Wellness

[BalletBabe]

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@hckynut wrote:

@BalletBabe

You worked for doctors so you have a different attitude towards them, and it surfaces as not trusting any doctor. Interesting to say the least, to this guy anyways.

I have several doctors in different specialty fields, including 2 in my immediate family. Have several also that are good friends of mine. I have seen many of them as their patient, and even though they are friends​ and/or family, I question them like I would any doctor, even those I have seen in the ER. My most recent ER visit the doctor was going to write a prescription for an Opiod pain killer, I said "no thanks", and was this doctor "that did not know me from a bale of hay" aggravated? Didn't appear to me he was even close.

Being proactive in ones health does not and should not blanket the whole Medical Profession as untrustworthy, which it seems to me what you are doing in this post, and others that I have read. Sure, I had a few doctors I did not like or trust. I told them directly that I didn't agree with them, and I would find another doctor.

You lost me on "I haven't seen a doctor in 17 years,"  but then you say something about "every 6 month followups". Followups to what since you haven't a doctor in 17 years. Earlier you say "I was seeing another doctor 7 years ago".  All of this makes no sense to me, but hey, as O'Reilly likes to say: "I am a simple man"?

Most people don't have a clue about their own body. Just because they reside in it, does not mean they know it. If that was/is the case, especially yours, I assume because one thinks they "know their body", they must know what is wrong and also the solution.

Example: You fall hard on your side and it hurts like he!!, since you know you body, what is your diagnosis, assuming everything still moves, but hurts like he!!.

This supposedly a example hypothetical, but in actuality, my own true story. I know my body, practically every part of it, even though "I am a simple man. Why? Because I have experienced it maximums and it's minimums, and know from experience something is not right. The fall? I knew I had fractured a rib. How? Because this was my 6th fractured rib.

Live and let live. I will continue to trust all of my doctors since several have kept me alive, and others kept me functioning pretty well for a simple old man. You keep doing your every 6 months/7 years or haven't seen one in 17 years, whatever all those contradictions mean to you.

hckynut(john)

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@hckynut  Hi , long time no talk to.  I go in every 6 months for labs and go over my meds.  I haven't seen a Dr. for being sick in 17 years.  I am glad you have found good Dr.'s,  I have had a lot of lemons.  I am just not into all this preventative bologna.  I will give you an example.   5 years ago I had a phenomonia shot , only because of my husband being so sick.  

My whole arm swelled and I coud not even lift it to shave for 3 days.  It was hot and huge!  I was told that was a reaction and now he wants me to have it in Sept.?   WHY  I never get sick.  

Sorry they are not injecting me with that again.  Last year, I received a flu shot.  That night I got terrible hives.   I was told it was NOT from the shot.  Really???  I never had hives before or after that day.   It s stuff like this that turns me off.

Oh yes, and he wants me to have a Phenumonia shot this year. Not going to happen.  If I got sick a lot or had a lot of health issues it might be worth the risk, but don't mmake me sick when I am not.  That is just one of many things.  

This is all because Medicare is pushing all this stuff and the Dr's are looked down upon if they don't do it.  They don't care if I react or not.  In this case I know my body and I am not doing it.

This is just one of many examples.

[sophiamarie]

"The problem is I don't trust any Dr's.   I worked for them, so I have a different attitude towards them.  Sometimes we have to say NO.  I believe we know our bodies more then they do.  When you tell a Dr you are having really bad side effects,and he tells you to keep taking it, thats not right. "

@BalletBabe  I don't know where you worked, but I also worked for doctors and have great respect for them.  I have been going to the same Cardiologist/Internist for 40 years and have the utmost respect for him.  He doesn't push pills on me and I take whatever he feels I need.  I see him twice yearly.  One visit takes a complete hour and the other is a follow-up visit, which is made before I leave the office after the yearly.

He comes out to the waiting room and escorts me to his office, where we talk for a long time.  We go over whatever might have happened since I last saw him, he goes over my meds to make sure nothing has changed.

