If money was not an issue, how often would you go to a doctor?

I go when needed, I do question any medication but that is about it.

Even when money wasn’t an issue I didn’t go unless it was really dire. When I was a young, pretty, woman, I was disbelieved by old-white-man doctors and lost a kidney as a result. When I was a bit older I was disbelieved by old-white-man doctors and my cancer reached an advanced stage before it was taken seriously. In between, I was disbelieved on lesser issues, and I had to fight for recognition of medical symptoms.

The doctors are younger and better now, more compassion, less sexism, but really, I am just too tired and scarred to trust. I go if there’s an emergency, not otherwise.

@canidmajor -I hear that. I hope you are doing alright.

Since I have medicare, I go when I feel I need to which, me being very healthy, is once or twice a year. My doctor is an old white guy but since his Mom used to work for my Mom, I can question him with equanimity.

I know it’s not all old white guys, @janbb, but too many to not generalize. Ugh.

@lucillelucillelucille, thanks, I pretty much am, but I have sustained a fair amount of permanent damage because of it. But I’m still walking around, and that’s what counts! :-)

If my insurance wasn’t cheaper for going annually and getting all the tests on time, I wouldn’t go at all. No offense to health care workers, I just can’t stand to be around hospitals or offices, although I respect the profession highly.

@KNOWITALL -Me either. Since my hub and I figured out how to regulate my insulin doses, the only thing I’d use an endocrinologist for is kidney function est every few years.I can buy my insulin with no script.
As for MS, I don’t see a neurologist as the standard of care is drugs I will not take.
I’m doing very well in spite of their efforts to f*ck me up. LOL

The radiologist I see is a old white guy (I think he is my age and his apprentice is Mexican). And I trust him immensely. He got me to quit smoking cigarettes after 20 years of smoking at my desk. Smoking at my desk = A lot

I have seen so many doctors in the last few years. Probably 20+. And it is odd, I have hit the point where all the doctors I see are younger than I am. And I am not that old. It is like the first time you are in a car and look over and see the person driving next to you and your first thought is that they stole their parents car.

But I have a really high number of female doctors. And the male ones are mostly from Asia.

But I never used to go in unless absolutely necessary. I didn’t even have a GP for 20 years. Now I have one and she is great.

But with my current circumstances I drop a email to the appropriate doctor whenever I think something needs to be addressed.

That reminds me.

Edit: Didn’t finish my sentence there. I was going to request some more Lorazapam. I am out and like to take it before immunotheropy. I hate needles and a pill helps round the edges.

@johnpowell _ I am glad you found one that you like.

I pretty much like all of them. I did have one oncologist that I didn’t like. But he is gone now and his replacement is great.

I’m pretty good with people.. And no matter how much it hurts I suck it up when I visit them*. Nobody wants to deal with a grumpy gus. I’m a funny dude in real life so people want to help me.

And I work into the conversation that I never Google stuff. I actually don’t unless it is after the fact. They like my willingness to go along with things. I fix computers. I get a bit unhappy when people question my knowledge. I do charge by the hour. Sure, if it was leeches on my eyelids to help with my chest pains I would seek a second opinion. But the doctors I see have been right 99% percent of the time.

*When I was balls deep into radiation I hit this point where I couldn’t talk or swallow in the last few weeks. I had to see the radiologist after treatments every week. The nurse after my BP and temp was taken fired up the endoscope for the doctor. He just said “Sorry” and walked out.

The endoscope is a long camera about the diameter of spaghetti they put down your nose and into your throat. It is slightly uncomfortable in the best of times. But lean your head back and relax.

But on that day, since I couldn’t really talk I banged out on the notes app on my phone.. “You are not putting that fucking thing down my throat.. Not open for debate.. Also need hydro”.

He complied.

@johnpowell ;)

I go for an annual physical, which is blood work and the doctor reviews it and discusses everything. I have a slow thyroid, so once in a while he’ll send me for a sonogram of my thyroid.

I go twice a year to the dentist for a cleaning and once a year for eye exams. The dental visits and eye doctor and annual physical are all covered by my insurance, so I may as well use them.

If money were not an issue I’d go to the doctor as often as I go now. I feel it’s reasonable. Teeth cleaned twice a year, eyes examined once a year for glasses and/or contacts, and blood work done to check levels.

@jca2 -Sounds reasonable to me.
Eye doc, I will sometimes go every year :) but the dentist I go to for cleanings/checkups twice a year.

I would see a psychologist every day asking for advice.

I see a dentist annually, and I get my moles checked by a dermatologist whenever I remember that I should.

