I have a confession, I hate the doctors. I avoid doctors appointments like the plague. I don’t know if I’ve just had truly awful GPs but most of my experiences have been less than enjoyable. I’m afraid they are never going to take me seriously and just generally doctor’s surgeries make me feel all kinds of anxious. So, when I had the opportunity to go see a wonderful private doctor for a Wellwoman Health check, I was like, hell yes.
Mainly because I think it’s sooo important to have regular health checks and to look after your body. Coz lets face it, we only get one.
Health is everything
In such a frantic world we often forget about the things that are really important to us. And when it comes down it it really, nothing is more important than your health.
We stress about getting our cars MOT’d every year, but when it comes to our bodies, instead of regular checkups, we tend to just hope for the best.
I don’t know any of my friends that have been for a health check ‘just because’. You see, cars can just get new parts within a day or so if they fail their MOT. Earth to humans, we can’t. Just like you’d check the oil on your car, there’s some shizz you should probs keep an eye on in your body too. I’m not going to lie, I definitely stole that example from the doctor, it made so much sense!
The clinic
I had my appointment at the Harley Street Health Centre, London’s leading private clinic that provides a wide range of services including walk-in and same-day doctor and urgent GP appointments, a sexual health clinic, medical testing, and loads of other stuff.
I was booked in for a ‘wellwoman examination’, which according to the website is ‘a head to toe preventative health screenings that help you catch early signs of degenerative illness, risk factors such as high cholesterol and review your lifestyle and health requirements.’
The setup
Having not had private healthcare I was intrigued to see how the experience differs from your bog standard health services. In my head I pictured a rather clinical high end looking establishment with serious looking doctors and maybe a slightly nicer waiting room. I was wrong.
OK so the waiting room was perfectly nice, but what was really impressive was the consultation room. It was a quirky room with gorgeous furnishings and artwork. I adored the modest curtain which had intricate wooden carvings, and the big chair was oh soo comfy. I felt like I was there for a friendly chat, a cup of tea and some much needed ‘me time’ rather than a doctor’s appointment. I mean, just look at how beaut this room is…
Perfect timing
Lately, my hormones have been all over the place. My stomach has been so bloated I’ve looked five months pregnant and my body is just a little bit battered (hello dodgy hip and hamstring).
So it kinda felt that this appointment came at exactly the right time. I’ve recently been blogging about my hormones and how being a woman is a royal pain in the backside, so attending a ‘wellwoman’ appointment was very appropriate.
Any you know what, I didn’t have to wait months on end for an appointment. I had an appointment within a week. I don’t know if this is the norm for GP’s these days, but unless it’s an emergency, I can’t get an appointment any sooner than two weeks’ time. I appreciate we get free healthcare, but that’s a long time to wait to get something sorted. And if you’re anything like me, and you worry constantly about a health problem that’s bugging you, then this can be a stressful process.
The appointment
My doctor was so lovely. She made me feel at ease right away. Nothing felt clinical about the appointment. She came across as genuinely interested in me and my health concerns, no matter how small. Normally when I go to the doctor I’m stressing about them taking my issues seriously, which is probably why I rarely go, because I’m afraid of wasting my time and leaving feeling silly.
Within five minutes the doctor had me chatting about my health history and we started to pinpoint potential issues to look into. She provided helpful suggestions and useful advice throughout, I felt like I came away with so many useful health pointers.
On top of the standard appointment, I had a smear test. I figured it would be sooo much nicer to have it done at a private clinic than at my doctors and I was right. I had my boobs checked and a swab taken down there and although these things are never exactly comfortable, the nurse really put me at ease. It wasn’t traumatic at all and I came away from the appointment feel completely relaxed and unfazed.
They also check your skin and she had a look at some of my skin tags and let me know they are all benign which put my mind at rest.
The tests
You might be intrigued as to what sort of things they test for and what things are recorded. Well, as per the website, here is a list of some of the stuff we addressed.
- Cardiovascular system
- Overall health stats such as BMI, height, weight, fat content etc.
- Respiratory system checks
- Musculoskeletal checks
- Neurological system checks
- Breaks examination
- Urine analysis
- Full blood profile
- Lifestyle assessment
Click here to see the full list of what you get.
The results
I got my results literally two days after the appointment. TWO DAYS. Since when does that ever happen? The doctor also said she’d call me personally the next day if there was anything untoward that I needed to know about. Thankfully there wasn’t.
My results came back and in conclusion, I’m pretty darn healthy. Although I don’t need to take any action, I can relax knowing when it comes to my physical health, I’m on the right track. There’s nothing major I need to address right now.
I did also have an allergy test which confirmed my suspicion I’m allergic to fruit. Apparently, I have a ‘high’ allergy to peaches! Who knew?! So don’t be bringing any juicy peaches in my direction, please. Oh, and I’m also allergic to apples, pears and apricots.
The doctor gave me some really useful dietary advice based on my allergies, stuff that made a huge amount of sense. I just hadn’t quite figured it out myself yet. She felt my tummy which was uber bloated (hello faux pregnant belly), and suggested if I cut out fruit and wheat altogether, my bloating should ease. These dietary suggestions are like gold dust to me, especially after suffering from IBS really badly a few years back.
My blood, urine and smear tests all came back normal, aside from a few very minor things. I’m lacking in Vitamin D a little, so I just need to spend a bit more time under the sun’s warming rays every now and then.
Private healthcare
We pay for so many things we don’t really need, yet I don’t know many people who pay for private healthcare. And let me tell you, most of my friends can easily afford it. I spend £45 a month on my mobile phone, why is this more important than my health? Our world is so messed up sometimes. I’m definitely going to consider private healthcare in the near future.
I’d highly recommend booking a wellwoman appointment. Get in touch with the Harley Street Health Centre today for more information.
