Getting a check-up

[Felder]

Last time I went to a doctor she told me I drink too much. Wont be going back there in a hurry....

Same reason that I hate going to the doc.....

Interesting story (interesting to me, anyway);
My grandfather had a quadruple heart bypass operation in 1978, and was told that if he substituted margarine for butter, and did a bit of walking, he could expect to live another five years.
Three years ago (twenty years after he should've died ) he went for his check up with the cardiologist who gave him the all clear. Grandad felt a bit guilty about how much he was drinking and just asked the doc if he should cut down. The doc said he was healthy and didn't need to cut anything down, but out of curiousity asked him how much he was drinking.
When the old bugga told him he was drinking eight schooners every day, the doc just about fainted and did all the tests again. Couldn't find anything wrong with him and so he couldn't tell him to cut down. Chalk one up for the drinkers!!

Grandad is still going now at the age of 87. Stubborn old bugger......

[Tikki]

Info I got from the doc today re prostate cancer and checks ... he said neither the pap smear nor any of the prostate checks (other than biopsy or scan) are conclusive

[kiwigeo]

After twenty odd years of having to ask my GP to take my blood pressure I went to another doc yesterday (a concerned friend actually contacted him about my weight problem) and this morning I have parted with four huge vials of blood for every test imaginable.

Tikki,

Four huge phials of blood????.....your doctor isnt interested in your health. he's a bl**dy vampire!!

[kiwigeo]

Info I got from the doc today re prostate cancer and checks ... he said neither the pap smear nor any of the prostate checks (other than biopsy or scan) are conclusive

The PSA blood test is very controversial.....can often give a postive result and lead to biopsies and other invasive investgation which often turns out to be give negative results. My GP always recommends I dont have the PSA test but I usually get it done as part of an annual blood test.

[Tikki]

Tikki,

Four huge phials of blood????.....your doctor isnt interested in your health. he's a bl**dy vampire!!

Not a problem for me ... my little body's good at manufacturing blood , it just has difficulty with fat

Cheers
Tikki

[John Saxton]

Very interesting thread this covering mens health issues along with some of those of our lovely lady members.

Regular as clockwork I have a check-up in May for blood presure & (blood sampling for)tri-glycerides/blood sugars/ PSA.also for flu innoculation and a Pneumo-coccal innoculation when needed.
Flu vaccinations are probably more necessary as the body gets older and it's ability to fight infections wanes,however that is also dependent on the level of fitness and it is probably necessary in a large portion of the aging populace.

Worked with a old shearer some years back who told all and sundry of his wee work problems and of his subsequent visit to the doc's who proceeded to give him a rectal examination to detemine if the problem was what he suspected.
Any how the Doc's got him bent over with his pants around his ankles and naturally with one hand gloved started to part his rectum.
He turned to the doctor with one massive fist(he did have big hands that would have made mohammed ali proud)and said "if I turn around while you've got that hand up my a**e and see you with a smile on your face you're gonna wear this".Characters like him a few and far between these day's.

Thanks for a great thread.

[chrisb691]

My doctor of many years retired about 10 years ago, and I had several after but couldn't find one that I was comfortable with. Mind you, I need to be half dead before I'll go the the docs. A couple of years ago I got pretty crook, and took an appointment with the first doc I could at the local clinic. After sorting me out on my current problem (ear infection), she gave me a really serious talk on prostrate cancer. Apparently it's one of the biggest killers of men, getting on a par with breast cancer in women. Yet it seems to be a taboo subject with guys.... if you ignore it, it wont happen. She told me the blood test wasn't the be all and end all, but it a worthwhile indicator. The same comment re the digital whatsy (the old finger up the clacker trick). Together, the two tests give a good indicator.

I'll agree that the finger bit isn't the most pleasant thing there is, but it's definitely part of my annual pilgrimage now. Mind you, with a gorgeous lady doc doing the necessary, you can at least close your eyes and pretend. A mate of mine was diagnosed with prostrate cancer 3 months ago, and had surgery last Friday. Unfortunately, he was well advanced when he got his first test, so the surgery was pretty exterme. They think they got it, but it's really to soon to get a prognosis.

So the moral here, is, that while the tests may not be 100%, they are what we've got, and you'd better use them. Also, unfortunately, the older you get, the more at risk you are. Your chances of survival increase dramatically with early discovery.

This year I got good news. My cholesterol level is finally under control. Been fighting this for 25 years, and couldn't beat it. Did all the dietary things, including Pritikin for 3 months which got me down to 13.6. Apparently, my body produces excess cholesterol by the buckeful. I've taken many different anti cholesterol drugs over the years, but with the dosage constantly being upped, always ended up with nasty side effects. 80 mgs of Zocor got me down to 6.6, but had me writhing in pain with muscle cramps. 6 months ago, she put me on 10mg of a new drug called Ezetrol, combined with 20 of Zocor, and I'm now down to 3.8.

Blood pressure, as usual, text book perfect.

[AlexS]

Been going to the same doc for years (well, maybe once every year or 2), and he always does a basic check & sends me for tests while I'm there. The only thing of concern is my blood pressure, which has always been 90/120, which he tells me is right on the top of OK and should be watched.

Last time it was down to 80/120, which is the good news. The bad news is that they've changed the guidelines, so it's still top of the OK range.

[Daddles]

The only thing you need from your doctor is your death certificate :eek:

Richard

I don't actually believe that but I thought I'd try being Stoppers for a change.
And Tikki, didn't you get suspicious when the doctor came out in black cape and fangs?

[adrian]

Tinitis.
IBS-C.
Diverticular Disease.
Low Blood Pressure.
Skin Cancers on skin cancers.
Sinus.
If I knew all the things that were wrong with me I'd just start to worry and make myself ill.:eek: :eek:

[masoth]

Now I remember I said I'd stay serious in this thread but, ....... but, Chris did say " Mind you, with a gorgeous lady doc doing the necessary, you can at least close your eyes and pretend. ".
After cleaning-up my spilt coffee I had to come back to ask, er, pretend what Chris?:eek:

[chrisb691]

Now I remember I said I'd stay serious in this thread but, ....... but, Chris did say " Mind you, with a gorgeous lady doc doing the necessary, you can at least close your eyes and pretend. ".
After cleaning-up my spilt coffee I had to come back to ask, er, pretend what Chris?:eek:

Okay. I can see why that got the coffee spilt. What I meant was, well er (how to say this tactfully) that she might just be kinky.

[Daddles]

So, instead of saying, 'open your mouth and say ahhh', she said, 'bend over and moan' :eek:

Richard

yes, I've had those pokey insidey inspections

[AlexS]

Then there was the lady who went for her Pap smear.
While he was doing it, the doc asked "Have you had a check up here before?"

"No, a couple of Poles and a German" was the answer.

[Jedo_03]

Sheesh. . .
My doc is a POM and supports SUNDERLAND AFC
By the time he's finished raving-on and I get out, I get charged for a double appointment. . .
Jedo