OT - Grumpy Old Man Thread

[Gigem]

Whenever I go to the Dr. for various ailments over the years it always amazes me how much actual paperwork they have you fill out.  I would have figured by now it would all be some kind of i-pad or even an app you download to the phone.  I realize that there are many older patients (hello boomer) that wouldn't know how to do that like my mom, but for the other 85% of people it's just another day in the life of 20xx.  

[Gigem]

Annual physical, with bloodwork. Including whatever your doctor wants.

Due to reasons, I ended up not seeing a doctor between before COVID and last year. Thankfully there was nothing bad in my labs. But having gone 5ish years without labs, I'll admit feeling pretty worried what was going to show up...

We used to do labs at my corporate job (working in a chemical plant with lots of carcinogens).  So about every 3 or so years they would do the entire physical checkup, take blood, etc.  Now I've been working a strictly office job for about 5-6 years, I really haven't had much done.  

I live next to a medium size town (30Kish), and we have a lot of Dr's in that town, but I sort of despise a few....ethnicities of Dr's.  It's not that I'm entirely racist, I just have such a hard time understanding a lot of them.  That being said, it's either that particular ethnicity, or a really old man that has got to be 70+ and you wonder how long he's going to be doing this.  I actually saw this particular Dr. years ago for something else, so I do have some history there.    

[FearlessF]

git yerself a young female doc that you can understand 

[Riffraft]

annual visit to the dr.  Everything checked including prostrate. All the blood work, cholesterol, liver enzymes, sugar, etc.
See a cardiologist annually even though I don't have any issues.
See a Dermatogist annually even though I don't have any issues.
Every 5 years a colonoscopy/endoscopy without any issues so far (father had colon cancer)
I have glaucoma (because I got check out regularly it was caught very early and have lost almost no eye sight), occasional gout attack and slightly elevated cholesterol, all of which I take drops or pills.
also take a low dose aspirin, zyrtec, Multivitamin, 500iu Vitamin E and 1000mg vitamin C.

I figure getting everything checked out regularly and doing preventative things I should continue to be able to do the things I want to do. If something ever does show up, shouldn't be too far advanced. If I could convince insurance I need a full body scan annually I would do that. 

[MikeDeTiger]

see a good Doc that you trust - take all the tests that he/she recommends

don't put it off another year or two - good luck!

This.

At the risk of sounding snarky and adversarial, find a good primary doctor and do the things they ask you to do.  Much better than asking a bunch of us non-doctors our recommendations.  Any good doctor is going to immediately know based on your history and current physical conditions what tests and screenings you should do.  

[847badgerfan]

I have a female APRN. I like APRN vs. MD/DO for primary care.

[MikeDeTiger]

I live next to a medium size town (30Kish), and we have a lot of Dr's in that town, but I sort of despise a few....ethnicities of Dr's.  It's not that I'm entirely racist, I just have such a hard time understanding a lot of them.  That being said, it's either that particular ethnicity, or a really old man that has got to be 70+ and you wonder how long he's going to be doing this.  I actually saw this particular Dr. years ago for something else, so I do have some history there.   

When I worked at Mrs. DeLonghorn's clinic, we had a handful of patients who wouldn't see specialists for that very reason.  Fact is, we don't have a ton of Caucasian specialists in our area.  Or maybe I should say that many of the ones who are "white" are still foreign.  One guy wouldn't see Pain Management because he didn't think the doctor would treat him.  One lady wouldn't proceed with a needful heart procedure with a cardiologist because she thought the doctor was a Muslim and would "let her die on the table."  (I can't say I know that particular doctor personally, but judging by his name and bio I'm pretty sure he's Hispanic, and probably Catholic, if anything.)  This is despite the fact these doctors have good reputations in our area and are specialists that both our providers trusted and routinely used.  

These patients were very stupid.  And maybe dead now.  

[Gigem]

When I worked at Mrs. DeLonghorn's clinic, we had a handful of patients who wouldn't see specialists for that very reason.  Fact is, we don't have a ton of Caucasian specialists in our area.  Or maybe I should say that many of the ones who are "white" are still foreign.  One guy wouldn't see Pain Management because he didn't think the doctor would treat him.  One lady wouldn't proceed with a needful heart procedure with a cardiologist because she thought the doctor was a Muslim and would "let her die on the table."  (I can't say I know that particular doctor personally, but judging by his name and bio I'm pretty sure he's Hispanic, and probably Catholic, if anything.)  This is despite the fact these doctors have good reputations in our area and are specialists that both our providers trusted and routinely used. 

These patients were very stupid.  And maybe dead now. 

Maybe I came across wrong, I just prefer a Dr. that speaks "American", and preferably "Texican", no matter what ethnicity or color they are.  

I know your wife is in the medical biz, and maybe even a Dr., so I hope you didn't think I was being a dick.  

[FearlessF]

These patients were very stupid.  And maybe dead now. 

Charles Darwin did some early work in this field

[MikeDeTiger]

Maybe I came across wrong, I just prefer a Dr. that speaks "American", and preferably "Texican", no matter what ethnicity or color they are. 

I know your wife is in the medical biz, and maybe even a Dr., so I hope you didn't think I was being a dick. 

Nah, I didn't think you were being a dick.  I think that's probably the hangup most of our patients had, even if they couldn't articulate it well.  

But nationally, and definitely in our area, doctors are increasingly not American and being imported from other countries, and English isn't their first language.  All the ones I know or have been to here still speak very good English, even if they have an accent.  Nothing that would put me off, but that's just me, YMMV.  

I just would reiterate that the main thing is that they're a good doctor with a good reputation.  

[betarhoalphadelta]

Tow truck just took my Ford Flex away for the buyer. 

[847badgerfan]

Tow truck just took my Ford Flex away for the buyer.

That should be in the happy thread.

Did you buy this yet?

[utee94]

That should be in the happy thread.

Did you buy this yet?

That is actually the rare, attractive Euro SUV.  Most of them are small, goofy, ugly, humpy-looking little things.

G-wagons are manly.

[FearlessF]

And ugly