People Who Refuse To Go To The Doctor

[movingforward]

Do you know people who absolutely refuse to go to the doctor?  I received a call last weekend from my dad stating his cousin is dying of breast cancer.  Apparently it is all over her body.  I talked to my aunt last night (she and the cousin are very close) and my aunt told me that despite having good insurance her whole life the cousin never received regular mammograms.  To make matters worse she told my aunt that she knew she had lumps in her breasts over a year ago but just thought they would go away .  Finally after losing massive amounts of weight, her back hurting so bad she can barely walk and extreme fatigue she decides to go to the doctor.  Too late now... it has spread to several organs.

My boss has been having bad stomach issues off and on for about 2 yrs.  Lately it has gotten bad and she is now having issues constantly.  I asked her yesterday if she is finally going to the doctor (I have been asking off and on for 2 yrs) and she said "no, I don't like doctors."  Hmmm...Okay... I asked her if she has ever had a colonoscopy.  She said no (she is 63 yrs old).  I politely encouraged her to get one and she just brushed me off.  She said she thinks she just needs to change her diet.  Well maybe, but wouldn't someone want to know that for sure?  The last person I knew who had stomach issues for years and ignored them ended up dying from stomach cancer so I really wish she would see a specialist but its not like I can make her go. 

I completely understand not wanting to run to the doctor for everything and I fully admit that sometimes it is hard to determine when you really NEED to go to the doctor but seriously people... if you are having issues (for lack of a better word) and recognize that something in your body is not quite right then go to the damn doctor! 

Vent over...

Anyone else know people like this?

[ArchietheDragon]

I don't like going to the doctor. When I was about to turn 30 I told myself I would go get a physical and start going annually. I am about to turn 38 and I still haven't made it to the doctor yet. It is just such a pain.

[milee]

My husband.

[zibazinski]

Jun 18, 2015 12:55:27 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

I don't like going to the doctor. When I was about to turn 30 I told myself I would go get a physical and start going annually. I am about to turn 38 and I still haven't made it to the doctor yet. It is just such a pain.

Well, that explains why you have no life insurance. Contrary to common belief, going to the doctor does not cause illness.

[Phoenix84]

No.

But I can see why people are weary of doctors and hospitals. Both my uncle and mom had surgery complications that ended up giving them lasting issues that were worse than the original issues they went in for.

[Phoenix84]

Jun 18, 2015 12:57:17 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Jun 18, 2015 12:55:27 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

I don't like going to the doctor. When I was about to turn 30 I told myself I would go get a physical and start going annually. I am about to turn 38 and I still haven't made it to the doctor yet. It is just such a pain.

Well, that explains why you have no life insurance. Contrary to common belief, going to the doctor does not cause illness.

I think he means to take off work, disrupt your schedule, and go.

I don't like it either, but I'll go if I have an issue, which is almost never.

[giramomma]

Yes. My parents. Some of it is culture. One of my parents grew up pretty low income in a rural area. I think that makes a big difference. My other parent does not think western medicine is particularly useful.

[milee]

Jun 18, 2015 12:57:17 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Jun 18, 2015 12:55:27 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

I don't like going to the doctor. When I was about to turn 30 I told myself I would go get a physical and start going annually. I am about to turn 38 and I still haven't made it to the doctor yet. It is just such a pain.

Well, that explains why you have no life insurance. Contrary to common belief, going to the doctor does not cause illness.

I have really good life in insurance on DH. It's what I think of and comfort myself with when he has serious issues but won't go to the DH.  Now if only he has the decency to die quickly of whatever it is rather than realize it at the last minute and spend thousands on useless treatment...

[movingforward]

Well, I fully admit that I HATE going to the doctor but I have my yearly visits to the OBGYN and had my first mammogram last year.  I don't really like going to the doctor but if someone feels like crap for several weeks their body is probably trying to tell them something.

[MJ2.0]

I'm like that sometimes. If it's a cold or flu I won't go but I've started being more vigilant about things below the belt. I had to get a polyp removed 2 years ago, and I would have never gotten it resolved if I just continued to ignore the recurring symptoms. That reminds me, I think I have to get checked out again...

