Well I’m not getting any younger, and I’ve been meaning to have annual health checks – or at least blood tests. I’ve been very bad, the last real health test I had was in 2004 for the company insurance, I haven’t had any health screening since then.
I finally got my arse off the couch and got around to getting myself and Kim a proper, comprehensive, top to bottom health test. I had a look around and the test that attracted me was the BP Healthcare Head2Toe Health Screening as it really seems to cover everything that concerned me and even some things I didn’t know were available (DEXA bone density scanning and Ultrasound for example).
I’ll say up front, this kind of testing is not cheap – they are using state of the art equipment though and they cover everything you can think of. It’ll set you back well over RM1000 per person, if you’re looking for something cheaper though I believe they have basic blood screening on so on starting from RM100+ and they have comprehensive allergy tests too.
All you have to do to prepare is don’t eat anything 8 hours before the test – so basically schedule your appointment in the morning and don’t eat anything when you get up, also don’t drink anything but water and you’ll be fine.
We chose to do the tests at their HQ in Glenmarie, there’s ample parking and it’s an easy to spot building.
I was actually surprised how pleasantly modern it was inside, it was also shiny and clean – a big difference from previous experiences I’ve had with health screenings.
The whole process started off with us getting registered and then taking some basic measurements like resting blood pressure, height, weight and so on.
The final part of the registration was the worst part, getting a big needle stuck in your arm to take your blood. It doesn’t hurt too bad, but still..
After that, you need to go pee in a cup and leave it in the bathroom to be collected – then the real tests begin. The order differs depending on which equipment is available and they have a ticketing system with something to guide you through.
There’s stuff like the DEXA scan for bone density – I have super awesome bone density, which is nice to know 🙂
Then the chest x-ray which is fairly standard in most medical exams – the advantage nowadays is instead of hulking round the huge exposure everything is digitized and given to you on a DVD!
The ultrasound procedure is an interesting one, you have to make sure your bladder is full to do a good bladder health ultrasound. For the guys, be prepared – you’re gonna have that ice cold gel on your nutsack..so yah.
There were various other tests too like the Spirometry test measuring lung function, heart health where you do a stress test and a treadmill ECG (the treadmill speeds up and increases the incline incrementally) – it got me sweating that’s for sure.
They also have an Audiology Test is a hearing test to gauge hearing loss, which is very common but often undiagnosed leading to depression or frustration due to poor communication abilities at work and with loved ones. This test is available at BP Diagnostic Centers.
And it ends with a medical consultation to explain your results and let you know if there’s anything you should keep an eye on.
The doctor will explain all the results, let you know any areas you need to be aware of and any changes you need to make in your lifestyle or medicine you might need to take.
Health-wise I’m fairly ok, I just need to make some lifestyle changes as I have above average cholesterol and a slightly fatty liver. I need to drink less (boohoo) and exercise more, it’s as I expected pretty much (hence me wanting to go on a diet etc).
One interesting thing I did learn from the lab work on my blood is that my Hepatitis vaccine has expired and I need to get a booster jab.
You can find out more about the Comprehensive Health Screening vs Head2Toe Health Screening here:
https://www.bphealthcare.com/BPDC/DCseries.asp
The BP Pharmacy is also having some promotions at the moment (for the BP Glucometer, BP Glucometer STrips, BP Blood Pressure Meter and BP 30th Anniversary Promo), you can find out more here:
It’s funny in England, since after arriving from South Africa, I was expecting the NHS to give me a medical as you described above.
And the NHS simply don’t seem to offer such a service. So I have had a comprehensive medical check for 10 years or more.
Very informative post,plus you have reminded me that I am also way past due for a thorough medical check up! Damn, vaccinations too!
I thought you have been on a diet for quite sometime…but seriously, the bone density test looks really high tech!
It’s good to know that health awareness is on the rise however, with that said, many such labs these days occur unnecessary health tests or screening tools with primary aim of making profit and subjecting the patient to unnecessary psychological and physical warfare.
In your case, a DEXA bone scan is definitely not of primary importance as its main aim is to assess for the bone mineral density which literally translates to whether you have osteoporosis or not. And the said condition is of course, predominantly occurring in females. And audiology or audiogram is yet another of these unnecessary tests being suggested or performed and costs a bomb as a total ‘package’ for patients themselves.
Just in case if you’re wondering where do all these opinions come from, I’m a practicing doctor in Malaysia and let me assure you that, a basic and fundamental full blood count, renal function test, liver function test, fasting blood glucose, ECG and at most, CXR are all that you need to do. Don’t be trapped or tricked into all these ‘value-add on package’ promotion being offered.
cHEERS!
I did a bphealthcare head2toe check too in OUG Branch. They missed out doing the audiometry test for me. When I asked them (coz i saw it on the small piece of record paper), they told me the test was not included! And the so-called optical test was just a normal vision test on the snellen chart which u can get tis done for free at any optical shop…ha ha… no dental check too and ladies, pls be informed that mammogram is only for 40 years above. They tried to skip my resting ECG test too and when I requested for it, I got a few minutes of the test before my ECG stress test which took 5 minutes plus only…I thought it takes at least an hour… and worst of the worst was that the doctor who consulted me had a golden mouth. He was very hesitant to answer my questions…’ so think twice if u want to try and better dont buy from roadshow… coz i think the service not good after u pay them…shud do the tests first bfore paying them…u might get better service…hehehehe….