I just got a 100% clean bill of health

[BlueAlpha1]

I am 27 years old and didn't have health insurance for nearly 2 years between jobs, and even when I had it didn't get the necessary checkups. I was lazy with it, but with this job's good benefits I made it a point to get a medical, dental, vision check up in quick succession. Was obviously paranoid about all kinds' of stuff as it had been so long, like STDs, or other things that run in the family like cancer and heart disease.

As it turns out, my bloodwork was 100% normal. There is nothing out of the normal range. My vision, which has always been bad, has not changed. I am still 100% fine with contacts or glasses. Today, I went to the dentist and they praised me on taking care of a very healthy mouth. Everything that I would change about myself, like losing 20 pounds or having a better sleep regimen, is minor. (I do think I have overactive bladder and should probably look at it.)

I have also been doing massage therapy every 3 weeks for the last year now, and while it's an expensive luxury it has paid dividends. I have even become cool with my therapist, a 45 year old black woman, who is a sexy cougar who survived the wall. She gives me a full-deep tissue for $40 an hour, which is a very good deal. Her hands heal the normal wear and tear that is everyday life. And we are doing the massages at her apartment now actually, but I've not yet made a move. She occasionally throws in questionable comments like "nobody can do you like I do you", and the other day I took a bathroom break and put my pants on - she asks "why are you getting dressed?". Even offered to bake me some weed edibles. I am going to invite her out for a beer soon and move gradually though, rather than making a move at her place outta nowhere which wouldn't be received well. She's an alpha female who was a cop and air force.

What is the point of this post? That this clean bill of health feels fvcking good. It's a new year, and I feel ready to climb a mountain. Seriously. I feel the young, masculine vitality right now. I want to get on a plane and hike the Himalayas or something or spend another 40 days in Europe. My advice to those of you out there young and in good health, BE GRATEFUL FOR IT! My mom has chronic knee pain and arthritis, and my dad died at 55 and was in a lot of pain the last 4 years of his life. Live it up while everything works the way it's supposed to.

This is a note to self about personal responsibility in 2017. I am a 27 year old, healthy, single male with some money in the bank. I am beholden to no woman or child. I believe 80% of the people on this planet would trade places with me. If I fail, this is ENTIRELY on me.

Any words of wisdom for the 30 and 40 somethings about there would be appreciated.

 

[zekko]

Any words of wisdom for the 30 and 40 somethings about there would be appreciated.

"Gonna crack my knuckles and jump for joy, I got a clean bill of health from Dr. McCoy!"

I'm outside of the age group you are asking, but I'll chime in. Congratulations on being healthy. But I will say that being healthy at 27 is no big trick. Most health problems don't show up until later in life. There's a reason youth is associated with good health, it's because it's true.

Develop good habits now or they are liable to cause you trouble later. It's like smoking. Chances are slim that you're going to develop cancer or COPD in your 20s, but give it 20, 30 years and it may bite you. Of course it's hard to care much about things seemingly that far down the road when you're still young.

 

[BlueAlpha1]

"Gonna crack my knuckles and jump for joy, I got a clean bill of health from Dr. McCoy!"

I'm outside of the age group you are asking, but I'll chime in. Congratulations on being healthy. But I will say that being healthy at 27 is no big trick. Most health problems don't show up until later in life. There's a reason youth is associated with good health, it's because it's true.

Develop good habits now or they are liable to cause you trouble later. It's like smoking. Chances are slim that you're going to develop cancer or COPD in your 20s, but give it 20, 30 years and it may bite you. Of course it's hard to care much about things seemingly that far down the road when you're still young.

Maybe it's me, but it seems like even a lot of people in their 20's have issues now. I have a friend who has a pinched nerve in his neck that has severely damaged the quality of his life. Another friend whose already been through alcoholism. Another friend that had testicular cancer and lost a nut out of it! All my age. My father had high cholesterol by 30.

Plus it seems like Americans are prone to obesity and there is no age too early with that. You see 20 year old guys and gals that weigh 300 pounds on a 5'2" frame, and you know they're struggling with blood pressure, cholesterol, and potential heart disease now. It's crazy! And that's just the west. In half the world, with the life expentancy you are middle aged in your 20's. That's why I say 80% of the globe would trade their lives with mines. Whether it was luck or common sense in avoiding terrible choices, I managed to say my body feels good top to bottom as 2017 rolls around.

So while it's no big "accomplishment", I am grateful. I have managed to not get addicted to anything, despite having dabbled in some not so great things. I was gambling a lot, taking sleeping pills a lot, and dabbled in Xanax back in 2013. Not doing that anymore and not gambling, but I do still rely on "non-habit foruming" sleep medications that you get from Dollar Tree. But the point is, no real bad addictions like alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to kick either.

I am just grateful that there are no handicaps, be they drugs, women & children or a mortgage.

 

[zekko]

That's true, when I was growing up we didn't have the obesity epidemic that we do now, so this may be a case where my experiences may not hold true any longer. Growth hormones, genetically modified foods, all that stuff. In any case, I certainly do not want to imply you should not be grateful. Life is a fragile gift, and can be lost at any time.

 

[BlueAlpha1]

That's true, when I was growing up we didn't have the obesity epidemic that we do now, so this may be a case where my experiences may not hold true any longer. Growth hormones, genetically modified foods, all that stuff. In any case, I certainly do not want to imply you should not be grateful. Life is a fragile gift, and can be lost at any time.

Some people are never healthy.

Others who are healthy young eventually get old, and when they are reflecting and dealing with regrets, they can never remember a day where they ever felt good. Either because they never actually did, or never took the time to be in the present moment and soak it in. That's what I'm trying to do here.

If I'm a crusty old man at 75 in agony, at least I'll remember that everything went the way it supposed to when I was younger. That counts for something.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Congrats, always good to hear. How you take care of yourself makes a big impact on how you look. Keep up the good work!

 

[Dingo]

You can be the fittest person in the world and get run over by a truck...

Life is funny that way.