Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:10 pm Post subject: How often to you get medical tests?
Three months ago I had rather unpleasant, acute pain just below my right ribs. The pain was so terrible that I went to hospital where I spent half a night on a drip. In the following days I underwent a number of tests and although USG didn't reveal any stones in my gallbladder, the organ itself was terribly twisted and its anatomical structure was atypical.
Moreover, I had a fatty and slightly enlarged liver. I am more than overweight and I'm on a low fat diet now. Alcohol excluded.
I went for a check-up visit recently and my medical test report is much better now. Blood test: only ALT (liver enzyme) is still slightly elevated, the gallbladder is still strangely shaped but nothing can be done about it unless you remove it (I don't want to do it as long as it's not absolutely necessary). The liver is much less fatty and it's no longer enlarged.
Last but not least - I lost approx. 10 kg!!!
Anyway, when it all happened I started t be deeply worried about my health. Needless to say wasn't I too cautious about my health in recent years and for a moment I was afraid that I might have a cancer.
Now I decided that I will perform medical tests at least once a year and will try to go and see my doctor much more often. I hope I won't fail to keep this promise.
Well, I work in a hospital that specializes in neurological issues, so I would say that stroke, brain injuries, and paralysis are the problems that I would really never ever want to endure. As in, I hope if I ever have a massive stroke it just kills me outright, instantly. If I ever break my neck or my back in a car accident, i hope I don't survive to tell the tale. I see what those survivors have to go through for the rest of their lives, and I really am not sure I would find it worth it. (Not to denigrate those brave people who do, just talking about myself.)
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and borderline high blood pressure several years ago, and both are easily treated with medication, which I take faithfully, because high blood pressure of course eventually leads to strokes and heart attacks. Eek. I get a thyroid test at least once a year to make sure my dosage doesn't need adjustment. It's pretty minor and fairly unlikely to kill me even if untreated, but why be tired all the time?
I also get an annual pelvic exam and Pap smear, because cervical cancer is another stupid thing to die of that's easily caught early. Although I do have a friend who had a normal Pap smear one year and grade four cancer the next -- they had her in surgery two days later and she was even able to have another child afterwards, even though half of her cervix had been removed. Don't fuck around with your health, ladies. It's a cheap thrill and a little poke with a Q-tip, and the cold jelly kind of feels ... oddly intriguing. Get it done! _________________ An apple a day....
Well, after my own nasty experience a few years ago, I now go for annual tests. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
I've got high blood pressure as well and have been on medicines for the past 2 years. The blood pressure is only slightly elevated but I am taking Ramiprilum and Indapamidum (commercial names: Tritace and Diuresin).
It's quite weird, I'm only 30+ with so many health problems...
Andre:
Are you feeling better now? I hope this unpleasant "heart incident" hasn't happened again.
I've got high blood pressure as well and have been on medicines for the past 2 years. The blood pressure is only slightly elevated but I am taking Ramiprilum and Indapamidum (commercial names: Tritace and Diuresin).
It's quite weird, I'm only 30+ with so many health problems...
Andre:
Are you feeling better now? I hope this unpleasant "heart incident" hasn't happened again.
Feeling great. My heart has recovered to such an extent that there are no signs that a heart attack ever happened. Healthier lifestyle (no smoking, eating more fruit, getting more excercise) sure helps! _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
And I am so glad to hear it, Andre! That was a real wake up call, and probably to all of us, because you are still pretty young as well.
Yeah, Ksa, I was diagnosed with my issues at 32. We still feel young and healthy, but it can be an illusion! My dad is 67 now and taking a lot of care of himself, most of which is preemptive, i think -- lots of walking to keep himself in shape, regular colonoscopies, eating healthy, taking various supplements. He was fatter and very sedentary when he was younger, but his wife has really whipped him into taking care of himself, and as far as I know, he has no major health issues and looks the best he ever has. My mom, too, still jogs at 58 and watches what she eats, and is healthy as a horse. It's funny that I'm the one with all the diagnoses, huh? I need to be taking a leaf out of their books!
One of my best friends has been in the hospital for the last two weeks with peritonitis, a complication of the treatment he undergoes for kidney failure, which hit him out of the blue at the age of 27 or so. He is really going to need to shape himself up and adhere to a strict renal diet and take much more rigorous care of himself now. He's been a little lax these past 10 years, but this last stay was really horrendous. The pain was so bad that morphine wasn't cutting it, so they put him on dilaudid -- which promptly sent his heart into atrial fibrillation. They converted it back to a normal rhythm with medication within a day, but I notice he is still on that heart medication a week later. Then they did emergency surgery on him. Between the infection and all the medication, he suffered from metabolic encephalopathy for a week, which is a nice way of saying he was stark raving nutso. The surgery slowed down his gut so much that they finally had to feed him IV because he vomited up anything he ate or drank, and the bed rest started to affect his lungs. So in two weeks he went from having no working kidneys to having no working kidneys, a messed up heart, a nonfunctioning GI tract, abnormal mental status, and iffy lungs. Wow! Sometimes it doesn't take too much to send you over the edge. _________________ An apple a day....
