Can I see the Doctor please??

[VanWinkle]

This post is about a great guy (happens to be my brother-in-law) with a wife and 2 grown daughters. On Dec 2nd 2017, he turned 58 and gave his youngest daughter away at a beautiful wedding ceremony. He was on top of the world. His only flaw was a fear of doctors and hospitals. He had not been to a doctor for a check up since his marriage 37 years ago. He did not smoke, drink, and was active. A picture of good health. His wife and family had pleaded with him for years to get a check up.

On Dec 6th, 4 days later his wife and him were delivering the wedding presents to their daughters house who was on her honeymoon. With no real indication of trouble, he collapsed with a massive heart attack. His wife called 911 and performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. He has been in intensive care in an induced coma. They are starting to bring him out of the coma and prospects are starting to look better. He had 3 100% block arteries. They have determined that he had high blood pressure like the rest of his family(although he had never been to the doctor to have it checked) He also had very high bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol.

Everything he had was treatable with medicine and doctors care. I realize people with good care also have heart attacks, but good care greatly reduces the chances.

My wife and I have enrolled in a CPR class in our area. My hope is that someone with a fear of doctors and hospitals reads this and decides to get a check-up. It could very well save your life.

We hope to have him back fully recovered, but hate the thought of everything he and his family has been through.

Best wishes to all for the holidays, and please get a yearly check-up.

VW

 

[Sunset]

Same type of story, my cousin never saw a doctor in at least 10 years.
He gets a foot infection, ignores it, treats it with home remedies, it gets worse.
He collapses, goes to hospital.
loses leg due to flesh eating disease (foot came off with shoe) and is also discovered to be diabetic.

Everyone should see a doctor at a minimum to get the blood tests that can detect all sorts of illnesses.

 

[Rianne]

On the other hand, doctors can over treat for symptoms and what they consider medical problems. There are pills for everything. It is being reported by latest studies, many women are being over treated for breast cancer. There are hundreds of different types of cancer, but doctors often lump all varieties in one diagnosis, cancer. This alarms patients to the degree they want the most care to eliminate cancer, often including chemo, radiation, surgery. It's called the "gold standard" of care. My question is "gold" for who?

I agree, 37 years is a long time to go without a check up. But I do feel everyone should really understand what they're being treated for and what are the side effects and how will that affect my quality of life. I do not always follow my doctors recommendations. I almost had my gall bladder removed because the ultrasound saw gallstones.I did not make the surgical appointment and found out I did not have gallstones at all, after a CT scan and a 2nd ultrasound. I had a twisted small intestine blockage which is more painful than childbirth. I did not have surgery, but an NG tube that removes bile from the intestine and relaxes the blockage.

Do I want a medicine that can destroy my liver or kidneys to solve a problem that can be corrected by a good diet and exercise? Just saying, I'm skeptical, but I do see my doctor regularly. Sometimes blocked arteries go unnoticed until the massive heart attack. Happened to a friend of mine who sees her doctor regularly. She had open heart surgery, but had no symptoms before the heart attack.

 

[Bamaman]

Those today that have modern healthcare available but are not taking advantage of routine checkups are simply playing Russian Roulette with their lives.

We recently buried a friend who was a smoker that hasn't been getting checkups with chest xrays. He was just over 70 years old and left behind a large family. He was about the smartest person I know and a man of great wealth.

My wife was spotted in a routine lap smear to have a rather aggressive form of uterine cancer. Without a great doctor diagnosis, she would have been terminal in 6 months. She is now 10 years cancer free and doing well.

My brother in law hurt his back changing his golf swing. On a MRI, they spotted the start of bladder cancer. it was discovered by accident--and promptly taken care of.

Lung cancer is now the #1 cancer causing deaths. And that is one reason everyone needs chest xrays. If it is spotted early, treatment is possible. Unfortunately most people find they have the problem when it is too late.

And the stories to on and on . . . . . . . .

 

[Bir48die]

This post is about a great guy (happens to be my brother-in-law) with a wife and 2 grown daughters. On Dec 2nd 2017, he turned 58 and gave his youngest daughter away at a beautiful wedding ceremony. He was on top of the world. His only flaw was a fear of doctors and hospitals. He had not been to a doctor for a check up since his marriage 37 years ago. He did not smoke, drink, and was active. A picture of good health. His wife and family had pleaded with him for years to get a check up.

