Who else avoids the doctor?

El Sapo

El Sapo

Bevo's BFF
I recently dated a nurse and it floored her when I revealed I hadn't seen a doctor in 10 years (almost 1/3 of my life). Not one visit. No physical. No shots. Nothing.

The only thing that might get me in (besides maybe a limb falling off without warning) is a tetanus shot. I get cut sometimes working on fences and I start thinking that lockjaw is probably no fun.

So what's your longest streak?
 
I wouldn't say I avoid the doctor. But rarely do I have a reason to visit.

It had been 3+ years for me. Then I brought back Norovirus from SE Asia this past January. I really had no choice - it was the ER for me.

Probably in the last 12 years I've seen the doctor 4 or 5 times. Not counting initial consultations (paperwork) and vaccinations.
 
I avoid going as much as possible too. If the whole freaking country would adopt this policy we wouldn't have the so-called health care crisis that every politician is pissing and moaning about.

Last time I went was for a severe, and I mean severe case of poison ivy. I had to get a steriod cream to clear it up, so a doctor's visit was necessary.
 
Sanje,

Great post. So true. We spent 1 trillion in health care in 1997 and the year 2030 will be upwards of 16 trillion at this pace. We spend more on healthcare than any other country but are dying of heart disease, cancer and stroke like it is our job.....our diets are the cause of this "health care crisis".

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I avoid going as much as possible too. If the whole freaking country would adopt this policy we wouldn't have the so-called health care crisis that every politician is pissing and moaning about.

Lol. Do you actually believe this?
 
A healthy, uninjured male does not need to see a doctor between his 18th and 40th birthdays.
 
I doubt that.

I almost never see the doctor. It has nothing to do with "manliness" or thinking I'm invincible or whatever else you're ascribe some negative masculine attitude to, it has to do with the fact that at almost any given point I'm:

A) Not sick.
B) Not sick enough to go to the doctor.
or C) Sick enough to go but would rather suffer cheaply with the medicine I've got than suffer expensively with stuff that experience says probably doesn't work any better.

So how exactly is this going to make me drop dead at 73 while my wife lives to 76?
 
All men (and women) should have a physical exam on a yearly basis. There are lots of reasons for this. I understand not going for minor illnesses and I agree for the most part, but if you haven't been in 10 years you don't know what you may be dealing with and it could very well come back to haunt you.
 
I don't know, but this sentiment is probably one of the reasons men have shorter life expectancies than women.

Could be. It may also show why women are smarter than men.

I don't know if healthy men between 18 and 40 need an annual exam, but it's ridiculous, even stupid imo, to suggest that one go 22 years without any kind of medical checkup at all (yes, assuming that one shows no outward signs of illness).
 
I never go to the doctor. I should get annual physicals, but I don't.

I think it's a dangerous way of thinking that men between 18 and 40 shouldn;t go to the doctor if uninjured and healthy. I mean, how do you really know if you're healthy.

Example: A cleaner of mine just had a son die of colon cancer at 34...34!

That freaked me out. I know that's fairly rare, but still. There are a lot of illnesses that may not be able to found unless through a physical of some kind...if you were to wait until you were 40, it might be too late.
 
I have done the Doctor thing 3 times in 13 years.

all 3 times it was a Sunday trip to the emergency room for a severe case of poison Oak/ Ivy, and needing the stereroid/ prescription Benedryl option immediately.

I am 33 and rarely get sick, so I take the option of if it aint broke, dont fix it
 
I am 33 and rarely get sick, so I take the option of if it aint broke, dont fix it

It seems to escape the notice of many that you don't really know if it aint broke, now do you? Do people really not understand that (that one may have the beginnings of an illness or an illness that has not yet manifested itself) or are they aware of this but consciously choose to live in denial?
 
This is a really obtuse viewpoint.

That's a charitable way to put it.

And in the context of this thread (high medical costs) does it make sense? It might if the person who neglects regular medical exams dies quickly.

Maybe we should have that as a rule: if you don't care enough for yourself, or family, to take reasonable care of yourself (people take better care of their cars, it seems), then you get a lesser degree of care. That won't happen but it would be fair, in some sense.
 
Sanje,

Great post.

Going back to this. It's not a great post. Not even a good post. It completely ignores other reasons for the high cost of health care. Techology, diet, and improper distribution of medical specialities (and weird healthcare economics) to name a few of them.
 
I think the point is, **** happens. You can eat all organic food and exercise everyday, but **** may still happen.

The only way to know is to get tests done every so often to make sure everything is tip top. No one is saying run to the ER for the sniffles, but part of preventative care is getting yourself check ups.
 
I choose to live a very unhealthy lifestyle. I'm 36, I drink, I smoke, and I eat whatever I want. The only reason I go to the doctor is for bloodwork twice a year to monitor my cholesterol and high blood pressure, which are both controlled with medication. If it weren't for those two conditions, I'd never go. I'm giong to die eventually, so I figure I'm going to do the things I enjoy (even the vices), and enjoy my time here.
 
The main reasons for a young man to have a well-check are:
1) HTN, Hyperchol screening
2) Skin exam
3) Testicular exam
4) Counseling regarding behaviors
5) If at risk because of sexual behavior

Depending on personal and family history, as well as social situation, none of these may be important for many men. One should always get one's physician's recommendation on when he next wants to see him, of course. I do not routinely see a physician about my own health (not quite 40).

To those who called my comment above stupid, you may wish to rethink your evaluation. It is quite an educated opinion. It does not universally apply (please note my deferral to each person's specific physician-- I am not giving anyone personal medical advice), but for men in general, doctor's visits while young can be superfluous.
 
To those who called my comment above stupid, you may wish to rethink your evaluation.

Lol. 22 years without a checkup.
 
i'm going on 38, i'm black, and i have a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure. (fortunately, i eat better, exercise more, and generally live a better life than the others, so i'm better off).

i should go to the doctor every year to check on **** that i will have no idea about having a problem with until there is a real problem.

i haven't been to the doctor in almost 8 years (June will make 8).

the only time i go to a dr is with my wife when she's pregnant or with my 19 month old son.

i'll probably live to be 103....

but seriously, i'll probably hit the doc up for my 40th bday, if not sooner... **** will start breaking down around 40.
 
Are any of the people who think a well 18-40 year old man needs to see a physician (even if he does not need one of the screenings I listed) actually medically trained? Is there a physician here who disagrees that history and more casually available screenings are potentially reasonable alternatives to an actual visit to a doctor?
 
Not getting yourself checked out isnt some cool badge of honor. Its a badge of studity. Its like a mini-Darwin Award that you give yourself every year.
 
Shank, you are hilarious man.

I am the first man to date this nurse after her divorce 3 years ago. Picture a cute as hell 26 yr old nurse in Pebbles and Bam Bam scrubs whose favorite past time is running. To help further explain the arrangement, I have posted a photo of Mount Krakatoa to assist as a visual aid. She might end up sending me to the doctor long before anything else will.



kraktoa_main.jpg
 
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