon I had to be within two feet of the TV to track the score.  Well the result of the test was that my eyesight IMPROVED in a year.  How is that possible?  

It happens.  Sometimes your eyes compensate for glasses that don’t have the right prescription.

So now I’m getting new glasses that are not as strong.  Is the medical world telling me the truth or as my father always said, a good plumber always creates his next service call.  So I guess I’m a medical drama queen.

Either that or they’re all in cahoots to produce a blind man trying to dial 911.