On Dec 6th, 4 days later his wife and him were delivering the wedding presents to their daughters house who was on her honeymoon. With no real indication of trouble, he collapsed with a massive heart attack. His wife called 911 and performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. He has been in intensive care in an induced coma. They are starting to bring him out of the coma and prospects are starting to look better. He had 3 100% block arteries. They have determined that he had high blood pressure like the rest of his family(although he had never been to the doctor to have it checked) He also had very high bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol.

Everything he had was treatable with medicine and doctors care. I realize people with good care also have heart attacks, but good care greatly reduces the chances.

My wife and I have enrolled in a CPR class in our area. My hope is that someone with a fear of doctors and hospitals reads this and decides to get a check-up. It could very well save your life.

We hope to have him back fully recovered, but hate the thought of everything he and his family has been through.

Best wishes to all for the holidays, and please get a yearly check-up.

VW

Very sorry to hear this. I agree with yearly physicals. However they rarely indicate when one is having heart issues. I know plenty of men who might be a bit overweight but otherwise in good health. Then the "widowmaker" comes and they either make it or don't, especially when it comes to blocked arteries. I assume he'll be much more frequent in the future assuming a full recovery.

 

[athena53]

On the other hand, doctors can over treat for symptoms and what they consider medical problems. There are pills for everything. <snip>

Do I want a medicine that can destroy my liver or kidneys to solve a problem that can be corrected by a good diet and exercise? Just saying, I'm skeptical, but I do see my doctor regularly. Sometimes blocked arteries go unnoticed until the massive heart attack. Happened to a friend of mine who sees her doctor regularly. She had open heart surgery, but had no symptoms before the heart attack.

I agree- I did start seeing doctors again after a 10-year hiatus in my early 50s when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. (It was treated but recurred last year and she died at 85.) I realized I could no longer assume everything was OK just because I felt good. A colonoscopy turned out to be a VERY wise decision. My blood sugar is a bit high (HBa1c high end of normal) so I watch my carbs. OTOH, I have no idea what my bone density is because the supplements have turned out to have nasty long-term effects (osteonecrosis of the jawbone and unexplained hip/leg fractures). Statins gave me tendonitis so I quit them. I still use my own brain when I get recommendations from the medical profession.

 

[Carpediem]

Regarding blocked arteries, are there any tests that can be done as part of preventive care to identify partial or complete blockage?

 

[mamadogmamacat]

I think there was a thread not too long ago about those mobile scans that are priced in the low hundreds and advertised through some retiree groups like AARP and AMAC. My mega corp actually sponsored one the year before my ER, and I took advantage of it for $79 at the time. My primary care dr thinks they are of benefit if one can afford them and especially with a family history of heart disease.

 

[Walt34]

Regarding blocked arteries, are there any tests that can be done as part of preventive care to identify partial or complete blockage?

Not a doctor so I'm not sure, but depending on the extent of the blockage the answer is yes. Several years ago I noticed shortness of breath when mowing the lawn that I hadn't had the week before and called my doctor. He had a stress test done (walk on a treadmill while taking an EKG) that did indicate a problem. An angioplasty was done the next morning and I ended up with two overlapping stents in my heart, in the LAD. It was ~90% blocked. This condition is also called "the widowmaker" because when it is completely blocked you have at best four hours to live.

At rest, I had no symptoms at all. Interestingly, almost every nurse commented that I had called the doctor before having the heart attack. Evidently most guys wait until they're on the floor.

 

[razztazz]

Regarding blocked arteries, are there any tests that can be done as part of preventive care to identify partial or complete blockage?

Two but they have at least some measure of risk

1) Thalium heart scan (Or whatever *-ium substance they use these days.)

Radioactive juice injected along with a treadmill test. I was told it's really only good if your arteries are 70% or more blocked, and if you are less than 70% blocked you probably won't have any symptoms anyway. It's hard to get this test "for grins" or personal edification. You must have some medical indication OR be misdiagnosed a I was. I have had two of these.

