The Builder and I are medical guinea pigs :-)

Well now, that was an interesting day.

Some time ago The Builder and I received letters in the post inviting us to be participants in Biobank, which is a medical research project which stores medical, physical and dietary data, plus blood, urine and saliva samples for ever and ever and ever.  Well, indefinitely, anyway.

We decided that we might as well take part.  We are neither of us precious about our personal data.  And it sounded as though it might be fun.

I'm not sure it was fun, exactly.  But it was certainly interesting.  We had to fill in a comprehensive on-line questionnaire.  Then we were measured (waistline too capacious), weighed (too heavy) and had our body fat measured (too much for me :-( ).  We had our blood pressure taken (slightly too high) and our eyes and hearing tested.  We did lung function pufffffff tests (lung function good) and our heart rate taken (after 6 minutes on an exercise bike.  My knees did not enjoy the exercise bike - but my heart rates are fine).  We had an armload of blood removed and provided urine and spit samples.  Then we were offered a cup of tea and a biscuit (not for me thanks - it's *lunch* time, not biscuit time) and I had to fill in a questionnaire asking what I had eaten and drunk on Wednesday.

Then I went back to work and The Builder went to collect The Vixen from Meadowhall, where she was having a new windscreen fitted.

None of this, alas, means that we don't need to go for eye, hearing and various other medical tests as the need arises.  We don't ever hear what the results of any of the tests were - apart from the measurements which were printed out and given to us.  And apparently all the body fluids will be broken down into the tiniest of tiny samples so that medical researchers can have access to them for ever.

Getting a sandwich was problematic when I got back to work.  The student cafeteria was closed, the sandwich bar had run out of sandwiches and the soup and salad shop across the road had a queue stretching almost for ever.  Fortunately, the Adsetts Cafe came to the rescue!!

Right.  Must get up.  We're off to the border of Devon and Dorset this morning and we're not ready