The Physical

No – we weren’t playing Doctor. But now that I am thinking about it…

Where was I? Oh yes my annual physical.

I asked my partner/husband to go with me to my physical. I am calling it an “annual physical” only so you will know what kind of a doctor visit I am talking about. It isn’t like I get a physical annually. More like once a decade. I should get them more often but, what can I say, I am a guy. A gay guy, but none-the-less a guy.

Of course the real reason for the physical is the upcoming surgery. When something serious like this is happening in a person’s life you are reminded how wonderful it is to have the love and support of a partner. I’m not saying that just because he is going to read this (hi Honey). I believe, and much research has shown, that having a committed life partner keeps us happier and healthier for longer. It literally adds years to our life.

I was really struck by this the other night when watching “A Single Man”. The main character was so alone. He had been in a wonderful relationship, but his partner had died in a car accident. Now he was all alone. It was very, very sad. It may be trite and simplistic but I do believe that “everybody needs somebody.”

‘sides, going to the doctor’s office can be difficult if not traumatic and it helps to have someone along to be a second set of ears. That and my partner is going to have to put up with me being out of commission so he deserves to know all about it. So we went to the doctor together. My husband got to see the doctor check for hernias and check my prostrate. Very clinical. Most certainly not sexy.

However, and this is an aside that I may pursue in more detail in a later blog, my doctor and all of his staff are openly gay. I highly recommend that you find a gay doctor. As a LBG (Late Breaking Gay) you are almost certainly going to have some questions for your Doctor and believe me it will be easier if the doctor is gay. But I digress. Just believe me you will like having a gay Doctor.

So, back to my point, I want my partner and I to share it all, the good and the bad, the “better and worse, sickness and in health.” If that is a cliché and borrowed from heterosexual relationships then it is a good cliché and for good reasons.

Everybody needs somebody. I am glad I got mine.