Uriel, I quit smoking long time ago (my response to the high blood pressure diagnosis), can go without alcohol (as a preventive measure to my liver condition) but - for God's sake! - I will not survive without caffeine! Do you think that one or two cups of coffe a day will or will not worsen my health condition, I mean the high blood pressure?
Uriel, I quit smoking long time ago (my response to the high blood pressure diagnosis), can go without alcohol (as a preventive measure to my liver condition) but - for God's sake! - I will not survive without caffeine! Do you think that one or two cups of coffe a day will or will not worsen my health condition, I mean the high blood pressure?
Man is not meant to live without coffee!! _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Uriel, I quit smoking long time ago (my response to the high blood pressure diagnosis), can go without alcohol (as a preventive measure to my liver condition) but - for God's sake! - I will not survive without caffeine! Do you think that one or two cups of coffe a day will or will not worsen my health condition, I mean the high blood pressure?
Well, I am no expert, but as far as I know, all the evidence points to caffeine actually being good for you (in moderation, I expect). I drink coffee and tea every day and have no issues with it. (Tea doesn't have near as much as coffee anyway.) My attitude is that as long as my BP remains controlled by the drug, which it does, I should be okay. No doctor has ever mentioned limiting caffeine to me -- only salt. Dropping a few pounds would probably be far more beneficial in the long run than dropping caffeine. And of course, we could all do without as much salt as we generally consume in a day. _________________ An apple a day....
Well, I am no expert, but as far as I know, all the evidence points to caffeine actually being good for you (in moderation, I expect). I drink coffee and tea every day and have no issues with it. (Tea doesn't have near as much as coffee anyway.) My attitude is that as long as my BP remains controlled by the drug, which it does, I should be okay. No doctor has ever mentioned limiting caffeine to me -- only salt. Dropping a few pounds would probably be far more beneficial in the long run than dropping caffeine. And of course, we could all do without as much salt as we generally consume in a day.
And what do you think about all those "energy drinks"?
I've never really partaken much, or noticed much effect. Back when I was in college i used to drink the now-defunct Jolt Cola ("All the sugar and twice the caffeine of regular Cola!") when I had to pull an all-nighter, but I think just regular coffee does the trick, too. Caffeine pills like Vivarin just made me shaky and made my heart race. That's not good for you!
I tried a Red Bull once, and couldn't get past the vile taste, i'm afraid! _________________ An apple a day....
I've never really partaken much, or noticed much effect. Back when I was in college i used to drink the now-defunct Jolt Cola ("All the sugar and twice the caffeine of regular Cola!") when I had to pull an all-nighter, but I think just regular coffee does the trick, too. Caffeine pills like Vivarin just made me shaky and made my heart race. That's not good for you!
I tried a Red Bull once, and couldn't get past the vile taste, i'm afraid!
I've never seen any real effect with energy drinks either, so I never bother. And Red Bull in particular tastes horrible! _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Location: El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula
Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:52 pm Post subject:
Everyone of adult age should try to see their doctor at least once a year for routine checkups, especially if you're a) overweight, b) female (b/c God knows what sorts of pesky growths can develop in our uteruses!), d) over 40. I recently lost an aunt who refused to go in for regular checkups even though she was overweight, had high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels. And last month, a healthy-looking, male 39-year old acquaintance of mine keeled over and died of heart failure after a game of football. Turns out he had a congenital heart defect that he would've known about had he gone in for checkups. Take care of yourself, KSa... and yes, see your doctor regularly.
Quote:
I tried a Red Bull once, and couldn't get past the vile taste, i'm afraid!
Red Bull is ghastly! But apparently, some people love that stuff. My good friend drinks it like water, and he paid dearly for it by developing stones and requiring a stent put in to let them pass.
Everyone of adult age should try to see their doctor at least once a year for routine checkups, especially if you're a) overweight, b) female (b/c God knows what sorts of pesky growths can develop in our uteruses!), d) over 40.
That reminds when the other year a "mammographic bus" was visiting small towns and villages in Poland offering free examinations and less than 30% of women decided to check themselves. A reporter asked on of those "undecided" why she hadn't gone there and she anwered something like "oh, and if they detect something?"