2) Calcium scoring. It measures the amount of stable plaque in your arteries based on the principle that stable plaque has calcium in it. It's a one-off "Surrogate data" type of diagnosis. Perhaps it has been refined in the last 10 years. Some radiation but there are some people on this forum have had many of them simply for their own edification and said the amount of radiation nowadays is quite low. I have had one but am skeptical of casual radiation. Maybe those folks can chime in or someone can locate that old thread here.

 

[CardsFan]

One thing I did not realize is that A1C and blood glucose tests are NOT standard with all "normal" blood work. Since I have a family history of diabetes, it is normal for me, but DW does not have the family history, so she was NOT getting these tests as a apart of normal protocol.

We see TV ads hourly about Diabetes being the silent killer, but if you have no history, and do not ask, the testing may not be done.

DW is now just "borderline", but could an earlier warning have helped?

Be sure to ask.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I have the nuclear, non treadmill stress test periodically. (I have a pacemaker and apparently it messes up the regular stress test, although I could do it easily).The last one I had indicated I was clear.

I find it hard to believe with todays tech that even the smallest of arterial constrictions cannot be diagnosed.

 

[Lsbcal]

Regarding blocked arteries, are there any tests that can be done as part of preventive care to identify partial or complete blockage?

I just had 2 tests prescribed by my Doc as I've had marginal blood pressure results ... just to be sure. One was the CT Heart scan, very easy and you are not in a deep well. It was more like a tire with a big inner hole. The other was an Echo Cardiogram, a sonic test with a technician. Both were simple and painless.

Don't know the results yet but I'm guessing I'll have to make a change in my diet and maybe take low dosage meds. I am very fit, eat a Mediterranean like diet, don't smoke, etc. My guess is there are some unfavorable genetics donated by my ancestors.

 

[Car-Guy]

On the other hand, doctors can over treat for symptoms and what they consider medical problems.

And while I think going to the doctor and preventative care is "usually" a good idea to a point, I know of a good number of examples (3 o be exact) when an initial screening test indicated a possible problem. That resulted in more invasive testing and that testing revealed nothing but "created" lifelong problems for the men involved. It's not rare for some of the more invasive test to cause problems. Of course, your results may vary.

 

[razztazz]

And while I think going to the doctor and preventative care is "usually" a good idea to a point, I know of a good number of examples (3 o be exact) when an initial screening test indicated a possible problem. That resulted in more invasive testing and that testing revealed nothing but "created" lifelong problems for the men involved. It's not rare for some of the more invasive test to cause problems. Of course, your results may vary.

Mine were caused by medical practitioners' obsessive/compulsive fixation on cholesterol and heart disease being the only cause of death one should worry about and related statins.

Also, medical practitioners' obsessive compulsive fixation on "subclinical/occult infections being more prevalent than actual lab definable infections and the related unnecessary antibiotics.

 

[meierlde]

One thing I did not realize is that A1C and blood glucose tests are NOT standard with all "normal" blood work. Since I have a family history of diabetes, it is normal for me, but DW does not have the family history, so she was NOT getting these tests as a apart of normal protocol.

We see TV ads hourly about Diabetes being the silent killer, but if you have no history, and do not ask, the testing may not be done.

DW is now just "borderline", but could an earlier warning have helped?

Be sure to ask.

It should be noted that no prescription is required for blood glucose monitors. A device and 50 test strips could not cost more than about $40 (possibly less).
this is definitely cheaper than a hospital blood test.

 

[razztazz]

It should be noted that no prescription is required for blood glucose monitors. A device and 50 test strips could not cost more than about $40 (possibly less).
this is definitely cheaper than a hospital blood test.

I see these in drug stores and Walmart. Can these do an A1C test also?

 

[joeea]

We hope to have him back fully recovered, but hate the thought of everything he and his family has been through.

Best wishes to all for the holidays, and please get a yearly check-up.

Good luck with your brother-in-law. And thank you for the reminder.

When I went to my annual checkup back in October, my doctor and I noticed something that didn't feel right in my abdomen.

Turns out I had an enlarged spleen. After some blood tests and CT scans, we found out that the spleen became enlarged due to lymphoma. I have Splenic Marginal Zone Lymphoma.

