Smart health choices

I was visiting with a lady just this past week when we got to talking about our health. I told her I was on a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure machine for sleep apnea) and she said she probably needed to be on one as well. I told her about going to see my regular doctor and how he sent me to the hospital right then. That was the second time that I'd walked into the emergency room and went right to a room. Didn't even go into the waiting room. From the ER I went for some tests and a room and was put on oxygen.

After all kinds of tests and such, the doctors said I did have a problem but they weren't sure what it was or what was causing it. But the result was that I was on oxygen 24/7 for about one and a half years. It's a bummer being tied to oxygen, but one can live with it. I gardened and hunted and fished while on oxygen. But one thing that the doctor did recommend was that I go on a CPAP machine. It took some getting used to, but it sure helps. If you wake up tired on a regular basis, then see your doctor. Get a sleep study done. Probably be the best decision you have ever made. (After using oxygen 24/7 for 1 1/2 years I was able to go off oxygen.)

When I first started to use the CPAP I wondered if I'd ever get used to it. But I made up my mind that I had to. There are so many physical problems tied to low oxygen levels while we are sleeping. The machine I use has a low pressure setting right at first. This gives one the chance to get used to it or even fall asleep before it really gets going.

I'll bet it's not been a month ago that my wife noticed a small growth on one of my ears. She asked me if I needed to go see the dermatologist. I probably do. It has been a year or so since I went the last time. Might even be two years. That I need to get done. I grew up working or playing out in the sun pretty much year round. The only time I was inside during the daytime was during school. Most of the time I wore a cap, so my ears were pretty much exposed. I've had problems in the past. A number of years ago my dermatologist took a number of spots off my arms and one off my ear. Also had a bunch of spots frozen. If these precancerous spots are found early they aren't a big deal. It gets serious if they are left without treatment.

One other problem I have is diabetes. My Grandma Phillips had Type 2 diabetes, so some of her siblings have a chance of getting diabetes as well. I'm diabetic so a couple to three times a day I stick my finger and check the sugar levels in my blood. I'm on pills, so I check my sugar to make sure it's not too high or too low. Then I go see a specialist, Dr. Wen, every three months or so. Then every three months or so I have a blood test to see what my A1c is. The A1c is kind of one's average blood sugar over a couple months. If I have been careful and stayed off the carbs and the sweets, then my A1c will be decent. If I've indulged on carbs and sweets, then my A1c will be too high and Dr. Wen will talk to me about that. He's a good doctor. He would like for me to lose weight, but the chances of that are slim to none.

One thing Dr. Wen checks when I go see him is the circulation in my feet, a problem for many diabetics. Mine seem to be doing fine up to now. I also go to Dr. Appleman every three months or so and have him check out my feet. He trims my toenails and makes sure everything is doing OK. I probably wouldn't have to go to Dr. Appleman, a podiatrist, but I think it's wise. My feet tend to get some serious callouses on them and then get dry and crack. Dr. Appleman checks them out and usually works on the callouses.

Then once a year Dr. Wen asks me if I've gone to have my eyes checked for problems associated with diabetes. For some reason diabetics will have problems with their eyes bleeding and clouding their vision. When I went to Dr. Tom, my ophthalmologist, he said my eyes were fine as far as diabetes was concerned. He did say that one of my eyes had a cataract and would need some surgical care coming up. Dr. Tom said when I was ready for the cataract to come off to let him know and he'd set up the surgery.

It sounds like all I do is go to the doctor, and there are times when that's how it seems. But I don't mind going to the doctor to stay as healthy as I possibly can. Back when I turned 60, my general doctor asked if I'd ever had any type of heart tests. I hadn't, so he recommended I get a stress test and another test to see if the veins in my neck were staying open. So we did the tests and everything came back normal for a 60-year-old male. Now I see a heart specialist every four or five years simply to make sure everything is still OK.

Please don't neglect your health. There are tests that women need to get done on a regular basis, just as there are tests that men need to get done. If you don't have a regular physician find one. There are all kinds of doctors, and it seems like every one of them is different. My doctors seem to be ex-service men. Going to a doctor is expensive, but I believe it is one of those things we need to save for.