When my doctor and I reviewed the results from my annual physical, I was feeling pretty smug. Because I turned 40 this month, we did the big baseline reading thing: TSH, cholesterol, iron, etc. Turns out my risk score is zero… bad cholesterol is good, good cholesterol is not bad but could be better, thyroid is dancing in the low end for normal but within the healthy range, and while my haemoglobin is fine my iron stores are on the low side. All excellent results, so much so that we joked I had a little bit of room for misbehaving.
I wasn’t laughing too loud this morning, though, when I read this front-page anxiety-stoking article that trumpets those highest at risk for severe complications from the H1N1/Swine Flu epidemic are: healthy 40 year olds. Gah!!
(I’m also a little twitchy because she found a swollen “nodule” in my left breast that was of enough concern to book me for a mammogram and ultrasound. I’ve been carefully not thinking about it for three weeks, and my mammogram is booked for tomorrow. Stay tuned for yet another post in the continuing stoooooory of my vexatious breast…)
I can’t even count the number of people who have come up to me saying “aren’t you scared, your 37, pregnant” I try to ignore them. I don’t even want to think about it.
I’m thinking good thoughts for your mammogram.
And I am totally ignoring H1N1. Because, really, one person can only take so much fearmongering.
Good luck with the mammorgram, sending you healthy vibes. I hope it’s nothing, but I know how scary that little thought it…
Good luck!
Thanks all! The mammogram and ultrasound came back clear — couldn’t even find the nodule/lump my doc had found. I’ll write-up a post on the experience later — it was interesting!
Glad to be reading/catching up late enough to hear that all is well!