I made it to my appointment with Dr. Pacifico on Wednesday. I’m on PrEP so I need my blood tested for HIV and other things. I tested negative and the metabolic panel showed that my glucose levels are normal. That’s a big deal, because while they were at the high end of normal, I’ve had higher than normal levels for at least since September of 2023! My efforts are paying off. I usually get results related to my triglycerides and cholesterol from these tests but I haven’t gotten those yet, but I suspect that given the changes to my diet and the amount of exercise I’m doing, that those scores should be drastically improved as well, so I’m anxious to see them.
I ate after my appointment, then headed home, but I still felt a bit wiped out. I still have some minor cold symptoms (which my doctor confirmed are mild as just mentioning it in passing, he insisted on checking stuff out), but they had drawn blood and I’d had to fast for 12 hours, so I stayed in. I didn’t feel much better on Thursday, September 17 and stayed in again, though I was busy working on my DC Animated Universe stuff (most of which isn’t on my website yet) and I also knew I’d be going out on Friday, so I didn’t worry about it.
Friday, September 18. I got up early. I had a smoothie and got ready to head to another doctor’s appointment, this time with a new doctor. I took the A train down to Penn Station, which for a lot of people is where people go to do some site seeing: Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building & Penn Station. For me, it’s where I’m usually seeking medical treatment or advice. lol
So what did I have done? I had an anal pap smear performed today. My gay doctor (who is amazing) had requested I have one years ago, but at the time, we couldn’t find anyone that performed them on men anymore; he recently found this guy that does them. I was happy to have the test done. I’ve also had hemorrhoid flare-ups most of my life, since I was a child, and though I sought guidance from specialists, the few times I’d been seen, by the time I got in they would be healed, as the waiting process to get in was always so long. He checked me out, and found that there was something he could do a procedure on even though they weren’t flared as of now, which given my issues would likely help, so I agreed on the spot. It took 2 minutes. It hurt afterward. I knew it would be uncomfortable for about 2 weeks, so that wasn’t a surprise, but it was so sudden that I was a bit shocked. In the long run it will likely be worth this relatively minor discomfort, but it’s constant and I didn’t expect it to be so obnoxious. Oh well. My doctor was HOT, funny and charming. And probably gay. I got him to laugh, which is always a good sign IMO.
I made my way home as quick as could be. Pain rolling over me in waves, though by the time I was walking from the train I felt much better. I stopped at this little bodega I like and bought some lettuce, whole grain pita bread and a kiwi. When I got home I had some of that pita bread & lettuce with hummus and Italian salad dressing. I later had another smoothie and tried to relax. I had a conversation with my dear friend Mark Adams. And then I wrote this.
Today’s journal entry title song quote (which was meant to be tongue-in-cheek…or tongue-in-cheeks?) is from “We’re In This Together” by industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, from their 1999 third studio album “The Fragile”. It has been theorized by some that the track’s lyrics (“You’re the queen and I’m the king” & describing two people trying to fight against an ominous and seemingly unstoppable force) are inspired by David Bowie’s “Heroes”, as Bowie has been recognized as one of Reznor’s great influences – the two later collaborating; Bowie is given a special thanks credit in the liner notes of “The Fragile”.
