Late forties early 50's women (and really guys too) (cyst, pains, kidney stones)
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So...you have all the time in the world to go online AFTER a doctor's visit to confirm/verify/check to see if what they said was valid for you....but you have no time at all to go online and find out how to be healthier? I suppose if you want insurance to pay for that you can shop around and try to find one.
If EVERY time my doctor did a test and I ended up on drugs or having an expensive procedure I would be as suspicious as you...but that has not been my experience at all.
If a doctor seems too much in that direction I'd have no problem finding one who is more in line with my thinking in terms of "degree of active intervention". Some people WANT to act at the first sign of any issue and others would rather wait a bit if the situation isn't an urgent one and see what happens. Doctors hopefully can advise you but then you decide what to actually do. It is a partnership - not some adversarial relationship!
You are 100% missing my point.
Doctors incentives are not here to keep you healthy. They are here to test you for illness. They offer sick care once they find something wrong with you, not healthy care to ensure that you DON'T get sick.
As I said, 99% of the people cannot make this distinction.
Imagine if doctors main focus was on keeping people healthy so they did not get sick.
Instead of waiting until they are sick, finding that disease via insurance-reimbursed testing, and then loading patients up with drugs.
I stopped at a local animal shelter yesterday for some "pet therapy". Met a woman in the cat area with her right arm hanging down and a cane in her left hand. We chatted. 1.5 years ago, again, at 50, she had a stroke. Her right side is pretty much paralyzed and she just recently has been able to drive again, with a car modified to have a gas pedal on the left side.
Almost all these anecdotes pertain to women at approximately age 50. Just yesterday I read an article about how this period in a woman's life should lead to increased vigilance for cardiovascular disease. "In women, the menopausal transition may be a particularly vulnerable time for increase in cardiovascular disease risk, given the convergence of hormonal changes; psychological and physical symptoms; and unfavorable changes in blood pressure, lipids, insulin resistance, and body composition," they said.
A good summation of what they found: "Arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction worsened with menopause and correlated with the intensity of menopausal symptoms, researchers reported from a cross-sectional study."
I think many women, including myself, have always understood that after menopause the chance of developing CVD goes up so we tend to focus on the overt symptoms and relief for them during the transition. We don't realize that experiencing them, and how intensely we experience them, should also be prompting us to explore our cardiovascular status right now, before disaster strikes.
There also seems to a be a gap in care between the gyns and the PCPs. The gyns don't really consider heart disease to be their department. They take it into consideration when they prescribe drugs for other things, but they don't seem to be playing much of a role in prevention. The PCPs though, seem to think that all the female hormonal issues are being addressed by the gyn. In the meantime, you get a patient who has had severe perimenopause symptoms that get addressed with an Rx for a sleep aid or antidepressant or HRT (either prescribed or "all natural" do it yourself) and never referred back to the PCP or cardio for a CVD risk assessment.
My doctor doesn't try to find reasons why I am sick.
She also does not push any drugs, she is the opposite. Diet and exercise first.
Heck, even my husband's ortho doc sent him to PT and everything else before finally settling on surgery. It's obvious he considers cutting the last resort.
Most of the docs we have genuinely want us to be healthy, with a minimum of meds or medical intervention.
Perhaps our situation is different as personally, I have had a relationship with all my docs for over a decade. Heck, my GP came to my husband's funeral, we all know the some of the same people socially.
On my next appointment, my GP will probably lower my BP med. My rhuematologist, listened to MY research on what meds to try when I started with him (he actually asked for my input), I did my research, I think one he veto'd but told me the reason, and felt the rest were valid to try - he was obviously NOT being paid by anyone in Pharma.
In addition, I looked them up online to see what they have received from pharma, and poor things, it looks like they barely got a pizza.
I've HAD bad doctors in the past, and took my business else where.
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My doctor doesn't try to find reasons why I am sick.
She also does not push any drugs, she is the opposite. Diet and exercise first.
Heck, even my husband's ortho doc sent him to PT and everything else before finally settling on surgery. It's obvious he considers cutting the last resort.
Most of the docs we have genuinely want us to be healthy, with a minimum of meds or medical intervention.
Perhaps our situation is different as personally, I have had a relationship with all my docs for over a decade. Heck, my GP came to my husband's funeral, we all know the some of the same people socially.
On my next appointment, my GP will probably lower my BP med. My rhuematologist, listened to MY research on what meds to try when I started with him (he actually asked for my input), I did my research, I think one he veto'd but told me the reason, and felt the rest were valid to try - he was obviously NOT being paid by anyone in Pharma.
In addition, I looked them up online to see what they have received from pharma, and poor things, it looks like they barely got a pizza.
I've HAD bad doctors in the past, and took my business else where.
That's been my experience as well, ie, the docs I see emphasize diet, exercise first, with no undue emphasis on prescription drugs or procedures.
Given that I take advantage of the CD platform on a regular basis to voice my anti-AMA (actually; anti-WHO) standing on a very specific issue of medical science; I feel it would be irresponsible of me to not speak up now for this very different topic.