[steph08]

My husband. He actually did go to Urgent Care this year because our baby tried to kill us (okay, she gave us ear and sinus infections). But other than that, I can't think of the last time he had a regular check-up.

I go every year - does it suck? Yes, but better than dying.

Though after being pregnant, I'm glad I got a year off from having weekly appointments to check out the state of bits.

[Cookies Galore]

My mom. She had a minor stroke nearly four years ago and never went to her follow-up appointment after getting out of the hospital. She's way overdue for a mammogram as well.

Of course, I'm also the dummy who thought I just had bronchitis so it was pointless to go to the doctor. I finally relented after a week of worsening cough and nearly breaking a rib. Yup, whooping cough. Oops!

I'm usually good about going to the doctor for preventive care and things that better to my life (i.e., dermatology). I don't believe every cold needs attention.

[andi9899]

Funny. I had a conversation with my doctors office earlier today. I tried to make an appointment for Monday. She asked what was wrong. I said I'm having trouble breathing and I got "You come in today." I said I didn't have time. She told me to make time and she'll see me at 1:45. Ugh. Leaving now.

[MJ2.0]

Jun 18, 2015 13:09:53 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Funny. I had a conversation with my doctors office earlier today. I tried to make an appointment for Monday. She asked what was wrong. I said I'm having trouble breathing and I got "You come in today." I said I didn't have time. She told me to make time and she'll see me at 1:45. Ugh. Leaving now.

but to her point, breathing is kinda important... why would you want to wait 4 days to get that looked at?

[midjd]

DH is like this, although I've trained him out of it a bit (he actually makes his own appointments now).

He comes by it honestly... FIL's life motto is "I warn't born in a hospital, I ain't gonna die in one." Luckily MIL managed to get him to the ER for his heart attack and cajoled him into a follow-up appointment a few years later when he needed a stent. Otherwise he'd probably have taken a handful of Tums and died in bed.

My personal policy is "wait a week, if it's not better (or getting better), make an appointment." 99% of the time, whatever it is resolves itself, and if not, I know it probably needs intervention. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Jun 18, 2015 13:09:53 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Funny. I had a conversation with my doctors office earlier today. I tried to make an appointment for Monday. She asked what was wrong. I said I'm having trouble breathing and I got "You come in today." I said I didn't have time. She told me to make time and she'll see me at 1:45. Ugh. Leaving now.

Oh Lawdy. You and my husband must be related. Hope everything is OK.

I don't enjoy going, but you do what you have to do, so you can be healthy and do what you want to do is how I look at it. I do the bloodwork twice a year, annual physical, OB-GYN, eyes, neuro are annual. Dermatologist is twice a year (I've had skin cancer). Dentist is twice a year. Vein specialist will begin treatments again in November.

I don't like going to the doctor. When I was about to turn 30 I told myself I would go get a physical and start going annually. I am about to turn 38 and I still haven't made it to the doctor yet. It is just such a pain.

Archie, if I drank as much coffee as you, I might stay away, too.

[Lizard Queen]

I don't go, though I know I should.  So many times I've gone for something only to be told it's nothing.  Why bother, in that case?

Although, I did go fairly recently when I got a big lump on my neck by my ear.  It ended up being a clogged salivary duct.  I would have saved $40 copay and a couple hours of my life if I had just googled it and gotten myself some sour candies to suck on. 

[ArchietheDragon]

Jun 18, 2015 13:19:30 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Jun 18, 2015 13:09:53 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Funny. I had a conversation with my doctors office earlier today. I tried to make an appointment for Monday. She asked what was wrong. I said I'm having trouble breathing and I got "You come in today." I said I didn't have time. She told me to make time and she'll see me at 1:45. Ugh. Leaving now.

Oh Lawdy. You and my husband must be related. Hope everything is OK.

I don't enjoy going, but you do what you have to do, so you can be healthy and do what you want to do is how I look at it. I do the bloodwork twice a year, annual physical, OB-GYN, eyes, neuro are annual. Dermatologist is twice a year (I've had skin cancer). Dentist is twice a year. Vein specialist will begin treatments again in November.

