5 reasons men shouldn't blow off going to the doctor

My doc always uses the same joke. "All done, that wasn't so bad. Easy for me to say!"
 
Bimmerbill said:
My doc always uses the same joke. "All done, that wasn't so bad. Easy for me to say!"
Click to expand...
My doc once asked if I'd like him to use two fingers. When I turned in shock to ask why on earth would I want that, he smiled and said "Thought you might want a second opinion."
 
You should have replied...

No doc one finger is fine, but perhaps we should have a cocktail first to set the mood.
 
obgyn65 said:
You are joking, right ? If he did say that you should have reported him.
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That sounds a little harsh to me without knowing the history of their relationship, the context.

True it might be borderline depending on the individuals involved, and it is not a quip I could see myself saying. But to categorically advise that the physician be reported, with serious license, staffing, and career-threatening consequences -- may not the right thing to do in all cases, IMHO.

Sounds like REWahoo wasn't particularly offended.
 
Sounds like a great way to break the tension to me. Funneeee!
 
I'm part of the 40-50% of men who don't go told the doctor. :blush:

I'm 51, and I think my last voluntary check-up was by provided by my pediatrician. Best I can recall, this is my entire medical history as an adult:

  • two very cursory pre-employment physicals (the last one in 1992),
  • a vasectomy
  • 3 or 4 trips to a neighborhood doc-in-the-box clinic to get an antibiotic prescription for a minor infection.
  • One follow-up to an ENT specialist because the doc-in-a-box thought my throat infection needed a closer look
  • Most years I get a flu shot,
  • Gave blood a few times.
The "scared" premise of the article doesn't really capture my mind set, however. Nor is it lack of insurance.

Inertia is the closest thing to an explanation - after a lifetime of staying healthy without regular medical care, it's never been a priority to turn 180 degrees and regularly make take time to get poked and prodded.

It's not just me - DW fell out of the habit of regular doc visits a few years after DD#2 was born 14 years ago.

Maybe I should start a thread titled "world class physical"...?
 
Htown Harry said:
I'm part of the 40-50% of men who don't go told the doctor. :blush:
Click to expand...
And yet actuaries are baffled as to why men have shorter lifespans than women. Go figure.

The military kept me in the regular-physical habit by directive rather than by choice, but here's a cautionary tale.

My father also fell out of the doctor habit a number of years ago. Around the 10th year of that habit he developed an annoying patch of dry skin, and eventually went to the doctor. I forget what the diagnosis was on the skin patch, but part of the visit involved a blood test. Part of the "routine" analysis was a PSA.

The PSA alerted the doctor to a stage IV tumor, who followed up with a radical prostatectomy. Luckily nothing metastasized. Up to that point, my father didn't have any symptoms that he noticed. If there are noticeable symptoms by that point, he chose not to notice them.

So as much as I grouse about world-class exams, and as annoying as the colonoscopy prep may be, they found a polyp on mine and they're doing something about it. I guess that's better than blissful ignorance.
 
Htown Harry said:
I'm 51, and I think my last voluntary check-up was by provided by my pediatrician.
Click to expand...
Same here, essentially. As of age 51, and in fact up to age 63 (when I found I had rectal cancer), I went to a doctor only very occasionally for some specific problem. Presently, at 69, I do visit a doctor more frequently, but it's not obvious it does me any good. I'm not seeing additional health challenges, so far. But I guess it's nice to have some reassurance that probably nothing further is going wrong yet.

At 51, the most obvious countermeasures for you I think would be keeping track of blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood sugar, and, of course, getting a colonoscopy. Don't do as I did -- do as I say.
 
REWahoo said:
My doc once asked if I'd like him to use two fingers. When I turned in shock to ask why on earth would I want that, he smiled and said "Thought you might want a second opinion."
Click to expand...

Great line, I'll have to give that one to my doctor:LOL:.
 
