I have enough chronic medical conditions that I see my primary care doc at least 4 times a year. I also see a couple of specialists (sleep, gastro) on somewhat of an annual/semi-annual basis.
In terms of seeing someone ad hoc: if I’m having an asthma flare. If I fall and think I’ve broken a bone (sadly not as rare as it ought to be). I have hied myself off to a cardiologist on several occasions: in 2022 when I developed sudden, unprovoked swollen feet / ankles (as I knew that could be a Bad Sign - luckily it wasn’t), then again this year due to a combination of lightheadedness and a screwy EKG.
My primary care doc - whom I had not met yet (previous one left the practice just as she was ordering the EKG; the new doc read it) took one look and called me rather worried - it said “atrial flutter”. He basically said “if you feel bad at any point, go to the ER!”. Well, that didn’t exactly help the palpitations etc. which are somewhat normal for me! I wound up never panicking and doing so - and actually having seen several uber-specialist cardiologists, one of them looked at the EKG and said “that’s perfectly normal” (there was no atrial flutter; some machine algorithm misdiagnosed me).
For chest pain? Yeah, I’d probably trot off somewhere, especially if it felt different from the odd aches I’ve gotten used to related to the asthma.
We too found out about “chest pain” = “head of the line”. My son once had some pain (he was mid 20s at the time) and called the insurance company’s nurse line, who of course said he ought to be seen. He got yanked back so fast I think he left skid marks; he’d had an EKG by the time I finished the paperwork. He was fine - it was related to a stomach virus that had made him hurl - but they don’t relax until they’ve ruled out major cardio stuff.
I’d probably go if I had sudden visual changes, sudden severe headache, or similar.
A friend of mine might not have gone to the doctor - she was feeling kinda crappy but we all feel bad at times, right? But then she sorta woke up dead (seriously. She apparently had major blockages in a cardiac blood vessel, and went into arrest; luckily she was somewhere with a lot of medical professionals on the spot).
In the past I have gone only as often as needed to keep up with needed screenings and meds refilled for cholesterol and mild asthma. My mindset is mostly to ignore and let stuff go away. Youngish overall healthy, would usually resolve without having to have the hassle of getting seen and maybe overly investigated or treated. And I am still low risk in most ways and by most metrics.
But the priors are shifting after 65. The minor thing now has more of a chance of representing something bigger. I have gone in worried about skin stuff based on family history of melanoma and will worry more about other stuff I previously would have completely ignored. My brother ignored a small breast lump with an inverted nipple for many months. Yesterday had his first chemo treatment for male breast cancer. (Genetic risk testing negative. Nodes were clear and clear margins on removal.)
Ignoring and expecting resolution is no longer my plan when I have what seems minor. Probably should get an overall skin check regularly.
Especially when you get older, don’t assume that no symptoms mean no problem. All three major issues I’ve had, thyroid, AFib and prostate cancer, showed no symptoms. (Yea for PSA testing.) The one with major symptoms, a swelled disc, went away by itself. And I’m pretty healthy, having been in the hospital only one night in 73 years. (For me, I’ve been in more than that when my daughter was born and when I stayed with my father after his surgery.)
At this point, I mostly go when my PCP (who I see four times a year) sends me to specialists and when they want to see me for follow-ups. Other than that, I mostly go when I think I might have bronchitis/strep throat.
This kind of surprises me though - not that she needed the cardiac clearance, but that she had a cardiologist and nobody knew she needed stents until after the hiking incident. I very likely wouldn’t have gone to the doctor after the hiking incident either - but I don’t know anyone who has a cardiologist who doesn’t have a heart problem and they usually do a stress test at least every couple of years. It’s hard to imagine that someone developed a need for six stents on an emergency basis if a test even a couple of years ago didn’t show any problem. I’ve gotten stents twice , both times as a result of stress tests with no symptoms but neither one was a “go to the hospital today” sort of emergency.
I tend to go to the doctor a lot but I can’t remember the last time I went for something un-scheduled. I’m a type 2 diabetic so if my sugar isn’t doing well I’ve got to go to my PCP 4x a year (or 2x if I am doing well). Plus I need my annual eye exam (just had it today) and my annual gyno exam (had it yesterday), and blood tests to go with the PCP exams, as well as an annual pee test (did it yesterday too). Oh, and an annual mammogram. And I see my dentist twice a year. I get my flu shots and my covid shots at the pharmacy or at the PCP, however it lands.
Inbetween all that I donate blood every 8 weeks, so that’s a good blood pressure, pulse and iron check. And this year I was working on physical therapy for my neck and my TMJ so I was there a lot.
I take my mom to her appointments and procedures, so I’m physically at a doctor’s office, lab or hospital at least 2x a month.
I do like the MyChart system. My PCP and I have a great rapport. I see it like gamification of health care. I meet all the goals and keep leveling up! My prize is staying alive, though.
I’m glad to live in Cleveland where there’s no shortage of access to health care facilities within easy reach.
Knock on wood, I haven’t had anything concerning enough to make me make a surprise appointment.
A similar story to me ! My dad died at 50. He had a bad heart (but died after a massive
stroke (6 years after making an almost full recovery from one)). My brother’s
heart was even worse. he needed a transplant, but as he had type 1 diabetes, he couldn’t
have one. His heart packed up at 45.
I’m lucky to have missed out on inheriting any health problems.
Although my mum and her sister and brother both suffered from dementia …
