But how do you know? I went to the doctor, only a week after my annual checkup, when I got rejected for blood donation due to a racy pulse. I thought I had drunk too much Mountain Dew at lunch. Turn out I had AFib, which could have killed me. That was over a decade ago. I went to get certified to donate blood, it didn’t turn out that way.
I don’t go for anything resembling a cold. I tend to cough for weeks afterward. My wife always bugs me to go but I don’t, and it clears up.
Your Sister-in-law should buy a lottery ticket.
A bunch of them.
The tide is changing. Routinely, not that long ago, women who mentioned any cardiac symptoms were patted on the hand and told “there, there,” and maybe sent home with a tranq Rx and a psychiatric referral.
The cardiologist she saw was on the ball.
~VOW
In the past few years, I’ve seen my doctor for annual checkups, a kidney stone, a corn that was in an awkward place where I couldn’t remove it myself, and dizziness caused by low blood pressure (turned out I no longer needed my BP medication).
When do you go to the doctor?
The last time I went to a doctor was in 2022 for a routine checkup. I don’t even remember his name. And before that, I think around 2013. I rarely go to the doctor.
I am a User of Medical Services thanks to a number of chronic conditions. My PCP has me getting routine blood tests 3x yearly and my endocrinologist has a more extensive list annually. Since all the tests are posted online, I have a pretty good idea what is going on even before I see the doc. I see my endo once a year and my PCP about yearly. Nagging issues will get me into see the doctor eventually if they don’t clear up, if something is acutely bothering me I make an appointment.
You should. A big problem is there are very substantial delays in most places in getting a first appointment with a new doctor. But if you have one set up and are going for an annual visit you will be able to get in much quicker if something comes up.
My brother, like me, rarely goes to the doctor. He recently felt like his pulse was odd. He ordered an ekg device from Amazon and the device told him he was experiencing atrial fibrillation.
He printed out the tracing, took it to his doctor, who arranged a cardiology referral.
Like him, I tend to put my trust in Dr Google.
I’m kinda ashamed to say it, but…
Life Hack!
I’m amazed at the number of people who never go to the doctor. In this wonderful age of advanced medicine, it seems beyond stupid to not at least get a yearly checkup.There are a lot of things that can mess you up or kill you that have no symptoms. Especially if you smoke.
Not that I care. Have a stroke at 50 because of hypertension or high cholesterol. Get prostate cancer. You do you. I’m just amazed.
I started to go to the doctor regularly when I got to the point in my life where I realized there were people who cared if I lived or died.
Don’t put it off too long. I put off seeing a urologist for my BPH symptoms thinking it would likely lead to surgery, but he put me on Tamsulosin and the BPH symptoms vanished, for the most part. You may not be so lucky, but it’s worth a try.
I didn’t go to the doctor for about 5 years. It’s hard to get a PCP in Hawai’i - there is a shortage of healthcare workers, and every practice I called said they weren’t accepting new patients. As I was pretty healthy and had gotten a very thorough check-up with a clean bill of health in Singapore in 2018, I didn’t sweat it. I went to the urgent care clinic a few times when I had a UTI or other specific treatable issue.
Finally a new practice opened and I was able to get a doctor at last. Now I just go in as she schedules me; as a well patient, about 1x/year for a check-up unless there is some follow up for something like the Prolia I recently started taking for osteoporosis.
Well, as the guy who has repeatedly tried to “walk off” broken ankles (including a trimalleolar shatter needing plates 13 screws), typed one-handed for several hours at work using the other hand to pinch together a head wound that later required 8 staples, I’d say the answer pretty clearly is NOT READILY ENOUGH! 
I’ve had urinary issues since I was hit by a car as a child.
My current urology practice gives me an antibiotic with refills so I can self treat when I feel the symptoms coming on. When you have these kinds of infections frequently the signs are unmistakable.
I appreciate their trust in my ability to recognize and treat accordingly.
They also have drop in clinics once or twice a week for people who need immediate assistance.
It’s one of the medical practices I am grateful for.
Thanks, I do intend to make an appointment as soon as i get some spare time.
At 55, I expected to be really feeling it by now. My Dad died at 54 with diabetes and severe heart problems. My brother died at 52 from complications of an illness. My grandparents didn’t get to see their 60s.
So I anticipated being in and out of hospital, or constant diarrhoea, or arthritis, or being diagnosed with terminal illnesses galore. Especially since I do not eat healthily or go to the gym or any of that important stuff.
But the worst I get is a few twinges and some joints going click. I’ll only go to the doctor if those twinges suddenly increase in severity or frequency. Every time I have, they give me some tablets, then it’s cleared up pretty quickly, and I’m back to normal again.
In conclusion, I only go to the Doc when it feels different enough to be worth a closer look.
I am terrible about getting medical treatment. Last year I had severe chest pain and was coughing blood but I waited 5 days to go to the ER. I even went to work. It started on Monday morning and I finally went to the ER Saturday afternoon.
It turned out to be my second episode of pulmonary embolisms. First time was 30 years ago post bunion surgery.
Now I am on lifelong blood thinners. Have to see a hematologist once a year.
I struggle with doctoring but go twice a year to my primary care physician.
And I have several specialists I need to see as well.
It’s a pain but I do my best to comply.
Same. The last time I saw the doctor for something other than a checkup, it was to get antibiotics for a throat infection (strep?), and that was… I don’t know, but last century sometime.
More than I’d like to these days. I’ve had two 4 day hospital stays this year and the year isn’t over yet.
I’ve been having some lung issues and a UTI that turned bad. I was in a state of sepsis when I went in the second time. Maybe the first time too, but I can’t remember. I can not find a doctor I like so I wait until I just have to go to the hospital, which is probably unwise. I just don’t care anymore. I’m 68 and tired.
After my wife died 10 years ago, partly due to poor medical care, I was determined to get the best quality care that I could. I pay Big Bucks for a concierge doctor, and goddamn it, I’m going to get my money’s worth. I go in every year for an annual physical as well as two annual specialist checkups because of previous issues. Whenever anything questionable turns up, I send an email to my doctor, and if he suggests I come in for him to take a look, I do so. I’ve seen him about 10 times this year apart from the annual checkups.