 Then, he leads me to an exam room, where a tech comes in to take blood and give me an ECG.  Then, I go to have my chest x-ray.  Back to the exam room - he knocks, comes in and examines me.  Then, he leaves, I get dressed and go back to his office - we talk some more, then he dictates into his little machine.  We talk some more.  He went over the results of the Echo I had the week before and he pulled it up on his computer and showed it to me.

Yearly appts. take an hour (for everyone) and half-yearly, take 1/2 hour.  There is no rushing.  I actually look forward to my appointments - not because I am a hypochondriac but because I enjoy talking with him about things we have in common, doctors we both know, etc....

So, for you to say you don't trust doctors because you worked for them is something I can't fathom.  What kind of doctors did you work for anyway?  Also, if you don't like your doctor, then you need to find another one.  The day might come when you really need a doctor.  Hopefully, it will be one you trust and respect.

Sorry I rambled on so long but your statement just hit a nerve with me.  Two of my sons are doctors and I can guarantee you they are well respected in their communities.  I can assure you the people who work for/with them and their patients, have the utmost respect for them.

[BalletBabe]

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@sophiamarie wrote:

As far as BP machines go, anyone with any sense would know enough to bring their home monitor to their doctor's office to make sure they are on the same wave length.  Doctors encourage patients (at least Cardiologists do) to bring in their machines to compare it with theirs.  I keep a record of my BP and bring it to him.  Ofr course, it's usually very normal at home, while at his office, it's always higher.  He will have one of the girls come in and take mine and then when he comes in to examine me, he will take it multiple times.

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I would contact the insurnace company.  They sent my husband one and a good one.  He paid nothing.   Might want to ask. 

[sophiamarie]

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@BalletBabe wrote:

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@sophiamarie wrote:

As far as BP machines go, anyone with any sense would know enough to bring their home monitor to their doctor's office to make sure they are on the same wave length.  Doctors encourage patients (at least Cardiologists do) to bring in their machines to compare it with theirs.  I keep a record of my BP and bring it to him.  Ofr course, it's usually very normal at home, while at his office, it's always higher.  He will have one of the girls come in and take mine and then when he comes in to examine me, he will take it multiple times.

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I would contact the insurnace company.  They sent my husband one and a good one.  He paid nothing.   Might want to ask. 

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@BalletBabe  HUH????

[BalletBabe]

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@sophiamarie wrote:

"The problem is I don't trust any Dr's.   I worked for them, so I have a different attitude towards them.  Sometimes we have to say NO.  I believe we know our bodies more then they do.  When you tell a Dr you are having really bad side effects,and he tells you to keep taking it, thats not right. "

@BalletBabe  I don't know where you worked, but I also worked for doctors and have great respect for them.  I have been going to the same Cardiologist/Internist for 40 years and have the utmost respect for him.  He doesn't push pills on me and I take whatever he feels I need.  I see him twice yearly.  One visit takes a complete hour and the other is a follow-up visit, which is made before I leave the office after the yearly.

He comes out to the waiting room and escorts me to his office, where we talk for a long time.  We go over whatever might have happened since I last saw him, he goes over my meds to make sure nothing has changed.

 Then, he leads me to an exam room, where a tech comes in to take blood and give me an ECG.  Then, I go to have my chest x-ray.  Back to the exam room - he knocks, comes in and examines me.  Then, he leaves, I get dressed and go back to his office - we talk some more, then he dictates into his little machine.  We talk some more.  He went over the results of the Echo I had the week before and he pulled it up on his computer and showed it to me.

Yearly appts. take an hour (for everyone) and half-yearly, take 1/2 hour.  There is no rushing.  I actually look forward to my appointments - not because I am a hypochondriac but because I enjoy talking with him about things we have in common, doctors we both know, etc....

