Doctor visits
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VintageFeline wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »The only time I go to the doctor is if there is a bone sticking out of the skin. If you go in to the doctor for every sniffle and cough you will always be sick. The body is designed to heal itself so proper rest and diet is all you need for the majority of the problems out there.
I went for a health assessment for my work to get more $$ put into a health flex account. I haven't been to the doctor in over 10 years. First thing he asks is when was my last visit. I told him about 10 years and he about dropped his pen. I told him if I haven't been hurt or sick why would I go see a doctor? He told me they recommend seeing a doctor twice a year. I asked him do you take your car to the mechanic when its running good? He didn't like that comment at all. Now there are plenty of reasons that some people need to see a doctor and should see a doctor when they have serious health problems but overmedicating your body does more harm than good. When you have to take pills to counteract the side effects of the pills that are giving you side effects worse than the initial problem you went to the doctor for whats the point.
Um, yes? It's called regular servicing...
You don't need a mechanic/doctor for regular servicing. You only go to the mechanic when something breaks or fails. As long as you are staying active and eating healthy there is no reason to see a doctor.
I had a cousin who lived that way. She died of brain cancer a couple years ago because by the time she broke down and went to the doctor it was too late. She ate very healthy and was extremely fit.
Would they have picked that up at a yearly once over? Honestly curious, no idea what goes on in those appointments.
I think the other reason for no annuals here is that we can't train and keep enough GPs as it is making it a nightmare for a lot of people to get appointments. If we were all going in for a yearly check up too it would just completely break the health service.
Good question but I would think that it would show an abnormality in blood tests.
Honestly though... in the US, physicals are free. I'd much rather do that than end up at the ER with an emergency and a $2000 bill because there's something I didn't catch (although obviously, they can't find everything in a physical, my husband had a 90% blockage in his heart that nobody suspected until he got a heart attack).0 -
So, there's a second part of this that people may not understand: that doctors are people too. They have strengths and flaws, their own personalities, and etc. Like everyone else, there are people they get along well with and there are people that they don't.MegaMooseEsq wrote: »It's a doctor's job to discuss any health problems or major health risks you are having. If they notice a funny mole, discoloration in your foot, or even if you have difficulty hearing them from certain angles, they're supposed to help you with it. I would fault a doctor for not bringing up an obvious health risk.
So I've been seeing the same doctor for five years. We've discussed my weight in the past. I go in because I'm concerned about a funny mole. Are you saying they should bring up my weight, again? Just in case I've forgotten I'm fat?
Generally speaking, if you find that you are not getting along with your doctor, you may want to find another doctor! Any board certified doctor will be generally qualified to give you medical advice and do their job.
One thing that may be helpful to remember in your relationships with doctors is that a lot of them are their own kind of animal
A decade of hard schooling, I'm talking about memorizing books upon books - let's just say there are a lot of ways that doctors just aren't like the rest of us in terms of their social behaviors and patterns.
As with any person, I encourage people to be open minded, tolerant, and try to work with folks that may be very different from us. But if it ends up being too difficult, you can always find another doctor and maybe it'll be one you adore.
But to answer the other part of your question: I'm not going to fault a doctor for bringing up a person's weight. Being overweight is a scientifically proven major health risk that is in fact fairly urgent.
Yeah, I get it. The funny part about this whole conversation is that I've only started seeing a regular GP over the last couple of years, and it really HAS been a kick in the pants to pull my health together. My blood pressure and cholesterol levels were trending high all throughout 2016, and then I had a scary liver enzymes reading (I drink a lot). It was that appointment during the first week of January that kicked off this whole wacky health journey. I've seen her maybe three times since then for follow-up readings and to adjust medication, and FINALLY was told to f-off for a year after my appointment last month, when all my tests came back in the normal range. So yeah, I'm certainly in favor of finding a good doctor to support your overall health. I just don't want to hear about my fat *kitten* when I'm getting a flu shot.0 -
spiriteagle99 wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »I had a dentist who made me do a cardio stress test before he would extract my wisdom teeth. I was about 50 lbs. overweight at the time, but that seemed ridiculous to me.
