Well the moment that I've been preparing for all summer arrived today. I had to go to the doctor for a physical and bloodwork. YIKES!
First and foremost I hate going to the doctor. I know people who will go to the doctor at the slightest cough. Not me...I have to be damn near dead before I will go to the doctor's office. Why? I'm afraid. The doctor never gives you positive news....something is always wrong and I'm afraid to know what. Am I going to die? If so, I'd rather not know.
While I go faithfully to have my woman parts examined, I have never had bloodwork done. Diabetes and Cholesterol scare me. Diabetes is prominent within my culture(I'm African American). I've seen the effects that it has on people. I've seen people literally looking like a walking ghost, asked what was wrong thinking it was something major like cancer, and been told "I have the sugar" The dreadful sugar. I've come to fear the term. So a couple of months ago I started working out and eating right .... to avoid "the sugar". The doctor took one look at me, one look at my big belly and said check her sugar :/ Im no dummy Ive known for a time that having a big belly(a waist larger than 32 inches) is a dead ringer for diabetes BUT that never stopped me from eating...it never stopped me from drinking coke after coke after coke.....because for a long time I had the disease that so many Americans have today.... the "I'm Invincible Disease"
Dont pretend as if you dont know about the I'm Invincible Disease. This disease tells you that what happens to everyone else will NOT happen to you. Its very real lol I know people who partake in dangerous behaviors but refuse HIV tests because they are "invincible" and it just "wont happen to them". Now are you familiar with it. I never thought the sugar would happen to me although I was walking around sporting a cool 40 inch waist :/
The other test that I had to take dealt with cholesterol. My heart. I've written posts before about my heart. I have not been my heart's best friend. I've done major damage. How much? I dont know. I refused to go to the doctor to find out. Just scared out of my mind. I remember sitting in my biology class at Famu. My instructor had previously had open heart surgery. I remember her saying "pound that chest....pound it...you feel that? You feel that bone? Well when you have heart surgery they must get through that bone and it hurts!" YIKES! I don't know if she knows but she scared the hell out of me on that day ....... its just too bad that she didn't scare me enough for me to make the necessary life changes. Just like with the diabetes I was invincible.
So my school district put a wellness program into play. Glucose, Cholesterol, Weight and Blood Pressure ALL had to be checked ........ it started in January and I had until August 1st to complete the requirements. For the first time I would know my numbers. I would know my status. I would know just how good or *cough* how bad my health actually was ....... and I was AFRAID!
Theres always good in the bad. I look at my progress over the past few months and I am proud of me. I'm thankful for the school district implementing this program because had they not, I never would've taken the initiative to lose the weight. I am motivated by numbers. That 40 inch waist is gone. I am ready for my appointment
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