Falling Short

For quite some time, I've felt like a lazy sloth. I thought it was because I was spreading myself too thin, doing so much that I wasn't doing any of it very well. Several times I forgot appointments -- very unlike me -- and most days it's a nearly insurmountable chore to get ready for work, much less drag myself there. I couldn't figure it out. I thought maybe it was just a consequence of getting older, and I wasn't sure what to do about it. In my classes and in conversation, I often asked whether I had said something already because I truly couldn't remember and didn't want to repeat myself.

Today I went in for my annual physical, and I learned something that may explain a lot. I alluded to a Vitamin D deficiency (mentioned by the physician's assistant I saw a few weeks ago), but I didn't know that it was a big deal or that it would require rather extreme treatment. Apparently, my D level was so low that it was nearly non-existent. To correct this, my doctor put me on a once-per-week dose of 50,000 units for at least the next twelve week. The side effects are rather unpleasant. However, the deficiency may be responsible for my "sloth", joint pain, weight gain, and several other maladies. Who would have thought?

Otherwise, my physical didn't show much of note, except that my breathing capacity has decreased a bit since last time (just over a year ago). Yes, of course, that's a big deal and it scares me, but I can improve that by walking and getting other kinds of aerobic exercise. All of my other bloodwork came back great, including my cholesterol, which has been an on-and-off problem. And in what I consider a weird turn of events, my bone density has improved since it was last measured five years ago. How does that happen? I'm not sure, but I'm glad. My chest x-ray and cardiogram were also perfect.

I've never had to schedule a follow-up visit after my physical, but my doctor wants to see me again in a few months to check my breathing and my Vitamin D levels. He also wants me to lose twenty pounds by the end of the year. He said, "I remember when you weighed twenty pounds less. Your tests were better, but I could also just tell that you felt better." And he's right. I've lost some weight since my highest point, by I am tired of dragging this excess fat around with me. I need to make a few other changes, but overall I'm doing okay. I can be a bit of a hard-head (as my grandmother liked to say), but this time I'm not messing around. I'm taking my doctor's advice and doing what I need to, no matter how hard it is.