Sad but true, sometimes people prefer to live in uncertainty but do they know that cancers (or whatever diseases) detected at an early stage are much easier to cure and in some cases 100% curable? The problem with cancer is that when it starts to show clinical symptoms, like pain, it's often too late. Therefore raising consciousness, education, should always be a priority.
Location: El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula
Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:31 pm Post subject:
KSa wrote:
Sad but true, sometimes people prefer to live in uncertainty but do they know that cancers (or whatever diseases) detected at an early stage are much easier to cure and in some cases 100% curable? The problem with cancer is that when it starts to show clinical symptoms, like pain, it's often too late. Therefore raising consciousness, education, should always be a priority.
Yes, I've heard a few people refuse to see a doctor for fear of discovering that there's something wrong. But wouldn't you want to know if something's wrong so you can take steps to fix it??
Re: cancer... I think of someone like Farrah Fawcett, who recently died after a long battle with anal cancer. I believe she was diagnosed after the cancer had spread to other organs. I don't think many of us bother to have that part of our body checked regularly, but next time I see my doctor, I'm going to have her check every single orifice!
Everyone of adult age should try to see their doctor at least once a year for routine checkups, especially if you're a) overweight, b) female (b/c God knows what sorts of pesky growths can develop in our uteruses!), d) over 40.
That reminds when the other year a "mammographic bus" was visiting small towns and villages in Poland offering free examinations and less than 30% of women decided to check themselves. A reporter asked on of those "undecided" why she hadn't gone there and she anwered something like "oh, and if they detect something?"
Sad but true, sometimes people prefer to live in uncertainty but do they know that cancers (or whatever diseases) detected at an early stage are much easier to cure and in some cases 100% curable? The problem with cancer is that when it starts to show clinical symptoms, like pain, it's often too late. Therefore raising consciousness, education, should always be a priority.
That's just crazy, especially if it's free! I always get chewed out by gynecologists for not doing monthly breast exams, but honestly, I told the last one, they're lumpy anyway! What am I really feeling for? And she said, something like a BB, that doesn't feel like the rest of your tissue. So at least now I have an idea of what I would be looking for. I mean, it's not like me and my boobs aren't good friends, and I do get the occasional amateur consult on them as well -- and don't knock it: that's exactly how one of my friend's ended up getting a biopsy - her boyfriend found the lump! Luckily it was benign. Whew! _________________ An apple a day....
Everyone of adult age should try to see their doctor at least once a year for routine checkups, especially if you're a) overweight, b) female (b/c God knows what sorts of pesky growths can develop in our uteruses!), d) over 40.
That reminds when the other year a "mammographic bus" was visiting small towns and villages in Poland offering free examinations and less than 30% of women decided to check themselves. A reporter asked on of those "undecided" why she hadn't gone there and she anwered something like "oh, and if they detect something?"
Sad but true, sometimes people prefer to live in uncertainty but do they know that cancers (or whatever diseases) detected at an early stage are much easier to cure and in some cases 100% curable? The problem with cancer is that when it starts to show clinical symptoms, like pain, it's often too late. Therefore raising consciousness, education, should always be a priority.
That's just crazy, especially if it's free! I always get chewed out by gynecologists for not doing monthly breast exams, but honestly, I told the last one, they're lumpy anyway! What am I really feeling for? And she said, something like a BB, that doesn't feel like the rest of your tissue. So at least now I have an idea of what I would be looking for. I mean, it's not like me and my boobs aren't good friends, and I do get the occasional amateur consult on them as well -- and don't knock it: that's exactly how one of my friend's ended up getting a biopsy - her boyfriend found the lump! Luckily it was benign. Whew!
I read a book recently about advances in human genetics and found out that now you can check your DNA and it will tell you whether you are susceptible to certain types of diseases, including breast cancer. Of course it only means that your genetic make-up makes you predisposed to certain diseases and it doesn't mean you will get it for sure. I think it's good to know anyway. It's quite expensive though.
Yeah, I noticed when I went to the gynecologist that there was an extensive list of questions about your family medical history, many of them focused on breast and ovarian cancers, along with a box at the bottom for the doctor to check off whether your answers indicated that genetic testing should be offered to you, and whether you had accepted or declined it.
Luckily there's none in my immediate family, but I once had a friend who said that her family's motto was "No Two Boobs in One Coffin". Pretty much every female member of her family, including her mother, had had breast cancer and a mastectomy to prove it -- sometimes two. She was pretty much resigned to her fate. Don't know if she was planning on having a preemptive mastectomy later on to cut her chances, but i wouldn't have blamed her if she was.
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