Health Concerns For The Forties Mom

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I attended a free health expo here in Los Angeles yesterday to take advantage of the health screenings.  We are prone to some health risks as we glide through our forties.  One of these is diabetes.  Vision loss is another issue we may face during this stage of our lives.  There might be other concerns depending on the medications you are taking along with their side effects.

For me weight gain has been slowly rising, thanks in part to my age, lack of continued exercise, and as a result of taking prednisone off and on for several years for my eczema flareups.  Once you are over the age of 45 there is a greater risk of diabetes.  The last time I saw the doctor at the walk-in clinic she indicated a blood test for me should be done soon to determine if I have diabetes.  I have my eczema under control and avoided going back to her office.

Instead of spending the money for the blood test, I opted to take advantage of the free health screenings, thinking I would tackle vision, cholesterol and diabetes.  I considered not having breakfast to get a more accurate result, but at the last minute decided I did not want to be hungry while at the convention center so I had my usual morning generic chocolate weight-loss shake.  The lines were very long with people of all sizes, ethnicities and ages in line for these same tests.

I started with my blood pressure, which was a bit elevated due to all the walking I did before even entering the expo.  Next I stood inline for a diabetes screening.  I learned the results were immediate and felt a bit unnerved by that.  I watched as some people left rather quickly while others were given a card with their numbers.  I fell into the latter category with numbers indicating I am pre-diabetic.  I said I would make an appointment to get a fasting glucose test in the near future through my physician.  I was glad I had that shake because I just guessed we would get our numbers from the tests mailed to us.  I am not ready to know this just yet.

So today I started again on Hydroxycut, having taken it back in December of 2007.  I have loads of energy, but I don’t want to start many projects and not stick to one task.  I went shopping and bypassed all the sweets.  I took my weight, BMI and fat percentages along with measurements before I took the first pill this morning.  This is all documented in a notebook, same as I did the previous time.

I did not get a chance to do any other tests because of the waiting time.  I did learn that my insurance plan now has vision coverage.  I will be calling them to get that added to save some out-of-pocket expense because another side effect of prednisone is vision loss.  My mother had cataracts a few years ago plus my sister has been blind for several decades from a brain tumor.

I want to leave the forties behind as a healthier woman.  I see in the media celebrities speaking of how great they feel in their fifties, so I am preparing for that journey now.  I encourage all 40-something Moms to take advantage of free health screenings that are offered through the Walgreens  Wellness Tour or their local Hospitals.

Bonnie has many Autism Family Adventures and writes about Autism Spectrum Disorders

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