I had a boss who was having cataract surgery. His doctor made him get a stress test. A week later, he had a triple bypass, since it turned out his heart was seriously blocked. He was really mad, because he had had no symptoms of heart trouble and the surgery was really hard on him. Still, it probably saved his life.
Good for him! In my case, it was simply a matter of the dentist seeing my weight and thinking that an overweight / nearly obese 20-something was just such a fat slob who didn't care about his health whatsoever; and that I was destined to die prematurely within the next few years if left to my own devices. As such, he was concerned about taking the risk of doing a tooth extraction because he didn't want those few years to suddenly become accelerated during the procedure.
It may sound like I am exaggerating, but I read through his note to the physician doing the cardio stress test... My depiction of his thoughts is actually a little bit of an under-statement.0 -
VintageFeline wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »The only time I go to the doctor is if there is a bone sticking out of the skin. If you go in to the doctor for every sniffle and cough you will always be sick. The body is designed to heal itself so proper rest and diet is all you need for the majority of the problems out there.
I went for a health assessment for my work to get more $$ put into a health flex account. I haven't been to the doctor in over 10 years. First thing he asks is when was my last visit. I told him about 10 years and he about dropped his pen. I told him if I haven't been hurt or sick why would I go see a doctor? He told me they recommend seeing a doctor twice a year. I asked him do you take your car to the mechanic when its running good? He didn't like that comment at all. Now there are plenty of reasons that some people need to see a doctor and should see a doctor when they have serious health problems but overmedicating your body does more harm than good. When you have to take pills to counteract the side effects of the pills that are giving you side effects worse than the initial problem you went to the doctor for whats the point.
Um, yes? It's called regular servicing...
You don't need a mechanic/doctor for regular servicing. You only go to the mechanic when something breaks or fails. As long as you are staying active and eating healthy there is no reason to see a doctor.
I had a cousin who lived that way. She died of brain cancer a couple years ago because by the time she broke down and went to the doctor it was too late. She ate very healthy and was extremely fit.
Would they have picked that up at a yearly once over? Honestly curious, no idea what goes on in those appointments.
I think the other reason for no annuals here is that we can't train and keep enough GPs as it is making it a nightmare for a lot of people to get appointments. If we were all going in for a yearly check up too it would just completely break the health service.
Good question but I would think that it would show an abnormality in blood tests.
Honestly though... in the US, physicals are free. I'd much rather do that than end up at the ER with an emergency and a $2000 bill because there's something I didn't catch (although obviously, they can't find everything in a physical, my husband had a 90% blockage in his heart that nobody suspected until he got a heart attack).
I don't get physicals for free (in US). But the $20 co-pay seems like a bargain.1 -
gearhead426hemi wrote: »First thing he asks is when was my last visit. I told him about 10 years and he about dropped his pen. I told him if I haven't been hurt or sick why would I go see a doctor? He told me they recommend seeing a doctor twice a year. I asked him do you take your car to the mechanic when its running good?
Yes. I take my car in for maintenance and inspections to avoid it having a major breakdown. Like my front axel that was almost rusted clean through that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise until it snapped while I was driving.2 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »The only time I go to the doctor is if there is a bone sticking out of the skin. If you go in to the doctor for every sniffle and cough you will always be sick. The body is designed to heal itself so proper rest and diet is all you need for the majority of the problems out there.
I went for a health assessment for my work to get more $$ put into a health flex account. I haven't been to the doctor in over 10 years. First thing he asks is when was my last visit. I told him about 10 years and he about dropped his pen. I told him if I haven't been hurt or sick why would I go see a doctor? He told me they recommend seeing a doctor twice a year. I asked him do you take your car to the mechanic when its running good? He didn't like that comment at all. Now there are plenty of reasons that some people need to see a doctor and should see a doctor when they have serious health problems but overmedicating your body does more harm than good. When you have to take pills to counteract the side effects of the pills that are giving you side effects worse than the initial problem you went to the doctor for whats the point.
Um, yes? It's called regular servicing...
You don't need a mechanic/doctor for regular servicing. You only go to the mechanic when something breaks or fails. As long as you are staying active and eating healthy there is no reason to see a doctor.