So, for you to say you don't trust doctors because you worked for them is something I can't fathom.  What kind of doctors did you work for anyway?  Also, if you don't like your doctor, then you need to find another one.  The day might come when you really need a doctor.  Hopefully, it will be one you trust and respect.

Sorry I rambled on so long but your statement just hit a nerve with me.  Two of my sons are doctors and I can guarantee you they are well respected in their communities.  I can assure you the people who work for/with them and their patients, have the utmost respect for them.

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You are lucky then.  I loved my family Dr. till this last year.   He is just getting too pushy.   I worked for Internal Medicine Dr's and heart Dr's.   I also ran ambulance and worked in the ER.   

Now I love the Orthopedic Dr. that is here.   I have seen him a few times,but not a lot.  I would do anything he told me to do, but then again he is a specialist.  It is the GP's that I mostly don't care for. 

That is great if you like your Dr.   I don't.   My trust falls a bit more every day with friends of mine and the way Drs are treating them. It is all about the money.

I can tell you here we would nevr get more then a 15 min visit.  I cannot speak for physicals, because I never schedule them. Don't plan on starting either.  I never go to my family GP for anything other then regular stuff.  I have a PPO for that reason.  I have learned to go directly to a specialist.  Will not mess with GP's.  

Had a lot of health issues when I was very young.  I am healthy today, but I learned alot back then.  Never go to a GP for anything other then what he does best, which isn't much.  Colds, general stuff. The fact is,  these guys are not God's like they think they are.  

[Trinity11]

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@BalletBabe wrote:

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@sophiamarie wrote:

"The problem is I don't trust any Dr's.   I worked for them, so I have a different attitude towards them.  Sometimes we have to say NO.  I believe we know our bodies more then they do.  When you tell a Dr you are having really bad side effects,and he tells you to keep taking it, thats not right. "

@BalletBabe  I don't know where you worked, but I also worked for doctors and have great respect for them.  I have been going to the same Cardiologist/Internist for 40 years and have the utmost respect for him.  He doesn't push pills on me and I take whatever he feels I need.  I see him twice yearly.  One visit takes a complete hour and the other is a follow-up visit, which is made before I leave the office after the yearly.

He comes out to the waiting room and escorts me to his office, where we talk for a long time.  We go over whatever might have happened since I last saw him, he goes over my meds to make sure nothing has changed.

 Then, he leads me to an exam room, where a tech comes in to take blood and give me an ECG.  Then, I go to have my chest x-ray.  Back to the exam room - he knocks, comes in and examines me.  Then, he leaves, I get dressed and go back to his office - we talk some more, then he dictates into his little machine.  We talk some more.  He went over the results of the Echo I had the week before and he pulled it up on his computer and showed it to me.

Yearly appts. take an hour (for everyone) and half-yearly, take 1/2 hour.  There is no rushing.  I actually look forward to my appointments - not because I am a hypochondriac but because I enjoy talking with him about things we have in common, doctors we both know, etc....

So, for you to say you don't trust doctors because you worked for them is something I can't fathom.  What kind of doctors did you work for anyway?  Also, if you don't like your doctor, then you need to find another one.  The day might come when you really need a doctor.  Hopefully, it will be one you trust and respect.

Sorry I rambled on so long but your statement just hit a nerve with me.  Two of my sons are doctors and I can guarantee you they are well respected in their communities.  I can assure you the people who work for/with them and their patients, have the utmost respect for them.

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You are lucky then.  I loved my family Dr. till this last year.   He is just getting too pushy.   I worked for Internal Medicine Dr's and heart Dr's.   I also ran ambulance and worked in the ER.   

Now I love the Orthopedic Dr. that is here.   I have seen him a few times,but not a lot.  I would do anything he told me to do, but then again he is a specialist.  It is the GP's that I mostly don't care for. 

That is great if you like your Dr.   I don't.   My trust falls a bit more every day with friends of mine and the way Drs are treating them. It is all about the money.

