7 Rules for Getting a Physical
January 04, 2012, By Jack Heffron 2 comments
Guys have a reputation for not taking good care of their health. Unless something is falling off, we figure it will get better. No need to bother with a second opinion. Meanwhile, women, as a rule, run to the doctor at the first sign of anything out of the ordinary. We scoff at their hypochondria, but they usually get the last scoff, outliving us by an average of seven years.
It's time to start thinking more seriously about our health, and the first step toward that goal is getting a regular physical. Now, few things are more onerous to the average guy than going to the doctor, especially when we're not even sick or injured. A waste of time and money. A hassle. And, well, what if they find something?
To take a bit of the sting out of getting a physical, here are seven rules to observe. Since you're going, you might as well get the most benefit out of the appointment. Odds are good that you'll feel better afterward.
1. Make the appointment. First things first—do it. Call your primary care physician, endure being put on hold, answer all the questions about your health insurance, whatever it takes. Plan a little reward for yourself for accomplishing this first step. Of course, the real reward is taking care of yourself. Then keep the appointment, even if it means taking time off work, missing a game on TV or raking the yard. Make the physical a top priority.
2. Make a list of questions before you go. The doctor will schedule extra time for you because, well, physicals take time. Still, it invariably feels like you're being herded through a shoot as quickly as the staff can push you along. It's easy to forget to ask about your nagging shoulder pain or that weird mole on your chest. So write down all your questions in advance and bring the exam checklist with you.
3. Take something to occupy yourself. An appointment with a doctor is not unlike an appointment with the cable company. It's really more of a window of time, a general sense that on the assigned date a staff nurse will fling open a door to the reception room and call your name. To make the time spent waiting a little easier, bring something to distract you from that insufferably ticking clock. Download a game app on your phone or bring a book. Don't count on the office's array of magazines to entertain you. Besides, they've all been thumbed through by sick people.
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