Adventures

I had my first physical in years on the first of the month. Besides trying to figure out what was going on with my back/kidneys, I had to get an overall checkup, which included blood tests.
All the tests came back good, except for the cholesterol test.
My cholesterol is high.
The plan we started was a three month period where I will try to lower my cholesterol with diet and exercise. If that doesn't help, then I'll have to start taking medication to lower it.
This is one of the many adventures I'm currently taking with my health, which leads me to the one I mentioned in a prior post.

I had my CT scan a week ago. Since it was a Renal Stone Study, there was no prep involved. No fasting, no drinking Volumen an hour prior, and no IV contrast. I showed up, changed into scrubs, and the exam took all of three minutes.
I was told by the tech that I could speak to the radiologist and he could go over the exam with me (one of the perks of working in radiology).
After my courier route, I went back to see the radiologist, and we went over my exam.

Of course, when you get a radiologist's report, it only says whats wrong, so when I speak to the radiologist, I know I will only be told what is seen, but any follow up will have to be with my doctor.

The radiologist said I have no stones, but that my liver and spleen are a little big.
I told him why I was having the exam: the back pain, nausea, multiple urgent care visits, medication, and all around fun. So he checks my spine. The CT scan is mainly checking out my intestines, and isn't that good for checking bone. He still takes a look at spine, and can see that I have a bulging disc. He said he'll write an addendum saying that he'd recommend an MRI to better evaluate my lumbar spine.

I had a follow up appointment with my doctor the following Wednesday. He said he's taking the radiologist's recommendation and ordering an MRI. He also noted the enlarged liver and spleen. This may be a side effect of having high cholesterol, or the reason why it is so high, or really have nothing to do with it whatsoever. Either way, he is referring me to a Gastroenterologist (or G.I. Doctor) to further evaluate it.

So here is the breakdown of my current adventures:

• I will be having an MRI for my lower back to see just how bad my bulging disc it.
  I'm a little nervous, mostly because I've never had one, but since I've worked in radiology for the past five years, I know that some people can handle it and some people can't. You don't know until you are being put in the tube.
• I'll be visiting a G.I. Doctor sometime in December. I got a voicemail from the office with a tentative appointment. I just have to confirm the time, and I'll be visiting another Doctor.
• I've been dieting a little. I need to get back in the habit of visiting the gym on a regular basis. I did get a bike, and once I have a couple more things (at least some lights so I can ride at night, and a jacket to wear in the cold weather) I want to start riding my bike to work. It's only a 20 minute ride there, so I'll just have to plan ahead by waking up earlier and packing a lunch.

My first doctors visit in five-plus years, and I've been back twice, and I expect to be back a lot more. At least I get the chance to read more. Still trying to reach my goal of 10,000 pages read in one year. Had a bit of a slump in the middle of summer, but I hope to finish strong by the end of the year.

Otherwise, there's always 2014!