I don't like going to the doctor. When I was about to turn 30 I told myself I would go get a physical and start going annually. I am about to turn 38 and I still haven't made it to the doctor yet. It is just such a pain.

Archie, if I drank as much coffee as you, I might stay away, too.

Seriously.   What is the doc going to tell me?  eat better.  Exercise more.  Don't drink as much coffee and alcohol.  Drink more water.  I got it.  

[Jaguar]

I go to the hospital every month and I get seen by NP's and doctors, you catch it early enough you won't lose as much. I'm a colon cancer survivor cause right from the get out my doctors and myself knew something was wrong.

I had so many doctors calling me that summer I lost patience with them all, everyone wanted to save me.

[hoops902]

Jun 18, 2015 12:57:17 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Jun 18, 2015 12:55:27 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

I don't like going to the doctor. When I was about to turn 30 I told myself I would go get a physical and start going annually. I am about to turn 38 and I still haven't made it to the doctor yet. It is just such a pain.

Well, that explains why you have no life insurance. Contrary to common belief, going to the doctor does not cause illness.

Are you sure?  The doctor's office is full of sick people!

[cktc]

Jun 18, 2015 13:04:45 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I'm usually good about going to the doctor for preventive care and things that better to my life (i.e., dermatology). I don't believe every cold needs attention.

This is how I am. Sometimes I stock pile the little niggling things that have been bothering me throughout the year and pick a couple to discuss at my annual, but everything always comes back fine so I figure I'm just meant to be uncomfortable.

My DH actually dragged me to the ER on Saturday night. I had a pain in my ribs for two days that got progressively worse after doing five loads of laundry. I was perfectly content to lay on the sofa crying until it subsided, didn't really see the need to pay someone to tell me I had a muscle strain or gas, but he insisted. It was a muscle strain. Money wasted. At least I got to be excessively lazy for the next two days.

[andi9899]

Jun 18, 2015 13:14:01 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

Jun 18, 2015 13:09:53 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Funny. I had a conversation with my doctors office earlier today. I tried to make an appointment for Monday. She asked what was wrong. I said I'm having trouble breathing and I got "You come in today." I said I didn't have time. She told me to make time and she'll see me at 1:45. Ugh. Leaving now.

but to her point, breathing is kinda important... why would you want to wait 4 days to get that looked at?

Because I'm busy. I have made commitments and I won't have time to do anything until Monday. I'm double and triple booked as it is.

[Sam_2.0]

My husband is the opposite - he's always at the doctors! I think he goes twice a month. Not lying.

I go when I'm pregnant and for yearly exams. I also have started getting my yearly physicals because now we are required to get documentation of the physical in order to get a portion of the company contribution to our healthcare premiums. Since the visit is free anyway it's no big deal. Actually, I think I forgot to do that from last year but I was so sick of doctors by that point (after having J in Oct) that I didn't even care.

My DH actually dragged me to the ER on Saturday night. I had a pain in my ribs for two days that got progressively worse after doing five loads of laundry. I was perfectly content to lay on the sofa crying until it subsided, didn't really see the need to pay someone to tell me I had a muscle strain or gas, but he insisted. It was a muscle strain. Money wasted. At least I got to be excessively lazy for the next two days.

My DH actually called an ambulance to take me to the ER one night. Diagnosis - heartburn with esophageal spasms. Probably the most horrific pain of my life so far. I couldn't breathe. Felt like a complete idiot when they told me what was wrong. However, the dude that gave me an IV in a moving ambulance was amazing. I wish I could have him do all my IVs from here on out

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I'm fighting this myself now.

I was pretty good about things prior to getting sick.  But for 18 months, I spent so much time at the hospital, in doctor's offices and being seen that I really just don't want to go anymore.  Add to this that I now need to get new doctors locally and I liked all my old providers in KY (other than orthopods).

Up until I got sick, I only went when I absolutely needed to go.  I also got whooping cough, but didn't go until I managed to fracture a rib.  When I got my infection, I was not feeling right for a week before I finally went to the ER - but only because I could not bear weight.  Had I gone any earlier, I would have been told that I had the flu and do all the things you'd do with the flu.  It wasn't until they did the CT scan of my hip to determine why it was so painful that they found the abscess.  And by then it was too late.  But believe me....for over 2 years I chewed on this over and over and realized that going to the doctor until there was another clue would have been useless.