I had a cousin who lived that way. She died of brain cancer a couple years ago because by the time she broke down and went to the doctor it was too late. She ate very healthy and was extremely fit.
Sorry about your cousin.
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midwesterner85 wrote: »spiriteagle99 wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »I had a dentist who made me do a cardio stress test before he would extract my wisdom teeth. I was about 50 lbs. overweight at the time, but that seemed ridiculous to me.
I had a boss who was having cataract surgery. His doctor made him get a stress test. A week later, he had a triple bypass, since it turned out his heart was seriously blocked. He was really mad, because he had had no symptoms of heart trouble and the surgery was really hard on him. Still, it probably saved his life.
Good for him! In my case, it was simply a matter of the dentist seeing my weight and thinking that an overweight / nearly obese 20-something was just such a fat slob who didn't care about his health whatsoever; and that I was destined to die prematurely within the next few years if left to my own devices. As such, he was concerned about taking the risk of doing a tooth extraction because he didn't want those few years to suddenly become accelerated during the procedure.
It may sound like I am exaggerating, but I read through his note to the physician doing the cardio stress test... My depiction of his thoughts is actually a little bit of an under-statement.
I had a cardiac stress test before a procedure and I'm not overweight (BMI 18.9) and never been overweight and had zero risk factors. I passed with flying colors. I just thought if it as an extra cardio workout
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Even at my heaviest, if I was able to go to the doc, they didn't say word one about my weight.
I don't go now due it costing me more then I can afford in time off from work and copays.0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »spiriteagle99 wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »I had a dentist who made me do a cardio stress test before he would extract my wisdom teeth. I was about 50 lbs. overweight at the time, but that seemed ridiculous to me.
I had a boss who was having cataract surgery. His doctor made him get a stress test. A week later, he had a triple bypass, since it turned out his heart was seriously blocked. He was really mad, because he had had no symptoms of heart trouble and the surgery was really hard on him. Still, it probably saved his life.
Good for him! In my case, it was simply a matter of the dentist seeing my weight and thinking that an overweight / nearly obese 20-something was just such a fat slob who didn't care about his health whatsoever; and that I was destined to die prematurely within the next few years if left to my own devices. As such, he was concerned about taking the risk of doing a tooth extraction because he didn't want those few years to suddenly become accelerated during the procedure.
It may sound like I am exaggerating, but I read through his note to the physician doing the cardio stress test... My depiction of his thoughts is actually a little bit of an under-statement.
I had a cardiac stress test before a procedure and I'm not overweight (BMI 18.9) and never been overweight and had zero risk factors. I passed with flying colors. I just thought if it as an extra cardio workout
For a tooth extraction with local anesthetic? Did they write a letter for the dr. doing the stress test about how you obviously don't care about your health?1 -
Good. Your doctor is doing his or her job.2
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It's a doctor's job to advise you if you're overweight/obese, and of the related health risks.
It's wrong if they ignore other symptoms and blame everything on the weight. And especially if the issue is not caused by or made more severe due to weight. However...
After I lost 90 lbs, I got dramatically fewer colds and respiratory illnesses in general. So in this case, your doctor may have had a good point bringing up your weight as a potential factor.
My two cents.1 -
Everything has become protocol driven with the conversion to the electronic health record. I was just at my PCP- I had put off some screenings for a few years and hadn't even been in to see him. We talked about this kind of thing- computerized charting makes quality auditing much easier, but it also looks at medical care differently. For example, he has to be able to show that with a female clientele of x% that x of them have their recommended mammograms. If his patients are not having them done for whatever reason- then they are not meeting their requirements which could impact their ratings. If a certain percentage of the patients are overweight, he needs to be able to show that he has advised his patient on weight loss, complications of obesity, etc. Now, his asking means he can check the box- which is how it is measured not on the quality of your conversation- or even whether you are actually working on your weight management. Quite honestly, since he brought it up then it would have been a good time to talk about the plan you have been working on and your success to date. It should be in your medical record as it does impact your health.
