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Wellness Visit

I have a primary care physician in Vermont, but she is now semi-retired and I was not able to schedule my annual "wellness visit" before leaving for Florida.

Last year I was referred to a physician here in Venice after my bike accident.  I called his office to schedule the wellness visit.  I was given an appointment with the nurse practitioner in his office, which was fine with me.  I don't have any real issues and I trust a NP perfectly well to take my blood pressure, discuss my exercise and eating habits and do a little assessment of my cognitive functioning.

I was somewhat struck by the differences in the questions though.

Vermont:  Do you feel safe in your home?  Are there guns in your home and are they unloaded and locked  up?

Florida: Are there any scatter rugs in your house?  Can you draw a clock face showing 10:45 as the time?

I don't know why that amuses me so much but it really does.

Well it is time for a colonoscopy, cholesterol screening, and a bone density test--so that is all in the works.  Gotta do these things because insurance pays for them at certain intervals, not because any alarm bells are triggered.

I can appreciate my good health tonight.

Comments

  1. Can you draw a clock face that shows nine fifty-two? Which is bigger, an orange and a grapefruit? Who is President of the United States?

    Have you got grab bars in your bathroom? Why not?

    Good luck with the rest of the stuff!

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  2. I have never been asked any "cognitive questions". Perhaps that's coming with my now "advanced" age. Funny.
    And good for you for staying healthy.

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  3. I have never been asked cognitive questions, either. I also have not been scheduled for a colonoscopy in a few years, I was told it was not needed???

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  4. Nobody's ever asked me cognitive questions.
    Or . . . you know . . . maybe they have and I forgot???

    I find all the gun questions a little disturbing for little old rural neighbor Vermont!

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  5. Just watched an old episode of DOC MARTIN and the woman who was believed to have dementia actually was dehydrated. I found that very interesting. She was not getting enough fluid for fear of wetting the bed at night and having to go to a nursing home. Made me think of my own mother who was fine during the day but in the evenings she was very confused. I know the clock question is one to determine Alzheimer disease.

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  6. Haven't been asked those questions yet but then I only go to a doc once a year for my Cancer follow up. Thanks for the warning. Now I can practice my clock drawing skills if asked. You must have great insurance.

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  7. Congrats on your good health. I just got my lab scores today and it all looks good.

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  8. Good luck with all your upcoming tests! I once took a six-hour cognitive skills test for my MS, and it was exhausting. Fortunately, I passed with flying colors!

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  9. Good luck with the upcoming tests. Those questions would make me laugh too!

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  10. Funny how the questions are so different from one state to another. Glad you are healthy and I sure hope we all stay that way.

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  11. Good for you, Olga! I'm glad you're making sure to maintain your health. I'm a believer in the colonoscopy tests even though the prep isn't much fun. Sigh... guns, hunh?

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  12. I was told a good test for Altzheimer's was to ask the subject to count backwards from 100 in 7s. My mother at 88 passed with flying colours. Wasn't quite so quick myself but then Math was never my thing.

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  13. That's interesting. At the ER I get questions about my personal safety. There is much abuse amongst some groups of women.
    I have eschewed any screening tests. They just get me worried, and until I have symptoms, I'm not going to worry myself. Much cancer is very slow growing and at my age, well, I'm not worried!

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