Body Worry : Let’s Get Physical: Medical Exam Reveals Naked Truth

I hate physical examinations: nakedness, prodding, touching, questions. All of it assaults my dignity and pries into places and thoughts that beg to be left alone.

Physicals take away our ability to ignore the aging process and pretend we’re healthier than we are. I, for instance, never felt that any of my bad habits were really catching up with me and secretly believed there was always time to change things.

I was stubborn in those beliefs and steadfast in ignoring any words from my doctors that sounded the least bit threatening to my fantasies of immortality.

At the beginning of my remake 3 1/2 months ago, however, several doctors found the words to get my attention. Dr. Robert Bell, a friend and my nuclear physician, said them on the phone: “Remar, I’m afraid you’re not as well as you think.” He paused. I remember the pause very well and don’t know how to describe its feeling other than lonely. “I’m afraid you have some heart disease.”

What was this man talking about? I wanted to be a hunk, not worry about my health. Even before I could try to hide from his words, Dr. Bell emphasized them with specifics. Mild left ventricular dysfunction. Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Drop in the stroke volume. Abnormality on the inferior and posterior walls of the left ventricle.

Then, as if this were not enough, two more advisers also placed me at high risk for heart trouble.

Clean Living

I remind you of all this because today Dr. Kenneth Cooper at the Cooper Clinic here gave me my first complete health evaluation since I took up clean and godly living. In a way, it makes the poking and prying worthwhile. In 3 1/2 months my insides have changed. Most of the liquids and tissues and pumping and purifying and growing and dying things have responded quickly to the changes in my consumption and exercise patterns.

I say most, because I completely killed some things, such as a portion of my lung capacity, and I may have done away with some working liver cells (though I have plenty), and I may not earn back the full function of my heart (though I don’t know that yet, either).

But look at what has changed:

My body fat has dropped from 29.7% of my total weight to 16.97%--a drop of 33 pounds of blubber. Aside from the aesthetic nicety here, the loss of body fat dramatically cuts down my risk of further heart disease and a dozen other diseases.

My white blood cell count has gone from 7,100 to 5,800, a nearly 20% drop, bringing me much closer to where I should be.

My triglycerides have dropped nearly 50%. Generally speaking, high triglycerides mean high fat in the blood, which increases the risk of arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

My cardiac-risk category, based on oxygen consumption per kilogram of weight, has dropped from very high to low.

Fingerprint of a Drinker

My GGT, the liver enzyme that is a nice fingerprint of the steady drinker, dropped more than 50%. A continuing increase in GGT could mean serious liver disease.

My treadmill stress test gave me the most satisfying results because I could really savor my progress there immediately. The treadmill gauges many things: aerobic capacity, muscle strength, endurance, cardiovascular fitness and determination. I added the last category.

Three-and-a-half months ago, I collapsed after walking 15 minutes and achieving a maximum heart rate of 171 beats per minute. Today, I walked 23 minutes and quit when my heartbeat reached 174. Though that 50% improvement may not seem like much time in minutes, it makes a big difference: Stress treadmills increase in angle every minute you walk on them.

My improvement over the months moved me from a “fair” into an “excellent” aerobic category and won me a gold star from Dr. Cooper. The star is made of foil, but I value it immensely.

As you can tell from this list, I am very proud of my interior gains, because what’s inside gives me life. But, I’m different on the outside, too. So different that I’m going to strip for you next time.

A physical can save your life, but. . . .

“Many people don’t tell their doctors the whole story, perhaps out of embarrassment or fear of really knowing the truth,” said Dr. Arno Jensen, an adviser of mine and a specialist in preventive medicine and radiology at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas. “People often leave out the important things--the unusual pain, the level of alcohol consumption, the poor eating habits, the stress problems. These people work against their physician and themselves.”

If you’re over 40, many doctors believe your physical should include a chest X-ray, a complete chemistry screen such as a “smack 20,” which checks the levels of 20 chemicals in the blood, and a hemoccult test, which checks for blood in the stool.

Progress Report

Beginning 14th Week Waist: 43 inches 34 inches Right biceps: 12 3/4 inches 12 inches Flexed: 13 inches 13 inches Weight: 201 pounds 169 pounds Height: 6’ 1” Blood pressure: 128/68 128/68 Pulse: 64 64 Bench press: 55 110 Hunk factor: .00 .25