I have had one infusion so far, and will have the second of six soon. I'm very lucky, this type of lymphoma is very treatable.

I second the thought - please get a yearly check-up.

 

[Car-Guy]

I see these in drug stores and Walmart. Can these do an A1C test also?

Walgreens does have an A1C test kit. (Which is different than daily blood glucose monitoring kits) A family members has diabetes and uses the Walgreens A1C test kits about once a month. (btw, there are two test per box which comes out to ~$20 per test).

 

[CardsFan]

It should be noted that no prescription is required for blood glucose monitors. A device and 50 test strips could not cost more than about $40 (possibly less).
this is definitely cheaper than a hospital blood test.

Understood, and DW does this now. HOWEVER, it is not something one would purchase without a reason. My point is simply that these tests are NOT routine. Until you have a problem, you may not be tested unless you insist. Kind of the opposite of preventative care.

 

[razztazz]

Walgreens does have an A1C test kit. (Which is different than daily blood glucose monitoring kits) A family members has diabetes and uses the Walgreens A1C test kits about once a month. (btw, there are two test per box which comes out to ~$20 per test).

THANKS! I am not diabetic nor pre and have actually never had a problem with it but there are some in my family who are. All of them are not very health conscious, shall we say, but I don't want to assume too much. Dick Clark was diabetic and Tom Hanks apparently has been for 30 years. Altho Hanks said he used to treat his body not like a Temple but like a pool hall.

 

[RAE]

Mine were caused by medical practitioners' obsessive/compulsive fixation on cholesterol and heart disease being the only cause of death one should worry about and related statins.

Yeah, same situation with my doctor. My cholesterol is what they consider to be borderline high (at least in his opinion), so he immediately wanted me to start on statins, despite most of the rest of my blood test numbers being great.......including triglycerides, HDL, LDL, A1C, CRP, etc.. I did my own research, and my risk of having heart disease in the next 10 years (based on all my blood test numbers) is less than 5%. No, I am not going on statins, sorry....

Incidentally, the one medical issue I have had in recent years had to do with too much iron in my system (iron overload). That can be detected through a simple blood test for ferritin, but guess what........ferritin is not included in most routine blood work, including the blood work my doctor ordered for me every year. I had to eventually diagnose that problem myself, after going to a different doctor who finally did order the ferritin test (at my insistence), and found that the number was way too high.

So, yes, it is good to go to a doctor annually for a check-up and bloodwork, but you also have to educate yourself, as others have said, and not just go along with everything the doc wants to do (or not do).

 

[athena53]

A family members has diabetes and uses the Walgreens A1C test kits about once a month. (btw, there are two test per box which comes out to ~$20 per test).

Thanks! I will definitely be picking up a test kit. I hate waiting for a once-annually doc visit to find out if the changes I'm trying to make are having an impact.

 

[oilman]

Not a doctor so I'm not sure, but depending on the extent of the blockage the answer is yes. Several years ago I noticed shortness of breath when mowing the lawn that I hadn't had the week before and called my doctor. He had a stress test done (walk on a treadmill while taking an EKG) that did indicate a problem. An angioplasty was done the next morning and I ended up with two overlapping stents in my heart, in the LAD. It was ~90% blocked. This condition is also called "the widowmaker" because when it is completely blocked you have at best four hours to live.

At rest, I had no symptoms at all. Interestingly, almost every nurse commented that I had called the doctor before having the heart attack. Evidently most guys wait until they're on the floor.

Same as above. July2, 2017 experienced shortness of breath and chest pressure. Visited pcp and was sent to do a nuclear stress test.
Results indicated a shadow on right side of bottom of heart which could indicate a blockage. Referred to a cardiologist for evaluation. He recommended a heart catherization to check for blocked arteries. He indicated that in 85% of males, that is all it is, a shadow. But at my age, 63, he strongly encouraged the heart procedure to eliminate any uncertainty. He said if he found any blockage, they could insert a stent at that time. Good news was no blockages. Glad I made the effort to get checked out as I had just retired in April, 2017.

 

[meierlde]

I see these in drug stores and Walmart. Can these do an A1C test also?

Walmart at least sells both meters as well as kits where you put the blood on a strip and send it off. (I suspect others do also)