Apart from that, I tend to go only when I’m worried. Examples from the last couple years: Lyme disease, broken toe, a bone contusion, severe Vitamin D deficiency. I wouldn’t bother for a few days of the flu or similar common illnesses.

I don’t question medication much, but that’s probably because I usually don’t need any. Both my GP and the ENT I go to are careful and smart. They wouldn’t prescribe antibiotics or anything “intense” unless it’s needed. And when it’s needed, I accept that. I tend to think that layman research is simply not comparable to a medical degree, so might do more harm than good.

I’m in Germany, so I don’t pay doctors or hospitals. I do pay my insurance company, but it’s a monthly flatrate that never changes.

@longgone – I got over the flu about a month ago. It had me unable to walk for a few days.
The usual drugs prescribed for MS (I have that) by neurologists are immune suppressants. Had I been taking them, things would’ve been much worse,no doubt.
I would never advise anyone to not do what their doctor says but for myself, whenever a doc has wanted to prescribe something, I always do research.
I wish my brother had done that when prescribed Zantac or at least tried to handle his issue with diet modification, among other things.
I do get that people want help & are often in fear or are simply looking for a quick solution.
I’m glad you’re doing well. :)

@lucillelucillelucille You know, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to resist doing research if a doctor wanted to put me on medication for a chronic issue. Though I would try even then to have my research be conversations with doctors, not just the internet. I’m lucky enough to know a couple doctors and a few nurses, so I’d probably ask them.

It’s great to hear you got over it quickly, and good call on the meds there. I’m sorry things didn’t go well for your brother. If you feel okay talking about it, I’d like to know what happened. If that’s hard though, don’t worry about it.

@longgone -I don’t mind and thanks.I’m glad it didn’t last too long.
As for my brother, Zantac is what he was taking for ulcers and recently they found out that it associated with cancer.
He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma last year.
This was associated with his use of Round Up weed killer.
It came as a shock to me as he was a bit of a health nut.
There are lawsuits going on with both things and he has been contacted but isn’t pursuing that route.
My sister’s husband takes Lipitor which has been associated with a number of problems, the worst being death.
He doesn’t question anything. I don’t get it but to each his own.

As often as I needed, weather it be my yearly check-up, or when I was feeling sick or hurt myself.

About as often as I do now (fortunately I have pretty good health insurance). I have a heart defect, so I have to go to the doctors a little more often than most people. I see my GP once or twice a year for general check-ups (unless there’s some other concern, like the time I developed a UTI). I see my regular cardiologist around once a quarter. And I see my ACHD (Adult Congenital Heart Defect) specialist a couple of times a year.

What’s great is that all three of my doctors are around my age and, not to sound prejudiced, but all American. So I have a good rapport with them all. Even something as simple as getting each others jokes and cultural references can go a long way.

I took me awhile to find my current ACHD. They’re not necessarily easy to come by. For most of my adulthood I was followed by one guy in St. Louis (a few hours drive for me), but he passed away from cancer a few years ago. After searching around the Chicago area and turning up nothing I finally found my current one in Peoria (about an hour and a half drive).

@Darth_Algar _It’s worth the drive if you find a good one.

As needed and rare for me.
In Dec/Jan had mild flu but got ear infection so had to get prescription from the Doctor, other wise hardly go ( maybe once a year at best).
Eat healthy meals, exercise, get outside often avoid alcohol and late nights and so far good health.

I find this question quite interesting for our US friends ,you supposedly live in the best country on earth and money is a concern for seeing the Doctor?
That sends a good message to the rest of the world, you can be or want to be the worlds hall monitor, but for your own citizens unless you have tons of insurance don’t get sick or hurt because it will financially ruin you.
NICE!

@SQUEEKY2 -I am persuaded that a coldly-thought-out and independent verdict upon a fashion in clothes, or manners, or literature, or politics, or religion, or any other matter that is projected into the field of our notice and interest, is a most rare thing—if it has indeed ever existed.-Mark Twain

@lucille I love Twain, brilliant.

@KNOWITALL – He really was :)

@lucille Publishing after death because your time period wasn’t ready was a boss move.

@KNOWITALL I agree! I have his autobiography Vol 1 but have yet to read it as it doesn’t fit on the treadmill rack.
lol

@Lucille I read vol 1, volume 2 my friend loaned me as the college library had it. Very wild yet enlightening. His concept of God and religion interests me, he being from Missouri.

@KNOWITALL -I will eventually get to it, probably the next time the power goes out as that is when I catch up on some reading.