Who Here has Regular Medical Checkups?

[Surucipe]

I asked my doc 5 years ago if I should have an yearly check up and he basically said that if there are no specific problems it wasn't necessary on a yearly basis before the age of 40. I'm hitting 40 this year and I do a lot of sports so for my own peace of mind I did a cardiac stress test and anyway have a check up on a regular basis.

[Nino]

At the airline I had mandatory regular checks and ever since 50 I added private regular checks as well.

I will be 61 this week and the wear shows.

Next coloscopy is in March after returning from Cuba - not that I look forward to it, but having a doctor perform it who is my long time

trusted professional person as well as a cigar smoker himself makes it much more bearable.

I invited him back in 2008 to give a short lecture on smoking cigars and health issues at our Cigar dinner :

http://flyingcigar.de/smoking-cigars/200804-zigarren-mit-meinem-arzt/

He still receives a cigar every time I consult him ....

[Fosgate]

My annual checkup is tomorrow. Started going regularly five years ago once I hit 34 and discovered I was not indestructible and old injuries from my service years started to resurface. I have been seeing her about every 3-6 months up until a year ago and find I feel a lot better overall by doing preventive maintenance.

[scottm12]

I've been working as a nurse for just 7 years or so. My firm recommendation is once a year after 40. An it's really for the simple stuff just getting your blood pressure checked and a little blood work, mostly your cholesterol. And the occasional eye Apointment wouldn't kill anyone.

Now stay safe and keep smoking.

[Cigar Surgeon]

I have to go on an annual checkup and that will probably accelerate next year when I hit my 40s. My father passed away when I was a teenager from cancer which means my risk factors are very high.

[anacostiakat]

I am a strong believer in starting colon exams at 50. I had my first at 52 and it nearly cost me my life. Had successful laproscopic colon cancer surgery that year to remove a cancerous polyp and have had exams based on latest findings ever since. Some yearly some 2 or 3 years apart. No further surgery or problems so far. Realy, if you are hesitant the worse part these days is the prep the night before. After that you have the procedure, wake up and fart a bit and go home. Then eat something and sleep. Win!

As for yearly exams I never bothered with those either. Finally had one last year and had to see about three specialists from the results. Once again had life saving successful robotic assisted cancer surgery last early November. This time prostate. Elected to have it removed. Am back to work and doing well. All systems green for go! Went in for surgery on Friday morning early. Got out of hospital Saturday afternoon early.

So lesson learned here is that these exams can save your life!

[CaptainQuintero]

I'm probably in a minority on here but I look at health completely upside down to most views, if u have something like a broken leg etc then ill be the first I've off to the docs but for non-practical things I've been a firm believer in alternative therapies, they have kept me going and cured me of very serious illnesses when traditional modern medicine wanted to just pull me up to the eyelids.

If you can get in tune with your body then it will tell you when something is out if balance and how to put things back in order before anything serious develops

[alloy]

I had been a once a year to the doc until 55. When doc said "you're over the limit foe diabetes". Scared the crap out of me. I quit drinking for six months, lost 55 pounds (327 to 272) and went back to him every three months for bloodwork and physical. I was below the limit for diabetes and my cholesterol was in the normal range. My BP was 128 over 80. I do take BP, BS and colesterol medicine though. Now I'm 58 and going back every six months.

I feel so good that I wasn't winded after shoveling over a foot of heavy, wet snow from my driveway and front walk.

[warren516]

Seems a yearly is the norm for us 40+

I've been going yearly for a physical since I turned 39 when I found out that I had high blood preasure. Plus I have to go ever 6 months to have the BP medicine script written out (maryland law allows for only a 6 month perscription). I screwed up and didn't head their advice about changing my diet that much and got hit with type 2 diabeties.

Another factor now, I married a pediatrician this past September and she's all over me to get MORE tests than the routine and wants to see the results. Says that she wants me to live a long time with her.

[foreese]

I'm probably in a minority on here but I look at health completely upside down to most views, if u have something like a broken leg etc then ill be the first I've off to the docs but for non-practical things I've been a firm believer in alternative therapies, they have kept me going and cured me of very serious illnesses when traditional modern medicine wanted to just pull me up to the eyelids.

If you can get in tune with your body then it will tell you when something is out if balance and how to put things back in order before anything serious develops

I'm a big proponent of alternative medicine, big into homeopathy and Acupuncture and truly believe diet is our most important defense. I'm with ya Capt.

[beamer]

I go in yearly, though at 31 my Doc insists it isn't really necessary yet. Mostly he tells me to keep doing what I'm doing. And begrudges me the weekly cigar or two.

