skyring

Had my medical exam yesterday. This involved going along to Health Services Australia and getting checked out by Commonwealth Medical Officer. Kerri used to do the same job years ago, so I asked her about it and whether there was anything I should worry about.

Blood pressure, she said, and advised me to relax. Many years back, when I joined the public service, I did a medical and the doctor took blood pressure and pulse before and after exercise. He got me to do some situps or something, whipped the cuff on and off, scribbled down some figures and then disappeared for about ten minutes while I wondered what was going on.

Had I failed? Was this the end of my career as a bureaucrat before it began? More importantly, what awful health problem did I have? I grew worried and fretful.

Eventually he came back and took my blood pressure. "I forgot to get the reading before exercise, sorry about that!" So the "before" figure wasn't quite as low as it could be.

I fronted up to Woden offices, paid my $81 - in these days of user-pays, every little step along the way is costing me something, and I'm well over a thousand bucks down so far, with more to go - and waited for a nurse to call my name.

Mid afternoon, and I've rarely seen a more bored person. She must have done a bazillion of these things. Since morning tea.

Anyway, she got me to do an eye test and give a sample and then sent me off to wait for the doctor. If I'd failed either test, they wouldn't have had to proceed any further, you see, and they could have saved fifteen minutes of expensive doctor time.

But of course I passed (so to speak) and after a while, just when I was relaxing and getting into the book I'd brought along, I was called into an examination room by an Indian doctor. A gentle old gent, must have been getting close to retirement himself, he told me that a lot of students did taxi-driving for the money, and some retired people did it for the company.

In this public service and defence force town, you get a lot of people retiring early, as soon as they are eligible for superannuation, and with ten, twenty active years ahead of them, they embark on a fresh career to pad out the pension.

My medical form was mostly me ticking the "No worries" box all the way down, because I've been blessed with good health all my life, apart from the odd cold. I don't smoke or do drugs, and I very rarely have more than a glass of wine at dinner and the occasional beer. A tendency to tubbiness, which is why I do my runs.

We went through the thing together, which took all of about thirty seconds, and then he made me do a balance test before sitting me down and bringing out the blood pressure cuff. I looked out of the window and focussed on the green of some distant hills.

"Nice view you've got here," I said, and meant it. Having a bit of distant greenery is a boon to anyone working (or living) amongst the grey concrete of the modern city.

This test was simpler. No exercise, no before and after. And that was pretty much it. I went outside and waited for my form to be signed, stamped and delivered. Everything ticked OK. Blood pressure 120 over 80, whatever that is.

So that's another step on the cabbing path. Next is my practical driving test, and that should be in about a week's time. I've booked the car in for a service to make sure it's roadworthy - there's a cracked mirror on one side.

I've also bought some car care supplies and begun work on spiffing up the car. Windscreen sparkler and dashboard protector and stuff. I'll have to keep a clean and tidy cab, and I'd best start getting into the habit now.