I can tell you here we would nevr get more then a 15 min visit.  I cannot speak for physicals, because I never schedule them. Don't plan on starting either.  I never go to my family GP for anything other then regular stuff.  I have a PPO for that reason.  I have learned to go directly to a specialist.  Will not mess with GP's.  

Had a lot of health issues when I was very young.  I am healthy today, but I learned alot back then.  Never go to a GP for anything other then what he does best, which isn't much.  Colds, general stuff. The fact is,  these guys are not God's like they think they are.  

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I infer from your post that you have been burned by some incompetent physicians. I nearly lost my life because of a few but unfortunately the good ones are few and far between. I guess, I figure I need them for some of my medical issues and I try to remember that no one is all-knowing and doctors are just flawed human beings..like the rest of us. Preventative care still saves lives...that and  a bit of luck.

[LTT1]

@catwhisperer
What do you take for lowering cholesterol, if you don't mind me asking? TIA

[steiny3844]

     In regards to statins, Lipitor worked out fine but the generic made my muscles very sore. I decided to stop taking them at all. I'm lucky because my HDL is very high, and my total isn't too far above the new limit. My doctor even said the new number limit was a bit much, in many situations.

     As long as people are discussing todays doctors, I have a pet peeve. This really is not the doctors fault. Medicare insists that a bunch of questions regarding competence be asked by every doctor a person 65 or older sees, or not get paid. All of these doctors are well educated, and I'm sure they would have their own way of making conversation to figure out if his or her patient needed extra help. Turning 65 doesn't make you any less competent than you were when you were a younster of 64!

[proudlyfromNJ]

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@steiny3844 wrote:

     In regards to statins, Lipitor worked out fine but the generic made my muscles very sore. I decided to stop taking them at all. I'm lucky because my HDL is very high, and my total isn't too far above the new limit. My doctor even said the new number limit was a bit much, in many situations.

     As long as people are discussing todays doctors, I have a pet peeve. This really is not the doctors fault. Medicare insists that a bunch of questions regarding competence be asked by every doctor a person 65 or older sees, or not get paid. All of these doctors are well educated, and I'm sure they would have their own way of making conversation to figure out if his or her patient needed extra help. Turning 65 doesn't make you any less competent than you were when you were a younster of 64!

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My Doctor has never asked me any competence questions. She also doesn't insist on a flu or pneumonia shot. She will ask every once in awhile and I just say I never get the flu.

[hckynut]

@steiny3844 and anyone else interested in Lipid Numbers.

I have been on 20mg of Lipitor or Atorvastatin since my 1st heart attack(with aspiration pneumonia) since 2003. I have never had a serious muscle issue, and I attribute much of that to me being pretty much a stretching and flexibility nut for decades now.

My total cholesterol numbers have never been above 150 since the 1970's. My Try's are in the 30's/my HDL above 60/my LDL never over 70, and my HDL/LDL ratio never above 2.1. In and doctor's book, those are all excellent numbers they wish all their patients would exhibit.

However my 2003 heart attack was because my Right Coronary Artery was 100% blocked. Stayed with pretty close to those same lipid numbers, a little lower Total reading and a little lower LDL readings. Then in 2007, heart attack #2. Same thing, my Right Coronary Artery once again was 100% blocked.

My situations I believe is primarily genetic. I wrote this mainly because lipid numbers/fitness and other factors are not a guarantee of freedom from heart disease. And one also cannot depend on "typical symptoms" to tell them they are having a heart attack.

This is all from my own person experiences with the above. I am passing this along to all that might think that good lipid numbers mean no heart attacks. With my present numbers as of March 17, 2017:

130 total

81 HDL

35 LDL

40 Try's

1.6 HDL/LDL ratio

I might think "hey let's quit the statins. With my experiences and genetics, I think myself personally now not anyone else, would be a fool to stop taking my statins. 

For informational reading only, not advice or against anyone's doctors knowledge of their patient.

hckynut(john)