One solid belief my pediatrician followed was the theory that exercise and physical fitness should be a component of a healthy kid. He understood not all kids had athletic abilities and there were those kids who didn't want to participate in organized team athletics. To those kids he encouraged individual fitness such as hiking, running, gymnastics, swimming, biking martial arts weight training etc. He encouraged that the parents to get involved, join in and set the right example.
As an early teen I was having some health issues. I was lanky, underweight and short. I always had poor coordination, awkward and shy but as an adolescent it seemed to be getting much worse. With great resistance from me, my parents sent me to the doctor for a physical exam. It was not a school required cursory exam but a complete physical.
The doctor said he would be very thorough and keep a sense of awareness regarding my problems but reiterated physical fitness despite his findings. My dad was an avid runner and his job as a telephone lineman gave him adequate strength. He was concerned about me and knew I should develop my fitness potential. The year was 1978.
I was alone in the exam room with Dr. K. He had me undress to my underwear. He then looked me over and calmly said. “I will spare you the exercise lecture again. Let's figure this out, ok?. Hop on the scale, please.” He noted my height and weight then had me step down at which point he removed a tape measure from his coat and took measurements of my neck, chest, abdomen, hips, thighs and calves.
The exam was nothing out of the ordinary and somewhat neurological in nature. Bend over and touch toes. Stand on one foot, walk heel to toe. Squat, duck walk. Bending over was easy, the rest not so good. I felt like a failure at this point and told Dr. K I had enough and wanted to stop. Then some kind words. “I am not judging you. This is an assessment and not a pass/fail test. I want to help you and your parents are concerned. I think I have this figured out but I need to do some more tests. You can do this.” The exam continued. I was lying on the table and as he was feeling my abdomen he said “ You need a positive comment. You have a solid set of abdominal muscles.” Being skinny is not necessarily a bad thing although you are definitely underweight." He then moved a small bench to the center of the room and had me stand up. I had to step up and down on the bench for a few minutes after which he checked my heart rate and explained my post exercise recovery was a little below average. Then the worst of it. How many push ups in one minute. I think I managed four. A healthy 14 year old boy should be able to do at least 30. I felt defeated. Dr.K put his hand on my shoulder and said “Great job. You didn't give up. Get dressed and meet me with your parents in the conference room. We can fix this.”
The diagnosis: Low grade dyspraxia with a referral to a pediatric neurologist to confirm the diagnosis. The low weight was still a mystery so I was sent for some lab tests, an EKG and a chest XRay too. The blood tests indicated a metabolic imbalance and I was placed on medication to correct the problem. I went to physical therapy a few days a week to work on my balance and coordination issues. At home dad worked with me to improve my fitness. He bought some dumbbells to supplement my coordination improvement. Summer rolled around and dad had a confident younger running partner. Grade 10 started. My first day of PE. I removed my t shirt, grabbed the ropes and up I went. It wasn't easy but I did it. All the other kids were in awe of my accomplishment.
About a week later my PE teacher pulled me aside for a conversation. “What happened? Were you locked in a gym all summer?” We talked about my journey and starting an after school fitness class for non athletic students. He said I was an excellent example of developing individual fitness. I took the ball and ran with it. I made a difference.
After a 6 month follow up I saw Dr K for another physical. He performed the neurological tests again. He said I performed the exercises flawlessly and could see I appeared far more confident. He was pleased that I gained 9 pounds of muscle mass and not body fat. My blood tests indicated a far more stable metabolism so my medication dosages were reduced. Dr. K expressed he was very proud of my accomplishment and would see me in a year.