When was your last check up?

[Woodsmoke]

That's struck a chord, Dodgy. I turned 50 last September, and while I've been blessed with good health most of my life it's becoming apparent that I don't bounce back from injury or illness quite the way I used to. I had a full physical MOT a year ago at the insistence of my wife, and I'm very glad I did. It flagged up nothing of any importance, but it was a huge weight off my mind, and I hadn't realised just how much I was taking for granted.

Best wishes for a quick and lasting recovery, and thank you for giving us all a much-needed reminder to look after ourselves, both for our own sake, and there around us!

 

[Old-YOP]

What you refer to is called “White coat syndrome”

In this case it's called "Tw*t Quack" syndrome.

"Look Doc, here's pics of my own checks over the last week".
"Ah Ha, but how do I know that's you?"
"Doc, can I pay you twice what the insurance company is paying you to stay here and drink tea and wait for a decent reading?"
"Sorry, busy day, this reading will have to do".

And so on ...

 

[Sonicdmb73]

In this case it's called "Tw*t Quack" syndrome.

"Look Doc, here's pics of my own checks over the last week".
"Ah Ha, but how do I know that's you?"
"Doc, can I pay you twice what the insurance company is paying you to stay here and drink tea and wait for a decent reading?"
"Sorry, busy day, this reading will have to do".

And so on ...

Does he/she follow the correct guidelines for taking your blood pressure. If not complain to the insurance company.
My sister has many times argued with the nurses taking her pressure. They turn up with the wrong size cuff. When challenged usually reply “well we’ll just try with this first”. Thing is she’s a nurse herself so it doesn’t wash. I do wonder how many people have false data recorded due to similar circumstances.

 

[20-250]

Well, dodgy, your post has done some good. You made me eat a salad tonight.

 

[User00047]

But provided we take care with the quality of our diet and avoid all the things like smoking and booze we should be relatively ok

Well that’s me f***ed then

I haven’t been for an actual check up with GP since 2003.
I do go to A+E when needed though (average about twice a year) and when I take my kids for their doctors appointments I get them to quickly take my blood pressure, listen to my heart beat etc. and I even got a bonus tetanus jab when I took my daughter to get her (6month?) jabs.

 

[Odders]

What you refer to is called “White coat syndrome”. A friend of mine had type two diabetes. His blood pressure was always high when the nurse checked it, but normal when the doctor checked. Mind you I don’t think he fancied the doctor
Joking aside you might try taking your own pressure and giving them the results as a counter to the one higher reading they take.
Wrong tablet been there first ones I got my ankles disappeared. The current ones seem to be ok though.

I bought an Omron M2 Basic BP monitor years ago & I'm usually around 125/70 but every time the doc does my BP, it's 135-140/80.
I thought my monitor might be knackered, so bought another, which agrees with the first.
Went to the doc with a month's readings & my monitor (which in his presence showed higher). He said "white coat hypertension" appeared to be the case, had me wear a 24/7 monitor for a week to make sure & this corroborated my own monitor's figures.
These Omron monitors are only about £25 & could save someone having a heart attack or stroke.

Oh & at one point my BP WAS up around 140/80 but I brought it back down pretty easily by getting of my fat arse & walking three or four miles a day - that "10,000 steps" thing really does work - cut 45lbs off my weight too.

 

[User00033]

My machine is an Omron too @Odders, when I got it I took it to the nurse station at the medical centre and we checked it on three different people, against the surgery’s machine. Works really well.

It’s all very well having a machine at home but no good at all if you don’t actually use it. With travel and hunting and family and all the other fun & games games of life, I got out of the habit of testing blood pressure periodically. Now, that cannot happen again. But now a monthly, then eventually three monthly, check in at the medical centre is going to keep me honest.

 

[Odders]

My machine is an Omron too @Odders, when I got it I took it to the nurse station at the medical centre and we checked it on three different people, against the surgery’s machine. Works really well.

It’s all very well having a machine at home but no good at all if you don’t actually use it. With travel and hunting and family and all the other fun & games games of life, I got out of the habit of testing blood pressure periodically. Now, that cannot happen again. But now a monthly, then eventually three monthly, check in at the medical centre is going to keep me honest.

"Which" did a test on BP monitors & the cheap Omron M2 Basic came out on top overall & outperformed some far more expensive machines (including other Omron offerings).
I use mine several times a week, cos I is paranoid.
Oh & I get my second, mail in "sh*t on a stick" pack next week - ain't growing older wunnerful?

 

[User00035]

Oh and by the way sometimes it takes time to find a decent GP. Unfortunately my experience is a lot of them are completely useless.

Takes three weeks to get an appointment to see mine. And when you get there you're the only person in the waiting room yet they're still running half an hour late for your appointment. It's not surprising a lot of people don't bother seeing a doctor until they're seriously ill.

 

[John Gryphon]

An old time mate just left home here five mins ago,he and his son are heading down the road to "spot X" and are going to deploy 5 game cameras and do a pre camp dump before the high country gates are shut.
Nothing new in that but Mick is a liver transplant recipient and that took place less than two years ago. He was hours off snuffing it and has shot a few sambar since. Bloody good show as you Poms may say.
Life be in it,dont sit and feel all sorry for yourself,get out there and shoot a deer,get some blood on your hands.

 

[Cootmeurer]

Well said. Wife is in Geriatric Medicine and she comments almost daily about the patients that wait too long to bring something to attention. She hated her Pediatric rotation while back in school because everything was a crying crisis, including a standard checkup. Then she mentions elders being the opposite, often having issues for 6 months and only bringing them to the clinic when they become unbearable