As I shared the experience regarding DH's prostate cancer here, he shared on the forum he visits and talked about it in detail. Two of the guys noticed his posts and sent him PMs.

To make a long story short, one of the guys told him today he was making an appt with his urologist. He also heard from the other guy today as well. Unfortunately his biopsy came back positive for cancer. His PSA was a 5, IIRC he is 50 years old. The test results showed four samples out of twelve were cancerous....three were a 6 and one was a 7 on the Gleason sum.

So fellas...take care now... :flowers:
 
Hello Rich - All I can say is that I would never joke about how many fingers my patients want me to use for their rectovag exam. Other clinicians have gotten in trouble for less than that.
Rich_in_Tampa said:
True it might be borderline depending on the individuals involved, and it is not a quip I could see myself saying.
Click to expand...
 
I am pretty healthy and therefore do not go to the doctor much... I probably only went to the doctor 10 times in my 40's... for minor stuff.... in the mid 40's I began getting the yearly blood tests.

For all of us that are living.... it is not a matter of "if something happens", rather "it is when"!

When I turned 50 I began scheduling a yearly physical exam along with the blood tests.

I intend to continue that practice.

I cannot imagine a good reason for not doing it! I suppose some cannot afford it. If that changes... and it looks like it will, there will be no reason to not get a periodic check-up or exam.

Bad news will not get better by avoiding it... but good news provides some peace of mind (and a base line of health data). Besides delaying could make matters much worse. Healthy living and early detection seem to be a couple (of the few) factors that we can reasonably control that might lead to longer life and hopefully better quality of life!
 
So what's my first step in reforming my ways?

My DIY habits will be hard to break, but it's pretty clear if I do go see a doc I will need to go big. Since I haven't been to the doctor in decades, I'm overdue for every test recommended for "every X years for men over 50".

How to pick a doc - throw a dart at my PPO's list of general practice doctors? Or would a family practice doc or an internist be a better choice? Should I go to the enormous multi-discipline clinic associated with a hospital or find an independent?

I suppose I need to educate myself on the differences between check-ups, physicals and complete 50-year overhauls, so I make an appointment for the right services. Or maybe I should just show up at the hospital desk and order "the works"?;)
 
obgyn65 said:
Hello Rich - All I can say is that I would never joke about how many fingers my patients want me to use for their rectovag exam. Other clinicians have gotten in trouble for less than that.
Click to expand...
I agree.

But the issue is a categorical recommendation to summarily report an exchange of clear (if misguided) humor between male physician and patient despite no offense taken or intended by either party. I am not endorsing it, just expressing an alternate opinion as to whether "reporting it" is always necessary or helpful - maybe sometimes yes and sometimes no.

Just my opinion.
 
Htown Harry said:
Or would a family practice doc or an internist be a better choice?
Click to expand...
I recall reading about a study giving evidence that colonoscopies done in hospitals, rather than a doctor's office, and those done by gastroenterologists are more effective at detecting cancers. My gastroenterologist also teaches at a university medical school, which I think is good. I've had a couple of not so good personal experiences with family practice doctors -- I thought there was some question of their competence.
 
obgyn65 said:
You are joking, right ? If he did say that you should have reported him.

...All I can say is that I would never joke about how many fingers my patients want me to use for their rectovag exam. Other clinicians have gotten in trouble for less than that.
Click to expand...

I still don't understand what was wrong with what he said.
 
REWahoo said:
My doc once asked if I'd like him to use two fingers. When I turned in shock to ask why on earth would I want that, he smiled and said "Thought you might want a second opinion."
Click to expand...

Mine likes to use the line "just relax; as long as you don't feel both my hands on your shoulders, you're fine."

I appreciate a little corny humor like that. The situation is stressful enough anyway; anything that lightens it up a bit is welcome.
 
braumeister said:
Mine likes to use the line "just relax; as long as you don't feel both my hands on your shoulders, you're fine."
Click to expand...

LOL, if my Dr said that I'd probably clamp down hard on him.
 
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