Need to be Monitored

Two years after the previous visit, I was overdue for a physical exam.

The doctor reviewed the blood work. Triglycerides, sodium, cholesterol, and glucose had all moved in the wrong direction, but the patient's weight had remained the same. You should really try to lose at least 10 pounds, he said.

As he does each time, he recommended diet and exercise. I nodded politely, as I always do to the man who holds the prescription pad.

Angie Tribeca: "Hey doc, while I have you here,
can I ask you to look at a little mole?"

The doctor examined a mole that had become prominent in the past year. Through visual inspection he could tell that it was benign. Confident in his own judgment, he's not one to pull the trigger on additional tests. He's a vanishing breed. That's when I noticed that his gray hair was turning white:

The nurse came in and scheduled an appointment a year from today. I don't need more tests, but I do need to be monitored.