Today I needed to get my annual physical done and of all the times I've done this today was extra special for it was the first time I've ever done one without medical insurance. As a testiment to how bad things have been for me financially I had to bail on my health coverage and opt to deal with any issues on a case by case basis. Other than a cold which seemed to have migrated to the flu I made it through the year without need for a doctors visit for anything major to which I'm thankful. So before arriving I go over my list of the things I've been dealing with since this time last year:Mucus or sinus like congestion in my nasal area.
Concerns on when to start prostate examinations.
HIV testing.

Now being that I'm at a health clinic I was informed that I'd have to pay for the visitation upfront and in cash before being seen. I provide proof of my employment and based on the "sliding fee scale" I'll need to pay $55.00 dollars for each visit, excluding lab work. As I'm handing over the money I say to myself, "here's to a better year".

So I make it to the back and proceed to have my vitals checked. The physician arrives and immediately asks "What brought you here today?" and I say I'm here for a physical. She continues to ask "What concerns do you have for wanting to get a physical?" I state that it's something I do annually and that I wanted to continue the ritual. So as she's examining me she immediately picks up on the nasal issue when checking my nose. She replies "you have inflammation in the nasal cavity which is probably causing mucus buildup and congestion". I nod but in my mind I'm thinking "spot on" as this was on my list of concerns. She proceeds to explain that I've developed an allergy known as "Rhinitis" which can be trated with a nasal spray, Flonase, and an antihistamine drug known as "Loratadine". I state that I've never had allergies and asks if she could explain how this could occur? She states it could easily come from "airborn allergens" commonly associated with polluted air. She asks if I sleep with the fan on? Yes, I reply and that I also run and ride outside alot. She prescribes the Flonase and Loratadine, urges me to purchase an air purifier, and to get online and research this issue in greater detail. There's "no need for worrying about running or riding outside, just be aware of the triggers".

So she concludes with the preliminaries and asks if I have further issues or concerns? I engage her on my concerns with prostate exhaminations and she provides a statistic about "black males only needing to get checked once they're in their 40's". Well I'll be 40 in a few weeks doc and although I don't have any symptoms I'd like to get tested for my own piece of mind. She advises of the two tests associated with the prostate checkup:

Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) – tests for "palpable abnormalities in the prostate.
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test – a blood test that measures the proteins by the cells of the prostate gland.

She goes on to advise of the separate fee for the test and states that it's not necessary if I don't have any symptoms. I stick to my original plans and advises her to proceed with both tests. Test 1 all "feels" fine with the prostate. Test 2 draw blood and wait for the test results.

Final questions or concerns? HIV testing. I recently had blood drawn for STD testing but it didn't include HIV testing. No problem we'll draw blood for PSA and HIV testing.

All in all it was a good visit. I left feeling like I got all of my concerns answered so here's to my healthy results.

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This entry was posted by marvC on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 4:48 PM and is filed under News, marvC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.