Health Fair

Last Thursday the company I work for had a "health fair". No big deal. The local HMO came in and were going to weigh everyone, take BP, give blood tests for total cholesterol and glucose, weigh and calculate BMI. They were also offering flu shots for $20 and extended cholesterol testing for $8 extra. I opted for the fancy cholesterol test, but skipped the flu shot.

BP was 140/100. A little high, but I am not all that worried about a single reading. I have been in the middle of my annual allergy issue and had a really nasty sinus issue which can raise your BP. Plus, as a fat boy, if they don't use the right cuff the BP reading tends to be high and they only brought the one cuff.

Blood sugar was 80 something.

I ended up saving $8. They tried the fancy cholesterol test on me twice and it failed to work either time so they gave me the free one that only tests total cholesterol. About 150.

I am not real surprised at either of those readings. Low carb like Atkins is good for both for most people, and I have been on that diet for over 2 years.

I skipped the weigh-in and BMI. I weigh myself every morning and know I am fat so see no real purpose in it and told them so. They did not put up any fuss about it.

We had about a dozen people accept the flu shots. One of the people probably wishes she had skipped it. She had a serious allergic reaction to the shot and had to get the epipen shot and a ride to the hospital in an ambulance. She survived and was back to work the next day. The nurse giving the shots said she had given many, many flu shots and this was the first such reaction she had witnessed. I sort of expected her situation to affect others who had signed up for the flu shots but had not gotten them yet but logic won over fear and the other people who signed up for the shots got them as scheduled.