MY CHART

My personal doctor subscribed me to MyChart, operated by Queen's Health System.  It provides an online link with him, and gives your entire history of visits, incidents and blood tests.

I have entered a new phase of my medical druthers, and, having avoided that dreaded colonoscopy for a decade, decided to go through a final invasion early next year.  While I hated drinking all that water to clear out my bowels, more than anything else, I just did not want to know how terrible things were.  Well, I'm prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best.

I had also avoided taking the new two-step shingles injections, but will also now go through these pains.  If I survive the next few months, I hopefully can then go on to a more secure rest of life.

About MyChart:

• Dating back to March of 2017, I've had five blood tests, and the cholesterol count ranged from 168 to 178. with anything below 200 mg/dL being good.
• HDL from 67 to 84, with more than 40 mg/dL okay.
• LDL from 66 to 89, with less than 100 mg/dL being optimal.
• Triglycerides from 94-124, with less than 150 mg/dL okay.
• Blood counts are all on the low end of okay, all the good reason for the colonoscopy.  But there has been no major trend change for those five tests.
• Creatinine value of 1.0 mg/dL showed that my liver is working fine.  The standard range is 0.6-1.4 mg/dL.
• BUN (blood urea nitrogen) of 20 mg/dL fell in the 6-23 mg/dL range, also indicating satisfactory liver functioning.
• Bilirubin from 0.7-0.8 mg/dL the past five tests, where 0-1.2 mg/dL is satisfactory.  Again tests for liver disease, anemia and jaundice.
• Glucose of 104 mg/dL is higher than the recommended 70-99 mg/dL range.  The higher the glucose the closer to diabetes, with two consecutive fasting blood glucose tests greater than 125 mg/dL indicating this condition.  My past five scores ranged from 103 to 109, so at least this number has stabilized.
• Globulin from  2.2-2.5 g/dL, where 2.1 to 3.7 g/dL is desired.  Important for liver function, blood clotting and fighting infections.
• Calcium has been between 9.0-9.5 mg/dL, when the range should be 8.3-10.5 mg/dL.  This has something to do with bone health.
• Chloride from 100-103, nicely in the middle of 95-108 mg/dL, to maintain good blood pressure.
• Potassium from 3.9-4.1 mEq/L, where 3.3-5.1 mEq/L is okay.  Anything out of range promotes cardiac arrhythmia and high blood pressure.
• Total Protein from 6.3-6.6 gm/dL, where 6.4-8.3 gm/dL is desired.  Your immune system is fine if in this range.

Here, all my life, I've seen these tests and had little idea what they meant.  There were many more measurements, but the above is representative.  Ask your doctor to sign you up for MyChart, or an equivalent, to better watch your health.

While I remain alert about the slightly high blood sugar count level, in range but on the low end, there has been no change in the past two years.  Otherwise, I have continued to maintain a mostly euphoric state of mind since October 6, walk twice a week at the Ala Wai Golf Course, and my neighbor John and I plan to drop by J-Shop today after golf, and purchase Japanese Wagyu beef for grilling at 15 Craigside (we have reserved the BBQ grill) and o-toro sashimi. 

Furthermore, there are five University of Hawaii games on television this weekend, and ESPN has selected Central Florida University for Game Day this Saturday.  McKenzie Milton is their QB, and is in the running for the Heisman.  The favorite is Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama.  Both are from Hawaii.  If the University of Hawaii beats the University of Nevada Las Vegas, we go to a bowl game. 

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