Because there is a danger in becoming completely polarized on either side of the issue. Becoming polarized leads to having a closed mind & when you close your mind; you are no longer thinking. Thinking ... is really important.
There is nothing to lose by participating in recommended screening. If & when that screening leads to decisions to be made on how to proceed; you still have options. You can be aggressive. Or not. You can follow every recommendation. Or not.
But at least you are making an informed choice. To not take advantage of what, IMO; is the greatest advantage of modern medicine ... the diagnostics ... is a shame.
In fact: That "very specific issue of medical science" I mentioned? Could be, someday; a non-issue, in the event that a procedure for screening become a standard of practice of care.
The fact that there is not yet a screening diagnostic available for that specific issue, is what has led to some very intense polarization of thought on the issue & neither polar end is doing the human race any favors. You don't achieve a greater good at the expense of many; that's just not great. We can do better than that & we can do it with screening & the earliest possible detection of problematic factors.
That in turn; will lead to more ... thinking. And the development of more advanced solutions that could be truly great.
I just have to go on the record as saying that I am an advocate for screening. And thinking.
My personal confession is that as I just turned 50; I need to step it up myself. I am one of those women who has been complacently underserving herself because for 33 years; the only doctor I see on a regular basis is my OBGYN.
I have a PCP on record whose office I have been to ... once. And at that visit, I saw the PA. Other than my OBGYN, I utilize clinics, urgent care & a few times have required the ER. ALL my inpatient admissions have OBGYN related.
So, I could be doing better than that too.
My son's dad has an unusual family history of men who have dropped dead from a heart attack on their birthday. Two uncles, both on his mother's side; both died on their 53rd birthday.
Guess who started having chest pain on his 53rd birthday? Yup; it was bizarre.
I don't recall giving him a choice; he didn't want to go, he thought he had done something to his shoulder at work, blah, blah, blah ...
Obviously, they got him right in before they saw the "family history" part of the H&P. When they saw the history & noted that it was actually his 53rd birthday? He was admitted immediately. He was there for 5 days, while they ran every test under the sun & guess what? It was not his heart! I was wrong!
That's okay; I don't mind being wrong about something like that. He was none worse for the wear, if anything, I think he really didn't mind his beside-delivered meal trays (this particular hospital, at the time; had an award-winning Chef & Nutrition department) & he was just as healthy coming out as he had been on his way in.
So, that's my piece I had to say. Take advantage of these options for testing that we have. And don't stop thinking.
Doctors incentives are not here to keep you healthy. They are here to test you for illness. They offer sick care once they find something wrong with you, not healthy care to ensure that you DON'T get sick.
As I said, 99% of the people cannot make this distinction.
Imagine if doctors main focus was on keeping people healthy so they did not get sick.
Instead of waiting until they are sick, finding that disease via insurance-reimbursed testing, and then loading patients up with drugs.
What is there to know about staying healthy? Eat wholesome food with lots of natural vitamins...maintain a healthy weight...exercise. Take a moderate path and you'll be healthier than most. Otherwise read up on all the latest research.
I don't know how a doctor can be expected to make a living by mouthing the words "Eat right and exercise" - people can do that for themselves. Prevention is relatively easy and I can do that myself. I'm much less able to treat myself and I can't do tests on myself - I hire a doctor for that. Duh
What is there to know about staying healthy? Eat wholesome food with lots of natural vitamins...maintain a healthy weight...exercise. Take a moderate path and you'll be healthier than most. Otherwise read up on all the latest research.
I don't know how a doctor can be expected to make a living by mouthing the words "Eat right and exercise" - people can do that for themselves. Prevention is relatively easy and I can do that myself. I'm much less able to treat myself and I can't do tests on myself - I hire a doctor for that. Duh
Well, I think some people need to be reminded, or to have it pointed out that modern medicine can't do it all for them, hence the reminders from health care providers about the role of healthy living in maintaining their good health.
Well, I think some people need to be reminded, or to have it pointed out that modern medicine can't do it all for them, hence the reminders from health care providers about the role of healthy living in maintaining their good health.
Reminders are great - but when insurance only pays for a 5-10 min. visit with your doctor you will concentrate on the primary reason that brings you in...you can look at the signs in the office about eating all your veggies if you need a reminder.
Doctors incentives are not here to keep you healthy. They are here to test you for illness. They offer sick care once they find something wrong with you, not healthy care to ensure that you DON'T get sick.
As I said, 99% of the people cannot make this distinction.
Imagine if doctors main focus was on keeping people healthy so they did not get sick.
Instead of waiting until they are sick, finding that disease via insurance-reimbursed testing, and then loading patients up with drugs.
Exactly, people just don't want to "get it"...it's sick care, not health care. We need to do our own health care and TODAY it's at our fingertips...before this tube I work with I used stacks of books...and they were and are out there.
People moan and groan about insurance costs etc...and I get it. Even Medicare deductibles are going up every year. I spend most of my good money on supps/vits and good foods.
And it's true, stuff happens when we can least expect it.
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