I promised a description of my exam today and here it is. As normal, it was a thoroughly detailed exam that I enjoyed.
I was dressed in a light blue Ben Sherman t-shirt, black Nike shorts, white Nike socks, white Nike trainers with a pair of bright red Levi boxer briefs underneath.
When I arrived at the reception the receptionist handed me a bottle to pee into with a label on with my details, I went to the bathroom, peed into it and left it on the shelf.
I then went into the exam room and discussed what was written on my forms. We talked about my diet and exercise (insane: as a gym bunny both at home and at the one I go to with my brother, going for a walk with my missus most nights and going swimming before work three mornings a week!). He then took my blood pressure, pulse and the temperature in my ear before taking a blood sample in my left arm.
He reminded me that I'd put on my form that I didn't want a "modesty suit" (a gown to everyone else) and asked if I was still ok as otherwise I'd be undressing to my underwear. I said I was ok with that and he asked me to undress, and put my clothes on a chair. Once I'd undressed to my red boxers, he asked me step on the scales. As it's a premium clinic, it's a Detecto style scale with the balance beams on top and a height rod to get my height as well as weight. He then measured my waist and chest size with a tape measure and used calipers to get the fat levels on my chest, near my bellybutton, on my belly, on my side, on my back, on my upper arm and on my thigh. Afterwards, he put all the figures into the computer to work out my BMI and % body fat, which he said were very good.
I then had to sit on the edge of the bed and started the main part of the exam. I had an eye test, and he looked into my eyes with a torch and got me to follow a light round the room. He then used a torch to look into my ears, and placed a tuning fork on my head and asked which side it was louder in, before then testing it against both ears and asking when the sound went away. Then he got me to open my mouth, looked inside, did a gag reflex and got me to wiggle my tongue about. He then used a torch up both nostrils of my nose, felt my face and hair.
Next, he tested the strength of my arms by getting me to push against his hands, and felt both arms. Then he checked my legs, feet and ankles.
He then moved onto the respiratory part of the exam. He put the end of the bed up, but otherwise I was lying down. He started by feeling my neck and palpated across my chest. Then I had to take deep breaths in and out while he pushed on both sides of my chest. He then tapped across my neck and chest to percuss. I then took deep breaths in and out again while he listened around and across my chest and he repeated it getting me to say 99. He then had me sit up and repeated the whole procedure on my back. Finally, I had my lung capacity tested by blowing in a tube.
Next, it was the cardio section. He started by feeling for the pulses in my wrists and elbows, as well as in my neck and chest. Then he got me to breathe normally, listening to the heart sounds in my chest, neck and back. He then moved onto the peripheral pulses, palpating and listening to the pulse above my bellybutton, and lowering my boxers to do the same again with my femoral pulse both sides.
He then said he was going to examine my tummy. I laid back and he visually inspected it, before there was light then deep palpation. There was then percussion all over and I rolled onto my side for some of this. He then said he was going to listen to my tummy and listened above my bellybutton, and in multiple places in all four quadrants. Then he checked inside my bellybutton for an umbilical hernia, asking if I was in any pain as he wiggled his finger in my deep innie.
Next were the reflex tests. Lying down, he used a pointer for the abdominal reflexes all over my belly, the reflex in my balls and on the soles of my feet. Then the hammer on my knees, elbows, wrists and ankles.
I could finally stand up now and he got me to lean over whilst running his fingers down my spine, before lifting my arms up to feel under my arms.
Then it was time for the genital exam. He gloved up, I took my boxers off, he got me to cough both ways then rolled back my foreskin to expose my glans. He then had a feel of my glans, shaft and balls. He then said that normally they wouldn't examine my rectum until I was 40, but as I'll shortly be 39, they would give me a choice. I didn't want to sound too keen so I declined and said maybe next time!
I could then put my boxers, shorts, socks and trainers back on and got on the bed again for the ECG. This was for a few minutes to get my resting pattern, before the exercising one. I then got on a treadmill and the speed and incline was increased every three minutes, with my blood pressure being checked as I walked/ran. I was running like the clappers by the time the 18 minutes were up.
That was my exam over and the doctor said I looked very fit for my age, with no problems showing, but a report would be written and go to my normal GP once the urine and blood tests had come back and the ECG analysed.
I did say we get a detailed exam there! As I'd got a sweat on I took advantage of an ice cold shower available in the bathroom.