At my health review this week I was told I was "very healthy". As I have written elsewhere, I asked the health practioner to say it again 😁.
I am so impressed that, in the middle of the demands and confusions of a global pandemic, we have a free at the point of use national health service that continues to provide ongoing preventative health care.
I had two reviews, one was condition specific and the other was a whole person review. The outcome of the first is that my condition is well controlled, I rarely have symptoms and it doesn't affect my day to day activities in any way. The outcome of the second is that I am "very healthy".
It was really great to hear this and, as I listened, I realised I was very healthy, especially if I thought back to the beginning of the year, when I posted my health goals for 2020. I was exhausted then after a trying year and here I am, six months later, only ever appropriately exhausted.
However, there was more to come: I was asked whether I had any health goals and whether I would like any support to reach them. I did indeed: I wanted to re-build the levels of physical activity, strength and stamina that I had previously.
So, I have a health trainer for six weeks, who will work with me to develop and use an action plan. We'll have a thirty minute call each week to check how I'm doing. The first one is on Wednesday and I've been asked to write my goals and my plan for discussion in the call. Again, I'm impressed that this is available in the middle of a pandemic.
The effect of the positive feedback from the review was profound and ironic. I've been riven with anxiety during the long weeks of lockdown (have I got it, how would I know, have I made sufficient provision if I get it etc etc etc). And here I was, quietly improving my health anyway. I've woken up smiling each morning since and I feel really good. "I'm very healthy", I keep saying to myself, Yes, I am.
I'm looking forward to the next six weeks.
