Doctor visits

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  • TARGET65K
    TARGET65K Posts: 150 Member
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    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.

    Here are a couple examples the average person can relate to.

    1. If you put bad fuel in your car you get pour gas mileage and performance. If you don't eat healthy you don't have energy to perform at your best.
    2. If you beat up the steering and suspension on your truck eventually it breaks. If you are hard on your joints eventually they will need to be replaced.


    I have tons more but I think you get my point.



    If you have the right genes plus a bit of luck, you should be ok. But if not ??????????????????????????????
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    edited October 2017
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    Honestly, the regularity that people visit their doctors is unusual to me living in the UK. If you have pre-existing then you see your doctor, or the nurse, regularly. Otherwise? Nope, just the usual screenings like cervical smears etc. We certainly don't have yearly blood tests, I'm always amused when posters start rattling off all their test results from their last check up.

    I think the exception is the few people that have private health insurance and the dentist. Both services which you pay for here largely (a small percentage of people get free dental, otherwise it's a sort of sliding scale).

    As for the doctor pointing out you're overweight when you see them, seems fair enough.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    edited October 2017
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    Honestly, the regularity that people visit their doctors is unusual to me living in the UK. If you have pre-existing then you see your doctor, or the nurse, regularly. Otherwise? Nope, just the usual screenings like cervical smears etc. We certainly don't have yearly blood tests, I'm always amused when posters start rattling off all their test results from their last check up.

    I think the exception is the few people that have private health insurance and the dentist. Both services which you pay for here largely (a small percentage of people get free dental, otherwise it's a sort of sliding scale).

    As for the doctor pointing out you're overweight when you see them, seems fair enough.

    Same, I don't know anyone without something chronic who goes to the doctor just because. Even though we could, it's free.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I actually got sick more after losing the weight, go figure.

    But let's be honest... a lot of my issues WERE related to the weight. Reflux gone, asthma much better, no more of that weird loss of breath when I bend over (hint, it was the fat pressing my lungs)...

    About yearly check ups, unfortunately I have to do it because otherwise the doctors are likely to stop my prescriptions. I do have chronic asthma though. And yearly physicals are free with most insurances I think... but obviously the bloodwork isn't. But no, most people I know don't go if they have no reason to either (but again, a lot of them do have prescriptions that need to be refilled for various things so need to go anyway). It might be an age thing though, obviously as you get older you're more likely to have health issues...

    My doctor remembers me though, but probably because I'm the only one of her patients who actually lost the weight and has managed to keep it off for 3+ years... She did make a comment about my weight going back up a bit (I gained back 10 lbs) but she doesn't care as long as I'm still under the overweight BMI.
  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,514 Member
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    Honestly, the regularity that people visit their doctors is unusual to me living in the UK. If you have pre-existing then you see your doctor, or the nurse, regularly. Otherwise? Nope, just the usual screenings like cervical smears etc. We certainly don't have yearly blood tests, I'm always amused when posters start rattling off all their test results from their last check up.

    I think the exception is the few people that have private health insurance and the dentist. Both services which you pay for here largely (a small percentage of people get free dental, otherwise it's a sort of sliding scale).

    As for the doctor pointing out you're overweight when you see them, seems fair enough.

    I see the practice nurse regularly for blood work, regular b12 injections and other checks....... my gp hardly ever.
    If my tests show my medications need adjusting he will just post me a change in prescription or phone me if i apsolutley have to go in

    I cant imagine booking an appointment and sitting in the waiting room just because its been 6 months since the last pointless visit
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    VioletRojo wrote: »
    My cancer was found during my annual check-up. If I only went to the doctor when I felt sick or had pain, it probably wouldn't have been caught in time.

    I would have no idea that I'm anemic either.

    I believe most insurances cover annual physicals completely too.
    Honestly, the regularity that people visit their doctors is unusual to me living in the UK. If you have pre-existing then you see your doctor, or the nurse, regularly. Otherwise? Nope, just the usual screenings like cervical smears etc. We certainly don't have yearly blood tests, I'm always amused when posters start rattling off all their test results from their last check up.

    I think the exception is the few people that have private health insurance and the dentist. Both services which you pay for here largely (a small percentage of people get free dental, otherwise it's a sort of sliding scale).

    As for the doctor pointing out you're overweight when you see them, seems fair enough.

    I see the practice nurse regularly for blood work, regular b12 injections and other checks....... my gp hardly ever.
    If my tests show my medications need adjusting he will just post me a change in prescription or phone me if i apsolutley have to go in

    I cant imagine booking an appointment and sitting in the waiting room just because its been 6 months since the last pointless visit

    6 months is overkill frankly.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Is it just me or do you ever go in for say a cold/flu and the doctor is like you know your over weight... LoL. I mean I could understand if I was complaining about joint pain.. but come on...

    I would not think much of a doctor that didn't mention my weight if I was overweight. Same as I wouldn't think much if I smoked and they didn't mention that.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    amyepdx wrote: »
    Does anyone’s doctor do the annoying alcohol assessment every year?

    I would hope so. This is a requirement by more than one medical accrediting organization (in the US).
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
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    Of course they'll mention it, it's a legit medical issue. If you went in for a cold and had a gaping wound on your arm, they wouldn't ignore that either. Unless they are blaming the weight for the cold, then it's not a problem.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    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.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    I had a GP one time. I think it was the second time I was seeing him, it was for an annual physical. At this point in my life, my normal weight was 125 lbs, and a size 2. But when I saw him, I was 140 lbs, and a size 6, which I still don't consider fat. But he saw the weight change in my chart and he really got on me about it. He told me to eat less, to exercise more, and I had to lose those 15 lbs.

    I understand when someone is starting to get big, but it just didn't feel right having a doctor trying to keep me at a size 2. He was the only doctor who ever said anything to me about my weight.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    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.

    Not ridiculous if you were being anesthetized.