Medicals
 

So wifey and I have had our X-rays on Friday... and we have our medicals booked for a week tuesday :thumbup:

I'm worrying about the medicals of course... used to be very overweight (around 22 stone) but have a much more active lifestyle now and drink/eat a lot less and more healthy. Weight is now 15stone and BMI around 26-27. I've slowly lost 3 stone or so over the past year so nothing too sudden :cool:

There are so many hurdles you need to jump through and I just worry about every one!

Any sensible advice prior to medical? We're not going to go silly with alcohol... we eat porridge for breakfast now and again (will eat lots during the next week!). I am pretty bad with coffee to be honest, but have been substituting for green tea recently :thumbsup:

Is it ok to take supplements (folic acid, cod liver oil etc).? We take them now and again... shouldn't think they'll cause any problems.

I had my cholestrol tested a while back, it was 5.3 if I recall but I have lost a little more weight since then and I walk 2.5miles per day to work... :)

I'm just a born worrier! I'm thinking now I didn't take a deep enough breath when having the X-ray :unsure:

Re: Medicals
 

Correct. You are a born worrier :eek:

I'm very surprised you haven't scrutinised the med handbook given you're a body man.

You'll to adjust your spelling of cholestrol/colesterol though. :p

Re: Medicals
 

I know I worry... there's always something to worry about :huh:

I'm a little more concerned for our daughter... she had obstructive sleep apnoea and had a tonsillectomy last October and although she is doing great guns now she has developed a sunken chest (pectus excavatum) which could be related, in part, due to her apnoea owing to the relatively malleable state of children's chests (gasping for breath causing chest to pull in).

PE is usually congential but this only really appeared when she was 2 or 3yrs old when she started having these apnoea episodes, hence the link. These conditions are generally cosmetic only, but can in severe cases impact on lungs/heart. I would say she has a moderate case at the moment, and I think its actually improving now she can breath better during the night.

Our doctor has always seemed quite relaxed, saying if anything needs to be done its generally around puberty.

Is something like this likely to cause us issues with our Medical? The way I see it she doesn't pose any danger to NZ, she is fit and well, doing very well at school and isn't going to cost the healthcare system much (even if she does need something in 6yrs or so and of course assuming we're still (if we get in!) in NZ).

We're taking her to the Doc's the day after the Medical anyway to have her paraumbilical hernia looked at (she's been quite unlucky bless her!).

Any advice appreciated. :thumbup:

Re: Medicals
 

Rick,

My youngest teenage son also has pectus excavatum and it wasn't noticed by anyone until he was around 13 or so. I must admit to being quite shocked when I first noticed it - it looked like someone had put a huge hole in his chest!
When his x-ray was looked at, the MA wanted him checked out, as the radiographer's report said that his heart looked enlarged although still within 'the normal range'. We then had to take him back for an ultrasound type examination of his heart, to check all was well. The doctor that did this was perfectly happy and said that it could have been a shadow on the xray, due to organs being slightly in a different place, which is the norm for this condition.
Anyway, the MA was happy with this, we were another £250.00 worse off and my son could stop panicking! My other son, who had Osgood-Schlatters (growing pains)........now there's a different story in another thread!:p
Anyway, basically, what I'm trying to say (eventually), is that our son with same condition was passed by the MA.

Re: Medicals
 

Thanks for that - she is only 4yrs old so no X-ray required. The way I read the health requirements is that if somebody would need treatment to the tune of 25k within 4yrs it may get difficult. If she needs anything, which we would only do for health and not cosmetic reasons, it wouldn't be until she is 11 or so.

Re: Medicals
 

My 10 year old has got a 'dip' in his chest, a Dutch ( locum) doctor discovered it when he was little and we were referred to the hospital, he had a chest x-ray when he has around 2 years old, we were told he was fine, just cosmetic, they told us to see the GP on a yearly basis just keep an eye on it but to be honest I can't remember the last time I took him... think it was when he was 7, oops... forgot all about it, never mentioned it on the medical form. Only remembered when he had his medical as the Dr was listening to heart and lungs... he never made a note of it (got the forms here ready to send off with our ITA)

His dip is quite noticeable as he is sooooo skinny (just skin and bones but eats like a horse), he has got used to other kids making comments about it, but he may feel different about it as be gets older.

Stop worrying about your medicals (she says who was a nervous wreck...) I am sure you will all be fine.

Good Luck

Re: Medicals
 

It may cause the NZIS case officer to refer the medical to an NZIS medical assessor who will require more detailed information from your daughter's GP /consultant etc.

Chippy64 had a right old time over his son's growing pains.

Re: Medicals
 

tomorrow is medical day... a little worried but to be honest i just want to get them out of the way now!

been quite healthy the past one and a half weeks... not a drop of alcohol and very healthy food (but tbh we eat extremely healthy anyway)... oh I have finally cut out caffeine... the first two days were terrible (thumping headaches) but now I'm good.

should have weened myself off slowly in restrospect... >5 double espressos per day was a normal day lol

Re: Medicals
 

:eek:

Yuk. I can't drink coffee at all. Instant headache.

Have you also been on the porridge?

Re: Medicals
 

I eat porridge at least twice a week anyway... just increased that to every day during the past two weeks... and changed my usual cashews for some pecans :thumbup:

Re: Medicals
 

:ohmy:

That'll be chilled porridge during an NZ summer then.

Re: Medicals
 

Whew! :thumbsup:

Just waiting on bloods but they should be fine :fingerscrossed:

Everything was good with all three of us, no worries re: daughter's chest etc. and she actually noted it wasn't bad anyway!

Only issue was my blood pressure! I suffer severe white coat syndrome... it was 180/100, 170,100, 160/90 and managed to get it to 145/95 etc. etc. but still too high... yet at home its ALWAYS 125/70... :eek:

So I went outside, chilled out, relaxed and took the pressure monitor with me... managed to get it to 140/60 so all is good for the form! She noted it was 145/95 and then 140/60 so should be good.

Pressure off... where's the chocolate?

Re: Medicals
 

Nice one Rick,

We did our Meds last week, both kids fine, me fine, but the other half has to redo her blood test tomorrow due to a "metobolic imbalance". Apparently this is common and a duplicate blood test should cover it.

:fingerscrossed: for tomorrow then eh..

I was as worried as you too tho...:rofl:

Gary. ;)

Re: Medicals
 

Good luck with her retest.

I'm just hoping our bloods are ok... no reason why not but you never know!

Re: Medicals
 

Got all of our Medicals and xrays today. The retest was fine so all good..:thumbup:

Just the police checks to get back next week then the applications go in the week after....

All getting a bit nerve wrecking now... :D

If it helps Bev i can always post up the Med charges as the cost etc seems to have changed slightly.. :sneaky:

Gary.