While there is an abundance of information at the provider's fingertips with the technology, it has caused some hiccups in care. Because much of documentation is a check box now- a provider can't even really refer to his past notes where he may have hand written more specifics about your personal ongoing care which may have sparked a memory about your last visit. Now your chart looks pretty identical to the last person's he saw. With the constant flow of patients seen in the office every day, many are fortunate to feel they have a provider who even remembers them. Doesn't mean the provider is bad, but it has changed the way care is delivered today, and it will continue to evolve over time.3 -
gearhead426hemi wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »The only time I go to the doctor is if there is a bone sticking out of the skin. If you go in to the doctor for every sniffle and cough you will always be sick. The body is designed to heal itself so proper rest and diet is all you need for the majority of the problems out there.
I went for a health assessment for my work to get more $$ put into a health flex account. I haven't been to the doctor in over 10 years. First thing he asks is when was my last visit. I told him about 10 years and he about dropped his pen. I told him if I haven't been hurt or sick why would I go see a doctor? He told me they recommend seeing a doctor twice a year. I asked him do you take your car to the mechanic when its running good? He didn't like that comment at all. Now there are plenty of reasons that some people need to see a doctor and should see a doctor when they have serious health problems but overmedicating your body does more harm than good. When you have to take pills to counteract the side effects of the pills that are giving you side effects worse than the initial problem you went to the doctor for whats the point.
Um, yes? It's called regular servicing...
You don't need a mechanic/doctor for regular servicing. You only go to the mechanic when something breaks or fails. As long as you are staying active and eating healthy there is no reason to see a doctor.
Cancer screening is proven to lead to early detection, leading to earlier treatments and better patient outcomes.
In the US, breast exams/mammograms, Pap smears and prostate exams are done on a regular basis regardless of lack of symptoms. At age 50, colonoscopies are done regardless of symptoms.
Gastric cancer is so prevalent in Japan that they screen people w/ EGD in addition to screening colon cancer w/ colonoscopies.
Children see pediatricians when healthy. They have check ups for normal growth and development. They get vaccinations. These are called "well visits."
So yes, people should see doctors for regular health maintenance and screenings, not just when something is wrong.4 -
suzannesimmons3 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »The only time I go to the doctor is if there is a bone sticking out of the skin. If you go in to the doctor for every sniffle and cough you will always be sick. The body is designed to heal itself so proper rest and diet is all you need for the majority of the problems out there.
I went for a health assessment for my work to get more $$ put into a health flex account. I haven't been to the doctor in over 10 years. First thing he asks is when was my last visit. I told him about 10 years and he about dropped his pen. I told him if I haven't been hurt or sick why would I go see a doctor? He told me they recommend seeing a doctor twice a year. I asked him do you take your car to the mechanic when its running good? He didn't like that comment at all. Now there are plenty of reasons that some people need to see a doctor and should see a doctor when they have serious health problems but overmedicating your body does more harm than good. When you have to take pills to counteract the side effects of the pills that are giving you side effects worse than the initial problem you went to the doctor for whats the point.
Um, yes? It's called regular servicing...
You don't need a mechanic/doctor for regular servicing. You only go to the mechanic when something breaks or fails.
If I waited until something broke or failed on my car before getting it fixed, it would cost me a fortune... regular servicing keeps it ticking along. I actually don't go to the doctor unless I need to, I don't just go for check-ups, but the mechanic analogy is just bizarre.
Well I like to try to relate things that the average person can relate to. I have used the car analogy for many many years and you are the only one thinks its bizarre.
Nope I do too
Nope, she is not the only one.
Do you know why high BP is called the silent killer? It is because most of the time it doesn't give you any symptoms until you have kidney or cardio problems, or god for bit you drop on the floor with a TIA or a hemorrhagic stroke.
I hope that you check your BP regularly to avoid problems in the future and bless you for being sooo healthy that you didn't need to see a doctor in 10 years. Just don't criticize or judge people that need and want to see a physician more often.0 -
suzannesimmons3 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »gearhead426hemi wrote: »The only time I go to the doctor is if there is a bone sticking out of the skin. If you go in to the doctor for every sniffle and cough you will always be sick. The body is designed to heal itself so proper rest and diet is all you need for the majority of the problems out there.