Also Dermatologist yearly, as I spend as much time as possible in the sun. Which drives them nuts. But better to make sure that no moles or freckles are acting strangely.

[Mojo Risin]

I have a yearly physical, poke and prod, blood work. Then I do a mid year check up. I am pre hypertensive. I feel it is critically important and puts your mind at ease to stay ahead of potential health issues.

[jazzmonkey]

I have a check up every 18 months by my doctor. Also a physical evaluation every 3 months. Body fat percentage, strength, cardio, nutrition, currently on Precision Nutrition system.

But it's also reminder of what happened to my dad a couple of years ago. He didn't have a regular doctor and kept bouncing from one to another when he had a problem. About two years ago, he had a small problem, can't remember what it was, but he went to the emergency doctor like he usually does. This doctor said: you don't have a regular doctor, I'll take you as a patient. He then scheduled all types of tests, blood etc. to get a picture of his current health.

He found with all these tests that my dad had prostate cancer. He caught it just in time before it spread and with an operation last year he's now in perfect health.

[ramon_cojones]

I'm a big proponent of alternative medicine, big into homeopathy and Acupuncture and truly believe diet is our most important defense. I'm with ya Capt.

The majority of health issues stem from obesity which stems from, you guessed it, poor diet. I am into minerals and herbs as well as exercise and refuse to put synthetically manufactured chemicals cooked up in a lab into my body that have a plethora of side effects and compilcations. The FDA and big pharma are conflated as one entity here essentially, and they've even doctored studies in their favor while also releasing drugs with virtually no long term testing. They make 4 biliion in sales, get sued for 1 billion from deaths, they still come out ahead. It's a business. No thanks, I'll just eat right and avoid that whole mess.

[thecapo]

41 here. Found out my cholesterol was to high 5 yrs ago. We tried different technics, more exercise, more fish crap like that. We determined it was hereditary and when on small doses of Crestor and I overdose on fish oil.

Drop my reading down 40%.

I believe in preventive medical. You should be going for an annual.

[CaptainQuintero]

I can't remember the specific details but read that prior to WW2, the US and UK health system was based entirely in preventative and what would today be considered holistic or alternative treatments.

After the success of the mass use of speed and other drugs on allied troops, and the subsequent lobbying of the now large pharmaceutical companies, treatment via drugs instead of prevention became the primary channel of care. Funding in universities reflected the change and the pharmaceutical industry grew exponentially and in step with the military industrial complex.

To the point where we are now; anti biotic resistance, tens of millions of kids on behaviour medications and profits being the number one priority of healthcare industries :S

[Zigatoh]

And yet we're living longer than ever! Those bastards!

[ramon_cojones]

you don't actually believe that, do you?

[Zigatoh]

Why not? Of course we won't know till we get there but there are parts of the UK where the 'reported' life expectancy of someone (esp girls) born in 2014 is over 100! And we're blatantly living longer than we did in the early to mid 20th century, so we're doing something right, right?

[fingerburner]

Turning 40 next year and plan on going in for the works. I've pretty much spent the last 39 years eating, drinking, and smoking whatever I want, so it may well end in tears. I do listen to what my body tells me from time to time which must count for something... right?

[LGC]

So, prior to WW2, we had less people dying of diseases... supported by solid evidence???

[AbuAmelia]

Every 6 months like Clockwork. At minimum blood work.

[Jeremy Festa]

The flu killed 30,000,000 people in 1918. Everyone, go see your doctor!

[CaptainQuintero]

So, prior to WW2, we had less people dying of diseases... supported by solid evidence???

Read up on the development of the pharmaceutical industry and how it's changed medical practices.

No one mentioned rates or ratios. But it's probably a fair bet to say that most people were not hopped up on diabetes tablets, ADHD pills, anti depressants etc etc etc.

I'm sure the military didn't have issues with obese recruits too

Now it's eat crap, drink and don't exercise, get diabetes, cancers or heart problems, get pills for that, get pills for the side effects, never deal with the original issue ie take personable responsibility and look after yourself before these issues start.

Now the ideology seems to be live however badly you want and get bags of medication to cover up the problems: take no personal responsibility because someone else will deal with the problem. If they don't, complain.

Before it was more, if you don't want illness A, don't do / eat such and such. Living healthy is a surprisingly effective way of not getting ill, developing cancers etc etc

[joeypots]

Once a year for me. Prostate disease got my dad and grandfather. Caught early it's treatable. Once it spreads it's as bad as it gets.

One might ask Steve Jobs how his diet and exercise regime worked on his cancer. A rare case of pancreatic cancer that was seen early enough to be treated.