People that are always going to the doctor

Aunt Bea said:
I think the best policy is Don't ask, don't tell!

When you are with friends you should be able to find something much nicer to talk about than aches, pains, tests and treatments.
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And that's why I prefer chatting with our kids and grandkids rather than old geezers such as myself. We don't belong to any senior groups or housing but when we've visited friends that do, and find ourselves among a group of old folks, it seems as though one of the leading subjects, along with "humble-bragging" about their stock holdings or former glory years in the workforce, is their medical treatments or lack of same.

It runs the whole gamut from the "manly" men who broke a leg and an arm but had the wife splint them and never saw the doc, to the other extreme who woke with a headache and called 911. Like who really gives a s--t about your or my problems. I'll respond, if asked, but to introduce health problems as a subject of conversation seems a bit strange to me. As always - -JMHO!
 

We live in a scarey world, we see commercials on TV, new meds that will change to way we feel, and online, tons of info on "what will help this and that". I've read so many symptoms that can apply to so many different diseases, I'm sure I have all of them at one time or another. Holly brought up the fact that some "have" to go. My niece is going through cancer treatments, and it's giving her terrible side-effects but I would be horrified if a doctor told me I had only 6 months to live too.

I think "pain" drives most people to the doc and I know that it will take me straight there. Pain is not something I can handle, not much anyway:(
 
jujube said:
My sister and I were laughing about that yesterday. We were saying, "Remember when we used to make fun of the old folks who always talked about their ailments?"

"Yeah, but that's US now!"

My mother goes to the doctor at the drop of a hat. I think she just likes the attention.
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Yes, I used to think I would never "be there" and here I am, much like what my mom suffered, and my sister that's 10 years older than I am. Seems everything I've ever teased or laughed about another person is happening to me now. Paybacks, or what goes around comes around:sosad:
 

Denise1952 said:
We live in a scarey world, we see commercials on TV, new meds that will change to way we feel, and online, tons of info on "what will help this and that". I've read so many symptoms that can apply to so many different diseases, I'm sure I have all of them at one time or another. Holly brought up the fact that some "have" to go. My niece is going through cancer treatments, and it's giving her terrible side-effects but I would be horrified if a doctor told me I had only 6 months to live too.

I think "pain" drives most people to the doc and I know that it will take me straight there. Pain is not something I can handle, not much anyway:(
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I once worked in the Cardiology department of a large medical center. Many of our patients were looking for a magic pill that would make them healthy again; some of them acted like we had a cure that we were deliberately withholding from them. We all understood their fear, but for the most part there was nothing that could be done for them that hadn't already been tried.

One of our cardiologists, a woman from India, would get one of her complainers on the line and she would start on her litany: Have you lost the 30 pounds I told you to lose? Have you quit smoking? How about your diet? Are you eating more vegetables and less meat? Are you making yourself get up and walk, even if it's short distances? There were more but I can't remember all of them now.

I'm sure it's worse now with the magic pills being flogged constantly.
 
Camper6 said:
Hiccups. How did you stop them. There are all kinds of folk remedies. One that I tried was holding your tounge out for five minutes.
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They sedated him, knocked him out completely. He was sore for a couple of days, but he was okay.

We tried all of the folk remedies. Stick out your tongue. Put sugar on your tongue. Hold your breath. Breathe into a paper bag. Drink 10 big awallows of water without breathing. A couple of the guys were interns at the hospital. They called and got an ER doc they knew who told them all kinds of things to try. He said if none of them worked, bring him in because hard hiccups that went on could be harmful. We were having a party and we were having a good time so at first it was funny, then as it went on it stopped being humorous.
 
Smiling Jane said:
They sedated him, knocked him out completely. He was sore for a couple of days, but he was okay.

We tried all of the folk remedies. Stick out your tongue. Put sugar on your tongue. Hold your breath. Breathe into a paper bag. Drink 10 big awallows of water without breathing. A couple of the guys were interns at the hospital. They called and got an ER doc they knew who told them all kinds of things to try. He said if none of them worked, bring him in because hard hiccups that went on could be harmful. We were having a party and we were having a good time so at first it was funny, then as it went on it stopped being humorous.
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LOL, I don't think I'll ask how you knocked him out, but I'll bet he was glad to be rid of the hiccups;)
 
Smiling Jane said:
Oh no, Denise. As much as I would have enjoyed knocking him out – where did I put that sledge hammer? – I left it to the ER doc.
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LOL;) Left all the fun to him hey;) :giggle:I had a gal-friend that went right into nursing after highschool and worked in ER later. The stories she told me;)
 
Smiling Jane said:
Oh, I bet. I used to take minutes for M&M (mortality & morbidity) meetings. We kind of got a Clif Notes version of some of that craziness.
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I always think of "you have to laugh or you'll cry". That's the way Shelby was, huge heart for people, but to keep going, in private they would have to make light of as much as they could.
 
Denise1952 said:
I always think of "you have to laugh or you'll cry". That's the way Shelby was, huge heart for people, but to keep going, in private they would have to make light of as much as they could.
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They had fun to alleviate the pressure of what they lived with. They've learned to be more careful now that patients can see all of their records. I remember when pediatricians used the code FLK (funny looking kid) until parents wanted to know what it meant. Let the games begin. A doctor friend told me the weirder-looking the kid, the more upset the parents seemed to get.

They also learned to be more cautious about who they tell jokes to. Some of the funniest jokes I ever heard came out of medical facilities but they were not for the sensitive.
 
Smiling Jane said:
They had fun to alleviate the pressure of what they lived with. They've learned to be more careful now that patients can see all of their records. I remember when pediatricians used the code FLK (funny looking kid) until parents wanted to know what it meant. Let the games begin. A doctor friend told me the weirder-looking the kid, the more upset the parents seemed to get.

They also learned to be more cautious about who they tell jokes to. Some of the funniest jokes I ever heard came out of medical facilities but they were not for the sensitive.
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LOL! That's hilarious. My uncle was one of the best the VA Hospital ever had, and omg, the stories, and "the way he told the story"!! My brother was a cop all his life, he told the stories with humor as well, and people in those jobs need to do that. But true, they're just for others that understand what those sort of heros go through:)
 
I once worked in the Cardiology department of a large medical center. Many of our patients were looking for a magic pill that would make them healthy again; .......One of our cardiologists, a woman from India, would get one of her complainers on the line and she would start on her litany: Have you lost the 30 pounds I told you to lose? Have you quit smoking? How about your diet? Are you eating more vegetables and less meat? Are you making yourself get up and walk, even if it's short distances? ........
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Yes. A major pet peeve with me. Millions of people who refuse to to anything to help their health and complain about the medical system, the cost, and no 'magic pill' etc. The AMA says the diabetes epidemic is 90%, totally preventable, if people would only eat right and at the least, keep off excess weight.
 
Doctor appointments and health issues are something everyone has in common, so it's easy to make small talk with other people. I'm another one - when I was younger I'd be guilty of making fun of the old folks that always swap health stories. I don't share my health stories , but I have listened to quite a few that decided I NEEDED to hear theirs ~~~
 
I am fortunate to be reasonably healthy and my doctor has me in every three months and if something comes up to cause me worry or pain then I can call the receptionist and get in between regular appointments.
I rarely have to go in oftener than ever 3 months and I have blood work done once a year.
I am grateful that my health is okay so far in my senior years.
 

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