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I'm not enamored with doctors and medications but I'm the same age as your dad and I think he should get a check up. It's not only for his sake, but for your sake too. He's causing anxiety to you and you are the one who will be affected if he gets seriously ill as you will probably become responsible for him.
As we age, things tend to go wrong. That doesn't mean you have to die, it means that you find out if anything is starting to go wrong and you do something about it. If that means taking blood pressure pills or adjusting your diet, why not?
Maybe you could refer to it as a 70 year check up and tell him he won't need another one for another 70 years.
I realize you're mostly right. I was going to speak with him about this but I called it off. He was probably going to tell me to stop bothering him anyway.
However, my mother is always in the back of my mind and I surely wouldn't want him to go through the same thing.
Thanks for the replies.
JCatarre...It's nice that you love your father and are concerned that he remain healthy, and it must have been very hard for you to lose your mom.......I have a friend whos uncle worked for the fire department, big strapping man, had a physical, passed in flying colors...3 months later he had a massive heart attack when he was at the fire hall helping with a fundraiser, and died right then....not trying to be cruel, or scary, just saying none of us can really pick and choose our time, you never know, your dad could last longer than you...enjoy the positives in life, he's healthy now, so be happy, and quit worrying about what might (but might not) happen.
Well I guess the question is how devastated will he (or you) be if he were to have a major medical event today and in hindsight it is something that could have been detected earlier and prevented? If he realizes that death is part of life and is cool to go when his time comes, why spoil a good thing.
No, doctors don't guarantee good health, but going for a "check-up" and "basic bloodwork" is guaranteed to find certain abnormalities (just mathematically - tests aren't perfect) that lead to further tests, exams, etc. It's not unusual for a previously healthy older person to find themselves with a diagnosis of "high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary disease, enlarged prostate" in a blink of an eye and go from zero to 10 medications and from 0 medical visits to 4-10 visits with different specialists in a year.
He (and you if you truly care for him) need to be ready to play the role of a patient.
That said, the correct answer is "go for a check up" but the bottom line is its his life.
My mom's cousins (husband and wife) both in there early sixties and have not gone to a doctor for a check up in maybe 20 years. They seem healthy aside from being slightly overweight. They don't don't go to doctors because they are afraid of bad news. The last time the wife went to a GYN was when her youngest son was born. He's 25 now. I never miss going to the gyn, I go once a year for that and once a year for a check up.
I would say if he is 69 years old and he chooses not to go to the doctor then leave him alone he will go to the doctor when he chooses to go.
Frankly that is stupid and reckless advise. He could have high blood pressure and not know it. The resulting stroke could leave him sitting in a wheel chair drooling in his lap for the next 20 years when it could be easily prevented with a daily medication costing about 20 cents a day.
I hate to state the obvious, but death is a part of life.
True, but if sitting in a wheel chair drooling in your lap for the next 10 - 20 years can be prevented by something as easy as controlling your blood pressure, which will you choose?
I can think of many 'killers' that wouldn't be detected during even a thorough well-check.
How many of you have heard, upon someones death....."gee, he just got a clean bill of health last week/month"
Perhaps you could get a promise from him that he would go for a consult if he experiences symptoms of any kind out of the ordinary.
At her death at 97, my mom still was not on any medications at all so advanced age does not necessarily correlate to problems.
Neither am I at 70 and I only go if there is some specific reason that I know probably requires medical attention(possible broken bone,infected tooth were the last ones I can remember......oh yeah, and immediately recognized shingles, this past summer)
I can think of many 'killers' that wouldn't be detected during even a thorough well-check.
How many of you have heard, upon someones death....."gee, he just got a clean bill of health last week/month"
Perhaps you could get a promise from him that he would go for a consult if he experiences symptoms of any kind out of the ordinary.
At her death at 97, my mom still was not on any medications at all so advanced age does not necessarily correlate to problems.
Neither am I at 70 and I only go if there is some specific reason that I know probably requires medical attention(possible broken bone,infected tooth were the last ones I can remember......oh yeah, and immediately recognized shingles, this past summer)
Could also be hit by a truck, but that's why we look before we cross the street.
Kinda stupid to be taken out by a detectable killer, or worse one that leaves incapacitated and totally dependent on others for the next year or 20
I say don't worry about it. My Dad is 83 and just in recent years, past 5-10 started having prostate checked and colonoscopy. I think after my Mom died suddenly 5 years ago, his brother just died, now he doesn't want any surprises. No medication, custom knife maker, works outside too. He only goes to dr, every 6 months. Okay, ya he goes, but he was not going at 69 so things may change with your Dad too.
I am encouraging him right now to get a "skin check", he has some spots and we were heavy sun peeps in the 50's and 60's!
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