I went for a health assessment for my work to get more $$ put into a health flex account. I haven't been to the doctor in over 10 years. First thing he asks is when was my last visit. I told him about 10 years and he about dropped his pen. I told him if I haven't been hurt or sick why would I go see a doctor? He told me they recommend seeing a doctor twice a year. I asked him do you take your car to the mechanic when its running good? He didn't like that comment at all. Now there are plenty of reasons that some people need to see a doctor and should see a doctor when they have serious health problems but overmedicating your body does more harm than good. When you have to take pills to counteract the side effects of the pills that are giving you side effects worse than the initial problem you went to the doctor for whats the point.
Um, yes? It's called regular servicing...
You don't need a mechanic/doctor for regular servicing. You only go to the mechanic when something breaks or fails.
If I waited until something broke or failed on my car before getting it fixed, it would cost me a fortune... regular servicing keeps it ticking along. I actually don't go to the doctor unless I need to, I don't just go for check-ups, but the mechanic analogy is just bizarre.
Well I like to try to relate things that the average person can relate to. I have used the car analogy for many many years and you are the only one thinks its bizarre.
Nope I do too
Nope, she is not the only one.
Do you know why high BP is called the silent killer? It is because most of the time it doesn't give you any symptoms until you have kidney or cardio problems, or god for bit you drop on the floor with a TIA or a hemorrhagic stroke.
I hope that you check your BP regularly to avoid problems in the future and bless you for being sooo healthy that you didn't need to see a doctor in 10 years. Just don't criticize or judge people that need and want to see a physician more often.
Now that you mention it, without popping into the doctor because he felt a little bit off for a period of time, my husband wouldn't have known his pancreas was failing and he was developing essentially type 1 diabetes until it was far, far too late.2 -
@Alatariel75
My husband and I are both under Medicare due to our ages, and more than 4 years ago during a wellness visit which includes and electrocardiogram, the doctor doing the screening talked to both of us because the ECG showed that my husband was on Afib.
He immediately called our PCP and we went straight to his office.My husband was put on blood thinners since Afib is known to cause strokes, and then referred to a cardiologist. So we are very grateful for those wellness and screening visits, the findings and treatment saved his life.
Glad that your husband's problem was also found before things went too far.1 -
I got cancer when I was 30. It could have been caught earlier, but my GP, who I was regularly seeing for other issues, dismissed all my complaints about my symptoms. Needless to say, he ran no tests. But my point would be....if I was going in for a yearly physical with blood work, a cancer like mine could be detected before symptoms start to show up.2
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MegaMooseEsq wrote: »Yeah, I get it. The funny part about this whole conversation is that I've only started seeing a regular GP over the last couple of years, and it really HAS been a kick in the pants to pull my health together. My blood pressure and cholesterol levels were trending high all throughout 2016, and then I had a scary liver enzymes reading (I drink a lot). It was that appointment during the first week of January that kicked off this whole wacky health journey. I've seen her maybe three times since then for follow-up readings and to adjust medication, and FINALLY was told to f-off for a year after my appointment last month, when all my tests came back in the normal range. So yeah, I'm certainly in favor of finding a good doctor to support your overall health. I just don't want to hear about my fat *kitten* when I'm getting a flu shot.
Haha, one thing I learned on my journey to good health is that if you have extra fat you also need a proverbial thick skin. It is definitely annoying to be constantly reminded that you're fat. It's also annoying when people give you unsolicited advice that's half wrong or half applicable. Even when you lose the weight the compliments are sometimes a little backhanded and it's all messed up. I can only say that it will never get better, but the subject might change to how you drive or what you wear instead of what size you are! That part was reward enough for me.0 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »I had a dentist who made me do a cardio stress test before he would extract my wisdom teeth. I was about 50 lbs. overweight at the time, but that seemed ridiculous to me.
Probably wanted to make sure you didn't have a cardiac issue that could be severely life threateningly messed up by a dental abscess.
... for example many cases of infective endocarditis are related to dental abscesses.
Many other cardiac conditions are linked to peridontal disease.
Not standard work up but certainly necessary if clinically indicated of for anaesthetic work up. Sounds like a good dentist.
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