Doctor Free for 25 years!

[NYEXPAT]

So, I am turning 66 this year, have great low cost private HI, and the YW thinks I need to go to doctor. Reluctantly, I make an appointment with a highly recommended internist. He asks me for my past medical records and I laugh and tell him I do not have any and have not been to a doctor in over 25 years!

He asks if I ever had a physical at my job?

I said yes, I had a stress test every year due to the nature of my job, but that was like 40 years ago!

Do you smoke?
Yes, a pack a day for 45 years, but now I only smoke 10 cigarettes/day.

Do you drink?
Yes, a bottle of Jack Daniels/week for 45 years, but now only occasionally.

Do you eat red meat?
Yes, generally three times a day for 45 years, but lately I have been craving salads more.

How often do you exercise?
Ahh, 45 years ago I used to train regularly, now I probably walk 1 hour a day in the city.

So he orders tons of blood work ,chest xrays, urine and stool samples. etc.

I go back a week later and he tells everything is normal, liver is good,prostrate good. lungs clear, no cancer etc.

I say Dr.,you got to give me something or my YW won't believe you.

Ok, your bad cholesterol is a little high and you have a parasite in you. I can knock out the parasite in 5 days with antibiotics but you will probably just get it again, increase your exercise and we will check it again in a couple of months. I can refer you to a cardiologist to do more testing if you want?

Ok, sounds good lets do that!

With all that insurance money, I saved over the years maybe it's time I switched to Dunhills and drank better whiskey!

 

[Nemo2]

When I was 66 I was still able to cycle 50 miles a day, a few months ago I stair climbed around 55 stories daily.

Lately the only places I go are the Dr.'s office or the hospital.

Don't get too complacent.

 

[RAE]

I say Dr.,you got to give me something or my YW won't believe you.

Ok, your bad cholesterol is a little high and you have a parasite in you. I can knock out the parasite in 5 days with antibiotics but you will probably just get it again, increase your exercise and we will check it again in a couple of months. I can refer you to a cardiologist to do more testing if you want?

Ok, sounds good lets do that!

Here is a prediction: the cardiologist will recommend that you go on a statin drug, at a minimum. Happens all the time. - the drug companies need to keep their profits rolling in, you know (whether you need a statin or not).

My advice (and I am not a doctor, so take it for what it is worth): Check your triglyceride/HDL ratio (you can easily calculate it from your lipid panel results). That ratio is the best predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. If it is below 1.0, your risk of heart disease is nil. If it is below 2.0, you are still pretty good. If it's higher than that, then you can probably bring it down by making a few dietary/exercise changes, if you want to.

One other heart-related test that may be worthwhile (in my opinion) is the coronary artery calcium scan. That gives the doc a picture of your heart arteries, and whether there is any calcium build-up starting. Insurance may not cover that one, though (best to ask).

Remember: if you ask them to keep looking for something, they will probably find something, and prescribe a med to treat it. That's the way the system works.

 

[NW-Bound]

... With all that insurance money, I saved over the years maybe it's time I switched to Dunhills and drank better whiskey!

This brings back memory.

Long time ago, when I still smoked, I would buy Dunhill and 555 when I wanted to treat myself.

 

[RAE]

When I was 66 I was still able to cycle 50 miles a day, a few months ago I stair climbed around 55 stories daily.

Lately the only places I go are the Dr.'s office or the hospital.

Don't get too complacent.

If you don't mind my asking........what happened that caused your health to deteriorate (I presume rather quickly)? Sounds like you were in great shape.
Don't need a lot of details, and if you'd rather not share, I understand.

 

[razztazz]

So, I am turning 66 this year, have great low cost private HI, and the YW thinks I need to go to doctor. Reluctantly, I make an appointment with a highly recommended internist. He asks me for my past medical records and I laugh and tell him I do not have any and have not been to a doctor in over 25 years!.......

......,prostrate good.....

No. Your "prostate" is good. Unless he liked the way you were lying face-down on the floor.

Sorry, but I just couldn't help myself.

 

[Nemo2]

If you don't mind my asking........what happened that caused your health to deteriorate (I presume rather quickly)? Sounds like you were in great shape.
Don't need a lot of details, and if you'd rather not share, I understand.

Started off with a bladder infection...still stair walking while taking anti-fungal/antibiotic pills.

