Nice Visit With GYN

Yesterday was my annual appointment with my gynecologist. 

So No Men Allowed Here.  Stop and Go Away.  Or Stay at Your Own Risk!

This is the doctor's visit I so dread every year.  For the past 4 years, she has talked straight about me needing to lose weight and exercise.  And every year she tries to persuade me to get my first colonoscopy.  (I am 53, and she encourages her patients to get their first one when they turn 50.)  So far I have been able to put it off. 

I show up at her office 15 minutes early, because I know there will be paperwork.  I waited 45 minutes before I was called back to a room.  This was okay.  Usually I have to wait 15 minutes, but she was expecially busy on this day.

The nurse says hello, then says we're headed for the scale.  I usually whine, but this time I smiled, since I knew this was the part I was going to rock.  And I did.  I weighed 34 lbs less than I did last February.  WOOHOO!!

So I tell the nurse I have a urinary tract infection, and she gives me a cup to pee in.  The infection is so bad that I want to scream when I pee, and there are blood clots in there.  When I see the clots, I want to feint.

They do the urinalysis, do a little printout, and attach it to my record.  Then the doctor comes in.  She says lots of blood and lots of pus, and asked if I had seen the blood.  Yes, of course, I told you I had seen clots.  So she puts me on a strong antibiotic for 5 days, does a culture on my urine, and will call me in a couple of days to be sure we're on the right track.

Then the routine exam, which I won't bore you with.

Then the colonoscopy discussion.  Every year she asks, "Did you have your colonoscopy?"  I always say no, I am not ready.  THIS time I said I have not had it, but I am ready.  She asks what made me change my mind.  Nothing really, I realize it is time.  So we agreed that I would arrange it through my local PCP and Internist.  I will do this in May when I see my PCP for the 6 months visit.

Okay, this is the good part.  I said, "You need to take a look at my weight."  She did.  "Oh my goodness, 34 pounds, contratulations, I am so proud of you, how did you do it?"   I told her 3 things out of my list of things I was doing:  Walking 2 to 3 miles per day, 1200 calories per day, and no sweets.  Honestly, she was genuinely pleased and to keep up the walking.  Which is exactly what I intend to do. 

And I will not gain the weight back.  I told her that.  She said that is the key - the mental focus.  Of course I agreed.

So it was a very nice visit with her, and I am to follow up with the colonoscopy.  I believe if this one shows no problems, I don't have to get another one for 10 years.  Is that right, any of you out there?  Also, please convince me that the colonoscopy will not kill me.  I had a friend who got something punctured that shouldn't have been, and she almost died.  Thus my anxiety.  I'm not afraid of the prep at all.