I'm not getting any more bloodwork done.

Colleen said:
Would you put yourself through h..l your remaining years or live your life without worrying about it all? For me, I don't want to know about anything
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Well I wouldn't really call a blood test putting yourself through hell

If you're not on any medications and you don't want screening blood tests, don't do them.

It isn't the view I would take but up to you.

I can see Drs point of view too - it is their job to recomend standard screenings and I understand them not willing to write scripts for things that should be monitored.
 

Will add that up until my 60s only saw doctor for pap & memo check ups.


I still say all the stress I was under bought on diabetics.
Being about the only female inspection mechanic in a man's world, wasn't easy.

Harsh words got exchanged about my understanding of the job .

A lot of "I'll pay extra if you put the 'sticker. 'on my car."

No your car doesn't have a proper door & your driver's seat isn't locked down,,it ' floats."

Finally hired a young man to help me.
 
My doctor usually makes me come in once a year in order for her to renew my prescriptions. I need them for 2 chronic conditions. However, my year was up in January and I haven’t heard from her yet. She also has me get bloodwork.
 

palides2021 said:
I had the same mentality after my husband passed away, @Colleen. He did not like doctors and stayed away from them, and so did I. But then he died suddenly and I was alone. I continued to stay away from doctors after that, but sooner or later, I had to go to one.

I realize now, years later, that I am not my husband. I am my own person, with my own genes, with my own history. I have a responsibility to myself to maintain my body as best I can. I like taking tests, because they show me if I am going on the right path or not and what to do about it. Going blindly forward, as I used to do, is no longer an option.

Good luck with your health! You know best what is right for you!
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This makes total sense to me. Thanks :)

I think what I'm reluctant about is...well, my husband took care of himself and did all the right things but look what happened to him, so why should I even bother? Well, maybe that's the wrong mindset. I have decided to get the bloodwork done only because I need to have my Rx's refilled.....sigh. I'm still on the fence about the EKG, though. I'm definitely going to talk to her about what she knew about my husband's condition and why she didn't tell us. I won't rest until I hear it from her.
 
Which tests, examinations and therapies make sense? A very personal question.

As I had my first deep vein thrombosis (left leg), I was in a hospital in October 2003 which was more than crowded. I had a bed not in a room but on the floor. The doors of all sickrooms were open. For this reason I overheard the talk between a doctor and a woman in her 50s. The doctor told her that her mother had severe problems with the perfusion of one leg and that even gangrene was beginning. He recommended to amputate the leg of her 90 year old mother. The daughter answered: "My mother knows all of your information and doesn't want her leg being amputated." The doctor replied: "Then your mother shall die". The daughter said: "So be it." I could have hugged her for this answer.

My mother's best friend had colon cancer with metastases at age 85. There was no chance of survival. But the doctors recommended an ostomy. She and her son approved of it. They did the useless surgery and the result was that she died only some days later in agony.
 
C50 said:
Some test I do refuse. I have lumbar stenosis and two years ago the doctor wanted me to get a new MRI to see how advanced it's become. I said no sense in that, I know it's hurting worse but am not going to have back surgery so its measurable progression matters not.

I'll also refuse medications, I'll spare you those boring details.
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My late hubby had spinal stenosis in 2021 and had surgery because he was doubled over and couldn't walk. They thought he had Cauda Equina and he had an emergency MRI. Thank God it wasn't Cauda Equina but it was so painful for him. When they did the pre-op that's when they found out he had a heart murmur, which eventually lead to him having an Echo and that's when his PAH was diagnosed (that we didn't know about).

Anyway, his back surgery was done with a laser and he healed quickly. Don't put it off.
 
George1959 said:
Which tests, examinations and therapies make sense? A very personal question.

As I had my first deep vein thrombosis (left leg), I was in a hospital in October 2003 which was more than crowded. I had a bed not in a room but on the floor. The doors of all sickrooms were open. For this reason I overheard the talk between a doctor and a woman in her 50s. The doctor told her that her mother had severe problems with the perfusion of one leg and that even gangrene was beginning. He recommended to amputate the leg of her 90 year old mother. The daughter answered: "My mother knows all of your information and doesn't want her leg being amputated." The doctor replied: "Then your mother shall die". The daughter said: "So be it." I could have hugged her for this answer.

My mother's best friend had colon cancer with metastases at age 85. There was no chance of survival. But the doctors recommended an ostomy. She and her son approved of it. They did the useless surgery and the result was that she died only some days later in agony.
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A good doctor should be informing you of all your options, including doing nothing, and then up to you to take the one best suited to you. knowing the implications of doing so and not doing so.

So the doctor in your first example is reasonable - he explains that the patient will die without the treatment and the patient refuses the treatment and the doctor accepts that.

2nd example - patient should be informed of risks and benifits of doing or not doing the surgery - and then make their own decision on that.
 
ite's your right to refuse any treatment but it's "their" right to refuse to keep treating without assessing - most of the docs I've either worked with or gone to have been pretty honest - some boringly honest but still honest - ya make ya shout and take the clout??
 
