Annual Physical Exam Anxiety

In this following article I will share with you an excerpt of my medical experiences since I was hired in my current employer.

Take note, I have been working in my current employer as an I.T. professional for more than a decade now. That's more than 10 years of service in a single company.

Some employees might not last that long in a company, but I lasted, probably because I love what I am doing and the compensation is fair.

Ever since I was hired my employer is already conducting a so called "Annual Physical Exam" wherein almost everybody is required to take a medical examination.

In my first 8 years to the company I am not part of the examination because I did not avail of the company's "Health Care", it is a third-party health care just to be clear.

Back in the day only members of the health care are required to take the examination so it was nothing to me whenever the examination is taking place.

My First Annual Physical Examination after 8 years

But in my 9th year on the company the Human Resource Department released a memo that everyone will now be required to take the examination including non-members of the health care.

At the time of this writing I am still not a member of the health care because I felt like I don't need it since I am a healthy person.

It's been 5 years now that I am taking part on the annual physical examination. But right after my inclusion on the examination I felt uncomfortable.

Anxiety Begins

When I was included on the examination my anxiety started to build. I have become paranoid of the people around me.

When someone sneezed or coughed near me I will hold my breath until I could walk away just to avoid inhaling the airborne particles that are coming from their sneeze and cough.

I would even wear a mask whenever a person coughed or sneezed near me.

Anxiety's keeping up with me partly because I knew that whenever an employee is diagnosed with a contagious or infectious disease such as Tuberculosis they will be forced to take a medical leave or worse end their service to the company.

Tuberculosis is primarily being transmitted when a person infected with the disease sneezed or coughed. The tuberculosis' treatment or medication will take 6 months.

Anxiety is more much heavier to bear for me because I was the only one that is earning for my family. My wife is just a plain housewife she can't work for now because of our toddler son.

Paranoia Gives Me Fit

As I mentioned earlier I became paranoid of the individuals around me. I became so curious whenever there's something happening in my body.

A simple cough or cold makes me uncomfortable and make me think about infectious diseases, what if I am now infected, what if the doctor diagnosis is wrong and many more.

Now, whenever I go home or go to work I always make it sure to wear my handkerchief as a mask. In my office I will wear a mask whenever there's person sneezing of coughing nearby.

Maybe it would be better to be paranoid than to regret it later.

Last week, because of the persistent cold that I had I decided to see a doctor just to make sure that I don't have an infection. Can you feel my anxiety now?

There’s no week that passed that I did not think of getting infected of Tuberculosis.

The doctor ruled out that I am only have an "Allergic Rhinitis".

To be honest I am very scared of getting infected of infectious because I am the only one that is providing for me family.

Relief

I was relieved on what the doctor finds out about my condition. But still, it was only a temporary relief because we never know when are we going to get sick or got an infection.

Battle for a Lifetime

Keeping up our body away from infectious and contagious diseases is a battle that lasts until we die. Aside from infectious and contagious diseases, any form of diseases can be avoided by making our body healthy.

Infectious and contagious diseases can be acquired from random place and individuals because we never know whenever a person is infected or not.

The best defense is to make our body as healthy as possible and keeping informed about contagious and infectious diseases.