In Good Health

Monday Night’s Yoga (9/06/10) and Tuesday’s Soggy Bike Ride (9/07/10)

Let’s get business out of the way, shall we?  On Monday night, rather than washing dishes, I did Gentle Hatha Yoga #1, that old favorite of mine.  It was wonderful, as usual.  I am such a creature of routine.

On Tuesday, I had scheduled a doctor’s appointment just down the street from me, so my plan was to ride the bike to and from the appointment, then eat lunch and catch the bus to campus.  Today turned out to be a soggy, soggy day, with occasional bursts of excitement from tornado warnings.  Fun!  Even more fun was the part where, just before my exam was to begin, everyone in the clinic was herded into the safe inner hallways, and I, wearing my ill-fitting exam gown, joined them.  Several nurses offered to get my clothes, but I have no shame, so I said, “No, thank you.”  Who wants to get dressed and undressed twice during a doctor’s appointment?

I did end up biking to and from the appointment, but I did it very, very carefully so as not to get killed in the rain.  It was a short ride, maybe 15-20 minutes each way with my slow pace.  As I was riding home, I started thinking about how anxiety-provoking it is to take care of one’s health by going to the doctor.  Here I am, trying to be responsible about my health, but the thought of anything wrong with me makes me want to hide in my closet.  I sat in the waiting room, filling out my questionnaire, silently regretting every unvirtuous habit of mine.  I answered the question about alcohol use, wondering if I ought to give up my nightly glass of hard cider, a new pleasure.  But wait, I think.  Isn’t a drink a day good for you?  Or is it only wine?  I filled out the section about sexual health and contemplated celibacy.  Abstinence!  It’s the best prevention!  I detailed my every-other-day multivitamin routine.  Maybe I should take it every day?  Maybe my diet isn’t good enough for one multi every two days?  Finally, the question on tobacco cut me some slack.  Woo, at least I don’t smoke!

I don’t know about all this anxiety.  What I do know is that every day, I wake up and I feel happy and healthy.  That doesn’t mean my health is perfect, or even that I don’t have cancer growing inside of me right now—who knows?  But for now, what I’m doing is working for me, and until my doctor tells me otherwise, I’m going to carry on with life, trying not to worry too much about the what-ifs.  Oh, and I’ll keep getting my annual exam, rain and tornadoes be damned.