New Doctor's Hope

I am generally a pretty healthy person.  Sure I can use to loose some weight, to eat more green leafy vegetables, cut back on the treats and give up Diet Coke (again), but generally healthy.

Last week I had a visit with a new doctor, who runs a women's health center.  She happens to be my boss's sister in law too.  I went thinking maybe I could have a conversation wherein I might voice concerns I have noticed in myself without having my GP tell me that is all because I'm "not as young as I used to be".

She spent about an hour plus a little bit with me.  She asked questions I hadn't thought of; she listened to my perceptions and symptoms; and she never once told me the cause was my age.  She just joked about how this kind of stuff I was worried about seems to show up just as I feel like I am old enough to know myself and what a bummer it all was.  She took some blood and together we determined--think of that: being an active participant in my health care!!--to have some tests done to determine hormone levels, as well as liver functions (which was about the only thing they ever tested me for previously).

I felt lighter just leaving her office.  Nothing had changed, but I felt like my observation about my own health were taken seriously.  Better yet, that there was hope to fix some of them.  Sure I still need to loose some weight--which she mentioned could happen by resetting my metabolism, which is out of whack because of some hormone issues as well as nutrition.  Sure she didn't want to hear that I was drinking diet coke--which she insisted I quit, as soon as I was ready again.  And sure, I need
more green leafy vegetables--but everyone does!

I can't begin to tell you how much better I felt mentally.  That in turn, affected my attitude, which in turn affected my outlook.  And that outlook is what is going to fuel some changes in my life that will affect the whole scenario again.  All for the better.

I feel better and she hasn't even given me a prescription or test result or even a real diagnosis yet.  Just hope.  And hope is a powerful tool to keep on hand.