This is an 'adult' thread, aha. It being a test they do every 5 years once you're 40. ;]
My GP's receptionist just phoned to book me in for a 'Vascular Health Check'. Anyone had one? If so, what did they do?
I'm kind of scared...
There is a lot of heart related illness in my family. And I usually test as having high blood pressure, which is brushed aside as soon as I mention I suffer from anxiety. I'm somewhat scared they're going to stick me on blood pressure pills or something.
Thanks. :)
Yep, I Googled it after posting and got info, though not that link, so it helps. They said nothing about it on the phone. I see my GP next week anyway, the vhc is a week or so after.
I'm nervous, so any personal experiences to share from anyone would be awesome.
Well I'm not yet at 40 plus but I had a pill check last week and my blood pressure was high.
The Dr told me to go wait in the waiting room to calm down as I had rushed to the surgery as I was late. Went back and my blood pressure was still high so I have an appt in two weeks for it to be measured.
If you get white coat syndrome i.e. high blood pressure when seeing a dr and that happens this time and you think thats the reason why then it might be worth asking if you could do it at home and see what the results say.
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
It is pretty basic to be honest and nothing to be concerned about. They ask some questions eg do you smoke. They check your blood pressure and you have a blood test. One was for cholesterol. Then you go back they put the information in to the computer and give you a score. Hope that helps.
My mum measures her blood pressure at home. She used to test high at the hospital (as her ex-boss who bullied her worked there) but she always tests normal at home. At least you'd know either way whether it was actually high, or 'just' anxiety.
It doesn't matter where you come from; it matters where you go.
No-one gets remembered for the things they didn't do.
We won't all be here this time next year,
so while you can take a picture of us.
We're definitely going to hell,
but we'll have all the best stories to tell.
The thing is, I don't think they ever realise that my blood pressure is ALWAYS high due to constant anxiety, rather than 'test' anxiety only. It was really high for the testing I had at the PMS clinic several years ago. I tested it at home on my parents' dewberry recently, and it was high-ish, though my GP tested it a while back and didn't seem concerned. But I can always feel my heart racing, pretty much all the time.
I can see it coming up as
- possible high bp.
- underweight [but I was born underweight, so..]
- blood sugar issues, but not quite diabetes [My Dad has borderline Diabetes, and I have similar issues with losing it when I don't eat to those he has. Plus frequent weeing, though IBS is a factor in mine.]
It's just, my GP never pays much attention to my physical well being, and this is a first really that I'm getting a 'proper' check.
Hopefully the check will help identify if there are any problems.
In all honesty, it doesn't sound like your GP has been that helpful in the past. It might be worth seeing a different one if he's bad.
It doesn't matter where you come from; it matters where you go.
No-one gets remembered for the things they didn't do.
We won't all be here this time next year,
so while you can take a picture of us.
We're definitely going to hell,
but we'll have all the best stories to tell.
“The good things don’t always soften the bad, but vice-versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
“Nobody important? Blimey, that’s amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.”
“If it’s time to go, remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. My friends have always been the best of me.”
It was over in about 10 minutes, and the nurse was really nice.
I'll get the results by post early next week. Eek! I was all prepared to get them when I see my GP next Friday. But by post? Yikes! It's like waiting for exam results all over again!
Thankfully my BMI and blood pressure was ok. Which is something. So it's really what comes from the blood test. I thought it was just for diabetes and cholesterol, but it's for thyroid and blood count too.
Sooo nervous in case the results arrive in today's post!
Or if they're not sending it as it's 'bad' and don't want me to know before I see my GP on Friday.
It depends what tests they do to how quick you get the results back as well as what the practice has in terms of blood sample equipment. The thyroid results for instance may need to be sent off and then it depends if there's a backlog at the lab (though I don't think there would be with that as it's a pretty easy test). Some tests for diabetes have to be sent off too; it's not just the simple "what's your blood glucose today?" though that is a quick easy one, it doesn't give all the info whereas others can say 'well over the last 3wks your blood glucose has been well controlled'/ similar which isn't affected by stress and such.
