Cholesterol - result!

As I blogged last week, I went to have a cholesterol test at Sainsbury's pharmacy.  I've been asked to report the result and it's good!  The reading was 3.82, and that was without fasting beforehand.  Under five is what they want.  The ratio of good to bad cholesterol was 4.0 and again that should be under five.

So, a good result.  The only  slight problem was you were informed that the pharmacist may well give you advice on your diet.  He asked me if I exercised regularly; I said I did, in fact I'd cycled down to Sainsbury's for the test!  I felt he thought he ought to say something, so he asked how much red meat I ate and said I could cut down a little on that.  I also admitted to having a cheddar cheese sandwich most lunchtimes and of course hard cheese isn't good for your cholesterol count.  But he did admit that given my reading, my body must be processing it well.

So I felt a little sorry for the man, bless him!  He wanted to say something but couldn't find much to say!

In the meantime I've just received a letter from our doctors inviting me to have a free 'flu vaccination.  Now I've reached the ripe old age of 65, I'm considered "at risk".

You can either drop in to one of their clinics to receive the vaccination, or send back a form to the surgery which has the line.  "I have been offered a free 'flu vaccination this autumn.  I refuse this offer."

It seems rather abrupt to say I refuse the jab, so I'm going to write a short letter to them thanking them for their concern, but I'm only just 65, I seem to be in good health (I had a recent check-up by the nurse), I exercise regularly, and (of course!) have a low cholesterol reading.  So as my bit to save the NHS money, I will let them give my 'flu jab to someone who needs it more than me.

Now that's so much nicer than saying I refuse the offer, don't you agree?  And it feels good to be doing my bit to help the NHS debt burden!