I will say that I hate going to the doctor. It’s not so much a pride or ego thing, but it’s kind of like was mentioned upthread - it’s a huge hassle to get out of work, school, or whatever for an appointment that lasts as little as 10 minutes - plus I hate the cost - as in when Mrs. Small had to see a specialist about her heart, there was a $300 charge to our insurance (which we paid as part of the deductable) and then another $300 that was his “facility fee” for use of the building and room we were in. We were there for all of 20 minutes - he didn’t even run any tests, just looked at the old ones and said “well, it’s alright for now so we can watch it until it gets worse” - a ridiculous amount of money for that. I hate to spend money on things I don’t need to, but things I like I can make excuses for.
I will see a doctor when it is something for which there is a cure besides time. Flu? Cold? The treatment is lost of fluids and time. Broken toe? They can’t even put a splint on it (explained to me by several friends who have taken karate.)
Doctor? Eh. Don’t like people probing into my personal life. I KNOW I could eat better. I know I shouldn’t smoke a cigar. And yes, I drink too much beer, and should get more exercise.
But hey, I’m 46 and at 6’4" - 208 pounds, I’m a little overweight. Not bad for a desk jockey.
That’s good to hear. I’m having my first one in about 10 days. I always kind of thought it was probably blown out of proportion.
I think it’s more a matter of determining what the possible outcomes are, too.
With a diagnosis that seems pretty straighforward, such as broken toes or tailbone, the majority of cases that are presented to the doctors will be told, “Yup, it’s broken. I could splint it for you, but you’ll have to keep taking it off to wash the foot, regularly. Take some OTC painkillers for the pain and try to avoid stressing it further while it heals.”
So long as I believe that my diagnosis is accurate for that kind of injury, I don’t see the need to go to a doctor to have him tell me all that.
Having said that, I don’t object to seeing a doctor for a real concern. I just don’t see a broken toe as being one.
I think it depends on who you are and how you are built. I find them uncomfortable to the point of breaking out in a sweat and being ready to heave. And my doctor? She has thin fingers.
Dunnow about the why, but it’s my understanding that one of the reasons my SiL is ending up being assigned as the official doctor for pretty much all her relatives and friends is because several times some (girl)friend has found it easier to bring the husband “over to Ed’s and Judy’s for coffee” than to “the doctor’s”
(Spanish medical system: GP appointments are for the next labor day at the latest and no payment due)
My experience has been that it’s difficult to get an appointment in any reasonable amount of time. Why bother seeing a doctor next week, or the week after, if the problem will resolve itself or kill me before then.
When I was going into shock from internal bleeding, I got blown off by the receptionist, who said that the doctor was too busy to talk to me, and his schedule was full. The guy was allegedly my primary care physician.
My doc’s a woman, so I’d have to wonder how she managed to attach the strap-on so quickly.
The prostate exam isn’t something I look forward to, but it’s not painful and only mildly embarrassing. A bit messy what with the lubricant though, which doesn’t easily clean off afterwards.
Pretty trivial stuff, compared to the exams women put up with every year. I’m not going to avoid the doctor on account of it. Or anything else, really.
It has long sorta bothered me, how common it is to exaggerate the unpleasantness of prostate exams. I wonder if it isn’t largely due to homophobia. I suspect for many guys the idea of having anything stuck up their ass carries connotations of homosexuality. I mean, it is nothing I would do for fun, but it really is just a bit uncomfortable (for me, at least).
I think guys bitch more about prostate exams, than women complain about their exams - which sound more invasive to me.
I have good health insurance with a minimal co-payment. I figure that if I’m paying for it, I’m going to use it. I’m not reluctant to see the dr. and go yearly for a complete physical and any time in between if I haven’t shaken whatever’s ailing me in a week.
And besides, my dr’s a very hot young woman so that DRE isn’t a pain at all.
-Time waster
-Expensive (incredibly so)
-Doctor may be unqualified or make mistakes
-Nurses may be unqualified or make mistakes
-Pharmacist may be unqualified or make mistakes
-Insurance company may be unqualified or make mistakes
-Makes you seem less tough and healthy
That’s about it. Last time I saw a doctor was around 1990, when I needed a physical for a job.
Women get the equivalent of a prostate exam as part of their regular work up too. Or at least I have always gotten it. It’s pretty much an afterthought after the Pap smear, hardly even registers. It’s somewhere on the “uncomfortable” scale, not even placing on the pain scale. I do think it must be a psychological thing with guys. For all the talk I heard about the prostate exam, for years I thought it was more than it really entails. Women start getting that done to them in their teens, for the most part, along with everything else done to us in the name of healthy nether regions. I have heard from friends that not every Dr. does this to women as part of the routine, but mine always have.
For me, I don’t like to go to the Dr. if I’m just sick. I’d rather be home resting in bed than in the waiting room. But if I think something is really wrong or I have a chronic issue, I will make an appointment. Upset stomach? no. Recurring nausea / stabbing upper abdomen pain after eating? Yes. But I think women are more likely to go just because we are used to the yearly checkups. Men can go years without ever stepping foot in a Dr.'s office, women not so much (especially women in childbearing years, we get used to seeing a Dr. every few weeks when pregnant.) I think we are more used to seeing Dr’s as a part of life, whereas men see it as a big event.
While women may get something similar to a prostate exam, it ain’t the same thing. We’ve got a nerve going through the damn thing, and if stimulated sends a whole host of oddball messages, with possible variations on owww! oooh? yikes! hullo? !!! & eh?
So there’s a physical difference counting against comparing similar exams for women to the one that men get – much like I’m not quite sure how uncomfortable it is for women to get their boobies mashed down for mammograms, although I’m sure it is uncomfortable in some way.
I’m sure some men overreact to prostate exams, just as some men are not bothered by it. And many straight men probably are avoiding the whole business altogether just because of the connotations to gay sex.
