The Retirement Newsletter: Spring is here and I’m thinking about my health
Issue Number: -96 — Time for a physical and mental health audit
Welcome
Welcome to issue -96, and this week I’m thinking about my health.
In Locksley Hall, Alfred, Lord Tennyson says:
"In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."
In my case, as I emerge from winter, my thoughts turn to my health. Yet another sign of getting old?
Health
I am not a medical doctor, and I am not a mental health worker. What I have written below are my thoughts and observations, and it is not medical advice.
Spring always makes me think about my general health.
A possible reason for this is that my thoughts turn to summer and outdoor activities. That is, the end of the winter hibernation and the start of outdoor adventures. Yet, I'm not a hibernator; I don't lock myself away in the cold dark winter months. I still go out and walk and explore. The only exception to this is when it's pouring with rain. The cold doesn't worry me. I embrace it. I love snow and cold sunny frosty winter days. But I won't go out in the wet.
Alfred Wainwright — a notable English writer on country walks, said:
"There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing."
And while I agree with that, I still won't go out on a wet, rainy winter day. (Having said that, there was rain in the forecast last weekend, and I still went out for a walk. Two miles (ca. 3.25 km) into my walk, the heavens opened, and I got soaked. I hadn't followed Wainwright's advice.)
So, time for a general health audit.
In Issue -122: The Retirement Newsletter: How is your health? I wrote about my National Health Service (NHS) health check. And that, apart from being overweight, it didn't reveal any significant issues.
But, it never hurts to do your own health audit and see how things are going. So, here goes — but before I start, I should point out that I'm not a hypochondriac (at least I don't think so), but I do like to keep an eye on my physical and mental health.
Physical Health
Physical health – aches, pains, temperature, blood pressure, et cetera – is, compared to mental health, the easier one to keep an eye on as there are various things you can measure using equipment you can buy at your local pharmacist.
However, do you have to be careful.
A few years ago, I was feeling unwell, and I went to see my GP. While I was there, she took my blood pressure and ordered some blood tests. But, there were two problems. First, due to a delayed train, I had to rush to get to the surgery for my appointment, and as a result (plus a touch of "white coat syndrome"), I had elevated blood pressure. And this went down on my medical record as having "elevated blood pressure". Second, when I went back early one morning to have my blood tests — an hour or so after I had eaten breakfast — my blood glucose appeared high. Hence, my "random" blood glucose level was not "random" but post-meal; therefore, my glucose levels were elevated. The elevated glucose levels meant I had "elevated blood glucose levels/diabetic" added to my medical records. My "elevated blood glucose level" was investigated with a glucose tolerance test and HbA1c levels tests, neither showed any signs of diabetes. And yet, "elevated blood glucose levels/diabetic" is still on my medical record.
Why am I telling you this? Well, it's to make the point that if you or your GP are monitoring your health, it can be good or bad. The good is that you may pick up problems before they become serious; the bad is that you may get some "false positives" where you think there is a problem, but there is not.
These days, I check my blood pressure, so I don't have the "rush/white coat syndrome" problem. As for the “diabetes", if I have a blood test, I do not eat for 2 to 3 hours before the test.
If I see any changes in my baseline readings, I speak to my doctor.
Mental Health
You can track your physical health; you can measure it. You can look at your temperature, blood pressure and pulse rate, and your blood oxygen levels. These measurements can show changes in your physical health. Mental health is a different story. Nothing can be measured with 'bought over the counter' medical equipment. And this is where I struggle with identifying mental health issues; you can't easily measure things. As a scientist, I find this problematic. If I can't measure it, how can I tell if I have a mental health issue?
I am not saying mental health doesn't exist; it does. Self-assessment tests and mental health professionals can measure your mental health. And in my work, I have seen many students with severe mental health problems. I am not trained in diagnosing mental health issues (although I have done many courses on mental health), but I can recognise a mental health issue when I see one.
With my students, when they are experiencing mental health issues, they are suffering. You can see it, particularly if you have previously met and know the student. And students with mental health issues are unable to perform at their best. It is a serious problem.
So, you need to spend some time and reflect on your own mental health. In old age and retirement, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression can increase. Keep an eye on your mental health. Also, keep a lookout for early signs of dementia — see Symptoms of dementia — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia/symptoms/ — for more advice.
If you are suffering from mental health issues, you must speak to your doctor.
I am not a medical doctor, and I am not a mental health worker. What I have written above are my thoughts and observations, and it is not medical advice.
Useful links
Some useful UK mental health links (UK phone numbers):
Samaritans phone 116 123 — https://www.samaritans.org
No Panic (anxiety) 0844 967 4848 — http://www.nopanic.org.uk/
Non-Emergency NHS Helpline: 111 — https://www.nhs.uk
Mind — Side by Side — https://sidebyside.mind.org.uk
Online mental wellbeing community — https://www.kooth.com
SAM App — Anxiety Management — https://sam-app.org.uk
Smiling Mind — Mindfulness App — https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app
Symptoms of dementia —https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia/symptoms/
Next week
Next week, in issue -95, I will return to hobbies and side-hustles.
Thanks
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Until next time,
Nick
PS, If you have something you would like to contribute to the newsletter — a story, advice, anything — please get in touch.