So this summer, I'm going back to KY to see my old eye doctor and gyn.  When I get back, I'll get a mammogram, and touch base with the PCP that I found out here.  I also need to have my hips looked at, so need to make an appointment with my surgeon in Seattle.  UGH.....

[andi9899]

Jun 18, 2015 13:14:01 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

Jun 18, 2015 13:09:53 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Funny. I had a conversation with my doctors office earlier today. I tried to make an appointment for Monday. She asked what was wrong. I said I'm having trouble breathing and I got "You come in today." I said I didn't have time. She told me to make time and she'll see me at 1:45. Ugh. Leaving now.

but to her point, breathing is kinda important... why would you want to wait 4 days to get that looked at?

Because I'm busy. I have made commitments and I won't have time to do anything until Monday. I'm double and triple booked as it is.

[movingforward]

Jun 18, 2015 13:58:46 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Jun 18, 2015 13:14:01 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

but to her point, breathing is kinda important... why would you want to wait 4 days to get that looked at?

Because I'm busy. I have made commitments and I won't have time to do anything until Monday. I'm double and triple booked as it is.

You have something more important than breathing?

[MJ2.0]

Jun 18, 2015 13:58:46 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Jun 18, 2015 13:14:01 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

but to her point, breathing is kinda important... why would you want to wait 4 days to get that looked at?

Because I'm busy. I have made commitments and I won't have time to do anything until Monday. I'm double and triple booked as it is.

I got it the first time!


I get what you're saying, but I'm sure you need to be alive to make it to those other obligations.

[andi9899]

Jun 18, 2015 14:01:57 GMT -5 movingforward said:

Jun 18, 2015 13:58:46 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Because I'm busy. I have made commitments and I won't have time to do anything until Monday. I'm double and triple booked as it is.

You have something more important than breathing?

I know! I know!

[Tiny]

Yes, I know people who wait until they are practically the 'walking dead' before they make a Drs. Appt.
I know a couple of people who associate hospitals with 'bad news' and death... even though they have lots of instances of hospitals being the place people they love were born OR where people they loved were 'repaired' so that they didn't die.
 
I think there's the whole 'avoidance' thing... not so much avoiding the doctor but avoiding their own mortality.  Because going to the doctor and getting a bad diagnosis means you might actually have to face the unlikely possibilty that you might die (that's sarcasm).   If you don't go to the doctor you can just keep going along feeling worse and worse (or with unbearable pain, what ever)  while maintaining the illusion that you will live forever.

I think alot of people have a really hard time bringing themselves to think about how we change as we age (can't always do the things we use to do -- especially if we haven't taken care of our selves!)   much less  their own mortality.   

FWIW:  i know people who have gone weeks with a toothache/abcess, or gimped around with a cracked ankle bone, or who could barely get up from a bed because their back pain was so bad... before they'd been physically escorted to a medical profressional.      Maybe it's the easy access to really potent pain medication?  versus their fear of the 'doctor'??

[happyhoix]

I've had some experiences that have made me not trust our medical facilities much.

People getting the wrong drugs, or the wrong dose, or having unnecessary (and expensive) tests done. People making it through surgery but dying from vomiting in the recovery room, choking, and having no one notice until they are brain dead.  People being wrongly diagnosed and dying from cancer because of it. A guy who was nearly allowed to die because his blood pressure couldn't be stabilized and his heart kept stopping, when in fact the hospital was giving him a drug that lowered his blood pressure, causing the problem in the first place. People going into the hospital for something minor and nearly dying from an infection picked up at the hospital.  

We pay more for our medical care than any other country, but our medical care isn't the best - I think last time I looked we ranked about 17th as far as quality goes. There are things we could be doing to reduce these 'accidental' things, and to limit all the unnecessary tests and treatments. But we don't. Nothing seems to improve. Cost continue to go up. About 1 in four people going to hospitals have something 'unexpected' happen to them.  So while I do routine things like pap tests and mammograms, I avoid going to the doctor as much as possible, and frankly, I won't go to a hospital unless someone can convince me I would die if I didn't go.