Kidney stone blasting on left side....next thing I'm in hospital for a week...contracted sepsis.....reading between the lines from doctors & nurses, (and what DW overheard at the hosp) I could well have died had I been less well conditioned.

Been down to Emergency numerous times, (twice by ambulance), seen many doctors, and all I seem to get are more and more antibiotics; (I've told people I could probably walk through a Leper Colony now and cure half the inhabitants by osmosis).

Unsteady on my feet, my quads are atrophying, and I have a right side kidney blasting scheduled for May 24, plus a previously cancelled and as yet unrescheduled prostate biopsy after that.

And I have zero energy.

DW & I hope that each procedure will result in "Ah, fixed it" but we get less optimistic as time passes.

So...one's life can go from "I'm gonna live forever" to "What the ****" in a heartbeat, (or perhaps the lack of one).

 

[Sunset]

Here is a prediction: the cardiologist will recommend that you go on a statin drug, at a minimum. Happens all the time. - the drug companies need to keep their profits rolling in, you know (whether you need a statin or not).

My advice (and I am not a doctor, so take it for what it is worth): Check your triglyceride/HDL ratio (you can easily calculate it from your lipid panel results). That ratio is the best predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. If it is below 1.0, your risk of heart disease is nil. If it is below 2.0, you are still pretty good. If it's higher than that, then you can probably bring it down by making a few dietary/exercise changes, if you want to.

One other heart-related test that may be worthwhile (in my opinion) is the coronary artery calcium scan. That gives the doc a picture of your heart arteries, and whether there is any calcium build-up starting. Insurance may not cover that one, though (best to ask).

Remember: if you ask them to keep looking for something, they will probably find something, and prescribe a med to treat it. That's the way the system works.

Thanks for the motivation...
I better take my temperature, I might be dead already.

 

[RAE]

Started off with a bladder infection...still stair walking while taking anti-fungal/antibiotic pills.

Kidney stone blasting on left side....next thing I'm in hospital for a week...contracted sepsis.....reading between the lines from doctors & nurses, (and what DW overheard at the hosp) I could well have died had I been less well conditioned.

Been down to Emergency numerous times, (twice by ambulance), seen many doctors, and all I seem to get are more and more antibiotics; (I've told people I could probably walk through a Leper Colony now and cure half the inhabitants by osmosis).

Unsteady on my feet, my quads are atrophying, and I have a right side kidney blasting scheduled for May 24, plus a previously cancelled and as yet unrescheduled prostate biopsy after that.

And I have zero energy.

DW & I hope that each procedure will result in "Ah, fixed it" but we get less optimistic as time passes.

So...one's life can go from "I'm gonna live forever" to "What the ****" in a heartbeat, (or perhaps the lack of one).

Wow. Very sorry to hear what has happened to you. Yeah, sepsis can definitely kill you. I have never had kidney stones, but I've read that sometimes they can form due to dehydration (not drinking enough water when exercising and sweating). And I actually have a friend who developed kidney stones, and his doc said it was likely due to dehydration (my friend would forget to drink water while he worked outside in the summer heat, all day long for days at a time). Do you think that could have been a factor in your case (when doing all that stairclimbing), or were you pretty careful about keeping yourself hydrated? I am guessing the latter, in your case.

 

[brett]

Shortly after retiring I decided to have a physical. Well, actually it was because in a moment of weakness I promised my spouse, an RN, that I would do this.
My last physical was 25 years ago. I had successfully avoided the full blown executive physicals over the previous five years that my employer had requested.

So I went. At the end, the Dr. says....so why are you even here. I decided to take printouts of the lab results home with me because I knew that DW would simply not believe some of the them....colesterol in particular.

It has been eight years since. Have not visited a Dr. for any reason since. I am thinking about another physcical, perhaps prior to our next winter trip.

 

[aja8888]

75 1/2 here and still very physically active.

Last year I started having runaway heartbeat (out of the blue, 200+ BPM). No history of heart issues. Had a million tests and wore a heart monitor for 16 days. Dr said I had SVT, which was corrected 12/21/18. No issues since. Even the years I was a long distance runner, I never had any heart issues. Getting old, I guess.

Other than that, my annual physicals show no issues, and I am on one med (tamsulosin) for a urinary issue. But that's been manageable.

DW, on the other end, is a medical mess.

Nemo, whatever is ailing you, I wish you a quick recovery!