I mostly feel the same about getting more tests, etc. I do have an appointment with a new doctor in May and she'll probably order blood work. Even though I am tired of tests and labs I may go one more time because I have a dog to care for and she needs me right now.
 
Colleen said:
I've always been very healthy (and still am...as far as I know). I'm 77. I have a little arthritis ache in my back when the weather changes but nothing that a little BenGay and the heating pad or Tylenol won't fix. I'm able to go up and down stairs without any problems. All-in-all, I'm in good shape compared to a lot of people my age. I'm very thankful.

That being said, I've been thinking about "what if" and I've been trying to get a handle on what I need to get done just in case an unexpected situation comes alone. Like it did with my husband in October. So, I'm trying to get my ducks in a row and cover all the bases. I got my will done and the next thing I'm going to do is get pre-arranged funeral expenses paid for. That will be another check mark off the list.

I have a doctor's appointment in May. It's a routine 6-month check-up. When I saw her in November, she gave me the paperwork to get my bloodwork done in April and she also wanted me to have an EKG.....just because. I've been doing a lot of thinking about this "routine" stuff and I've decided I'm not going to get any more bloodwork done and I'm not getting an EKG. My bloodwork has always been good. I have low cholesterol and only take HBP medication. It's been under control for years.

I guess what I'm saying is...let whatever is coming come. I'm prepared for the unexpected and I certainly don't want to spend what time I have left worrying about any kind of treatments or therapy if something would show up in my bloodwork or on an EKG.

I guess what brought on this thinking was the way my husband died. It was unexpected and sudden. He had been diagnosed in Dec, 2022 with a rare heart disorder after having had an echocardiogram. We were never given that diagnosis by our doctor. I was upset after he died that she hadn't told us but it actually was a blessing in disguise because we both would have done nothing but worry. There was no treatment for it and it was fatal. The last 9 months before he died were "normal" months of doing what we always did every day and we enjoyed those days together. It was better for us to not know what was coming.

Would you put yourself through h..l your remaining years or live your life without worrying about it all? For me, I don't want to know about anything.
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It's a good plan.

Aside from back issues caused by a long drop off a short pier (it was actually a cliff, 30-some years ago), I'm in pretty good health. I take one medication and it manages my pain well enough. My blood work and vitals are always spot on, I have a good heart ( :p ) and, even though I smoke, the annual chest xrays are always clear...nothing serious going on.

So I'm not going for anymore colonoscopies and I'll only go for blood work and chest xrays if I have an infection or something. I exercise, I don't eat garbage, I know my body and I can tell when something isn't right. That's when I'll see the doc. And, yeah, the Last Will and Testament is good to go, and everybody knows what's in it.

I just want to enjoy my family and my home, maybe start a new hobby and just relax and let the rest of my life unfold.
 
in the old days doctors looked at ya body all over and if they were good then it was accurate otherwise it was just guessing - modern testing when done well is very accurate and doctors rely on this science - just get on with it or not??
 
Looking at this thread from a Canadian point of view, I have to wonder if some of the reluctance being shown here is linked to COST of health care and the puzzle palace that is to be found in American health care systems. The very last thing I have to think about when I need medical care is the "what does this cost " question ?

In the next 2 weeks I will be having a double scope, to investigate serious problems in my stomach and lower bowel. Ten days after that I will be having a Cardiac implant placed in my heart to catch and dissolve possible blood clots. Further down the line in June of this year my 14 month old Pacemaker will be removed and replaced with a newer model that has the ability to counter shock my heart out of Atrial Fibrilation, if required.

The total cost to me ? Nothing., NADA, Zilch, Zero. My question to the Americans on this forum is this ? If you didn't have to pay for medical tests or procedures, would you still not have them done ? Be honest.

JimB.
 
Life's mysteries.
Wellness checks to keep a person healthy and to keep living a good life, that's ok.
I have also seen, too many times, people being "kept alive" for years and their life sucked. No longer the same person in their mind and body, no longer a purpose in life, can't do what they would like to do and relying on others to care for them. Watching their friends and family pass before them, and being quite lonely because of it.
In the last 11 years, I've seeked medical attention for a tear in the retina and for stitches. That's it.
If I'm gone tomorrow because of something that I didn't know about, great. At least I didn't live through a great decline.
Lots to think about.
 
@Colleen Are you depressed or even suicidal? Annual or even bi-annual bllodwork and an EKG would be considered normal for a 77-year-old, IMO.

It sounds like you're kind of giving up. Are you OK?
 
@Jimintoranto, for those of us with a regular Medicare and supplement plan the cost is nothing. I haven’t paid a dime in the 5 years I have been on it.

For many people it’s wanting a decent quality of life. Some of us don’t want to spend all our time going to doctor appointments and having procedures especially a bunch of preventative tests. We have seen people that have lived a long time because of all the healthcare but they have had a bad quality of life.
 


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