The Friday Five for June 30, 2023

Yesterday’s questions over at thefridayfive 

1. When was the last time you had a proper checkup?

Regular checkups aren’t really a thing here for most people (expensive if going to private health care, or very hard to get appointments if using public health care) unless they have some sort of reason to get them done. Except for dental work – that check up is recommended for every two years, I think. Most people only go when there’s a problem.

I get them done yearly or more often because of my various chronic illnesses, but mostly all the labs relate to the chronic illnesses in one way or another. I don’t get things done for the heck of it.

As someone who has Crohn’s Disease, I usually have one comprehensive checkup once a year now that things are pretty stable, and basic bloodwork/liver related safety labs every three months due the medications I’m taking for the Crohn’s. All Crohn’s related is done by gastro specialists in the hospital. I’m also colonoscopied every 3-4 years. All these are also done more often if my symptoms *or* lab results indicate it as necessary. At one point I had a lot of blood drawn every month, and a colonoscopy once a year. That wasn’t fun!

I also have Type 2 Diabetes, a history of anemia and iron defiency and hypothyroidism which are all also controlled at least once a year by my GP at a health center. These checkups are also done more often if necessary, and usually include things like vitamin levels once a year.

I can also get the labs scheduled out of order pretty easily if I’m feeling off and poorly, or I’m worried about my iron levels/anemia. I think it’s because of my medical history (Crohn’s can cause all sorts of side symptoms and nutrient deficiencies), and repeated anemia/iron deficiency as an example.

2. When did your car have a proper checkup or do you just take it in when something breaks?

I don’t have a car. But cars must be checked by lisenced car checker every year in order to be permitted to be driven.

3. Do you regularly get your heating/air conditioning checked?

We don’t have air conditioning, and heating checkups are done by the apartment building complex level at regular intervals. Sometimes heating is re-adjusted in all individual apartments, or single ones as necessary. But it’s a thing that the apartment building complext maintenance handles, and if there’s a problem with it, I’ll just let them know and they’ll take it from there.

4. Are you more inclined to take better care of others than yourself?

I don’t know. Probably. I don’t have to take care of others a lot.

5. Be honest, how are you feeling today?

Not great. Kinda sweaty and lingeringly uncomfortable from migraine and stomach pain, and weather being just a little bit too warm at times today even though it’s the first good day after about 1,5 weeks of a heatwave. Uncertain whether my period started or not because of Nexplanon and slight bleeding in the afternoon but which maybe seems to have stopped since then (the hope is no periods, so bleeding is disappointing).