 

[Nemo2]

..his doc said it was likely due to dehydration (my friend would forget to drink water while he worked outside in the summer heat, all day long for days at a time). Do you think that could have been a factor in your case (when doing all that stairclimbing), or were you pretty careful about keeping yourself hydrated? I am guessing the latter, in your case.

I didn't even know about these ones, (and haven't felt any physical discomfort from them), until one doc sent me for an ultrasound while checking the bladder infection.

I DID have one (painful as hell) in Saudi, (years later when I had my foot squashed by a large truck in Ottawa it was like "meh" in comparison).......we were running daily and the humidity in Riyadh was almost non-existent...thought I was drinking enough, but I guess not.

 

[Moemg]

.

And I have zero energy.

DW & I hope that each procedure will result in "Ah, fixed it" but we get less optimistic as time passes.

So...one's life can go from "I'm gonna live forever" to "What the ****" in a heartbeat, (or perhaps the lack of one).

Last year when I was recovering from complications from the flu and had zero energy my physical therapist recommended a protein supplement . I started taking "Orgain " organic powder . It gave me the boost I needed . While you are unsteady on your feet maybe use arm weights to give you a slight work out .

 

[ER Eddie]

If he's asking you if you eat red meat and focusing on cholesterol, he's clueless.

Congrats on staying healthy. Don't let the medical system ruin that.

 

[redduck]

When I was 66 I was still able to cycle 50 miles a day, a few months ago I stair climbed around 55 stories daily.

Lately the only places I go are the Dr.'s office or the hospital.

Don't get too complacent.

Maybe you could go to a doctor whose office is 50 miles away and is on the 55th floor.

 

[Ronstar]

So, I am turning 66 this year, have great low cost private HI, and the YW thinks I need to go to doctor. Reluctantly, I make an appointment with a highly recommended internist. He asks me for my past medical records and I laugh and tell him I do not have any and have not been to a doctor in over 25 years!



He asks if I ever had a physical at my job?



I said yes, I had a stress test every year due to the nature of my job, but that was like 40 years ago!



Do you smoke?

Yes, a pack a day for 45 years, but now I only smoke 10 cigarettes/day.



Do you drink?

Yes, a bottle of Jack Daniels/week for 45 years, but now only occasionally.



Do you eat red meat?

Yes, generally three times a day for 45 years, but lately I have been craving salads more.



How often do you exercise?

Ahh, 45 years ago I used to train regularly, now I probably walk 1 hour a day in the city.



So he orders tons of blood work ,chest xrays, urine and stool samples. etc.



I go back a week later and he tells everything is normal, liver is good,prostrate good. lungs clear, no cancer etc.



I say Dr.,you got to give me something or my YW won't believe you.



Ok, your bad cholesterol is a little high and you have a parasite in you. I can knock out the parasite in 5 days with antibiotics but you will probably just get it again, increase your exercise and we will check it again in a couple of months. I can refer you to a cardiologist to do more testing if you want?



Ok, sounds good lets do that!



With all that insurance money, I saved over the years maybe it's time I switched to Dunhills and drank better whiskey!

Keep up the good work!

 

[Nemo2]

While you are unsteady on your feet maybe use arm weights to give you a slight work out .

I'm weak too.

 

[Dtail]

I'm weak too.

Well please get better, as we love your travel stories.

 

[marko]

Just last month I asked mom (age 90) to give me a list of her medications in case of an emergency.

None. Nothing. Nada. No prescribed medications of any kind other than an OTC sleeping aid from time to time. Her knees hurt when it rains.

She drinks a martini each night, still drives, does her own shopping and sharp as a tack.
(Dang! I take after Dad who died at age 56)

 

[Dtail]

Just last month I asked mom (age 90) to give me a list of her medications in case of an emergency.

None. Nothing. Nada. No prescribed medications of any kind other than an OTC sleeping aid from time to time. Her knees hurt when it rains.

She drinks a martini each night, still drives, does her own shopping and sharp as a tack.
(Dang! I take after Dad who died at age 56)

You already "beat" your dad by 9-10 years, perhaps not.

 

[marko]

You already "beat" your dad by 9-10 years, perhaps not.

Thanks. But Dad was a 4 pack a day smoker and heavy drinker so, as a moderate drinker and never smoker (and just a few of moms genes) I think I have an edge.