This subject seems to come up at work a few times a year, usually around the time someone has a friend that passes away, "way too early"
When I was in my twenties, I thoughe I was invinceable. Served my country and made it back in one peice with no "visible" scars. I had a full head of hair (those were the days!) and weighed in and out of 160lbs.
When I reached my early 30s,I realized something "wasnt right" and went to see a doctor, at which time I was told , pretty much point blank, thatI wasnt inmortal and I had to decide if I wanted to live to see my 35th birthday. I guess you can figrue out what I decided.
In my 40s things stayed pretty much on course, except I lost a bunch of hair ( it might be hard for you guys to notice it, but its true, Im thining on top a little ) and put on a ton of weight.
In my late 40s to early 50s things have "come up" that Ill have to deal with the rest of my life, and I see my doctor twice a year to deal with it, but hey, shit happens.
So heres the question:
How many of you guys see your doctor annually just for a check up? And all you over 50 guys, how many of you go in for "The Finger" probe , colonoscopy, etc.
My annual check up is next month. We'll be scheduling the old "Kolon Koolaid" then. Yeesh. I've always been health conscious, but not health practicing, if you know what I mean. After balooning up to nearly 250 lbs in 06, me the and the Mrs decided enough was enough. I lost about 50, she, around 40. I put about 15 back on over the holidays and I'm working my tail to get it back off.
I've alcoholism, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes on my dad's side of the family, though his mom lived to 94, his dad died at 62 and two of his brothers died of cancer. I know I'll have to work to stack the deck in my favor if I'm to see 80.
Your body is simply a machine. Do what you have to in order to keep it running right. Feed it the proper fuel, don't allow it to get 'gummed up', and don't ignore symptoms that might 'leave you beside the road' somewhere.
No shame in getting yourself checked out.
Don't allow emotions to get in the way of proper maintenance. You'll get out of it, what you put into it. Treat it as if it were your favorite hotrod.
I turn 50 in a month & a half. I have had regular check-ups since I was 45, had a chemical stress test, & am trying to lose weight, I was also a quart a day alcoholic. Cancer & heart disease does not run in my family, my stress test was VERY negative, & I consider myself to be in excellent health... & still have a ton of hair I'll not be visiting Mr. Roto Rooter any time soon. Colon problems do not run in my family & I do not tolerate needles well so it'll wait 5 more years. Good subject Chuck
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If you didn't build it, it will always be someone else's
I've been fortunate to only have one episode a couple years ago with a tumor in my sac.
Biggun too. They took that and some meat around it, after a biopsy it came back clean. Just a tumor. Doc actually thought it may have been from my days of extended cycling. 100 mile days were not unheard of in our club of riders. We called them century rides.
Anyway, that was enough to scare me into yearly visits. Before that all through my 20's, I drank alot, worked myself into the ground since I had the instant family thing going right out of high school.
My buddy almost died from a heart attack while out hunting last year. He's 39.
That scared me too, been a couple years since my tumor, but I had started letting my health slide also, not eating well, yada, yada
Then I tore up my foot this year. That got me to the doctor, who had me checked out top to bottom.
We have been dieting and trying to eat better for months. I've lost some weight, so has Theresa, and we eat much, much better. Feel great except I still miss caffeine.
The foot is permantently damaged, but if it weren't for that, then I wouldn't have found out about my blood pressure, high cholesteral, and that there is no fix for ugly.
My father was diagnosed with grade 4 brain cancer recently. He is undergoing chemo and rad as we speak. When I found I out I went in for a screening. Shame it takes something so close to make me think of check ups.
No finger probes yet. Doc said I'm still too young and innocent for that manuver.
I'll be 58 in July. I believe that will make me the same age as someone else on this board that we all know.
I haven't had the colonoscopy since I was 50. I've had diabetes since I was 42, I'm way overweight for my height and sleep with a CPAP device to keep from dying in my sleep....other than that I'm fit as a fiddle!
Fx looks great in his weight reduced form and I should get on that wagon as well or get a plasma cutter to widen the door on the Taurus.
I turned 55 in December. My Dad died November 1st of '06 he was 86 almost 87. I lost my Mother December 26 '07 she was almost 94. I get a full check up every year. I have high blood pressure (under control with medication), I don't smoke or drink (glass of wine once and a while). I am not over weight by any means only 110 lbs. 5'4" and shrinking. Have most of my hair (receding a bit) turning gray here and there, but as my father would say " nothing to be ashamed of". I use to work out an hour a day at the gym, but I lost my job last July and haven't been back to the gym. Did the Colonoscopy (sp) think last year. Not so bad the prep is the worst of it. Didn't find anything wrong, but since Dad had pollips (sp) I have to go every 5 years instead of 10. Not so bad, I think I will make 80+ if I don't die from some type of accident LOL.
Oh yeah, he's the guy who helped me when I crashed and burned with a kidney stone that got loose back in 2004. Fell on the ice and hurt my hip. I think that was 2002. Got a MRI and the guy said take it easy. Before that I got the flu real bad in 1999. Got some pills for that little deal. That's almost 10 years, before that don't matter much, I guess.
I go to the urologist once a year for a kidney stone check up. It usually goes like this:
"Your Xrays look okay, how do you feel?"
"Okay"
"Cool, what kind of cars are you working on?"
So whatever...I usually run a few pounds heavy, 6'0" at 185/195. I don't smoke or drink and I don't particularly watch what I eat, but if the scale says so I back off a bit. I don't go to the gym anymore since my left knee turned to shit, but I am almost always on the move in the shop all day.
Yes, I know..........but I have always been pretty good at self doctoring. Maybe Chuck can help me out with the "you know what" at Woodward this year. It certainly won't be a dry run, though.....
I truned 56 last month and have never had a colonoscopy. I have never had high bleed pressure or high cholesterol. Had a kidney stone 2002 and my left knee has gone to hell so i have quit using my gazelle. I need to find something else to use.
I showed my fat ass in 2003 or 2002 Woodward and couldn't stand what i looked like so lost some weight. Went from 280 to 200 and now hovering around 210. Could use to lose some more. All in all I'm not in bad shape have a fair amount of hair and have never warn a ball cap in my life (i think they rub your hair off).
Oh boy, this is gonna practically be a short story...
I turned 33 in January, and I've had health issues my entire life.
Born premature with a club foot, inguinal hernia, and eye problems. Surgeries on all things to correct them but my eyes are EXTREMELY light sensitive and my right leg was in a cast so long that it didn't develop correctly. My right calf is half the size of my left one, my foot in a shoe size smaller, and I've got a pretty good limp and use a cane sometimes. My left knee isn't so hot either, all the muscles & connective tissue didn't grow properly.
In third or fourth grade they had to go back in and redo the hernia and take care of a couple other issues, and then not too long afterwards I got bit by a dog & damn near lost my right kidney. Fortunately that was the end worst part of my childhood but I never could really run or keep up with anyone else in any of the normal activities growing up. I took up karate for a few years & even with that training I didn't have stamina for $hit most of the time.
Fast forward to after high school, at 20 years old I'm working out of my own shop & end up in the ER for chest pains due to heat exhaustion. Turns out I've got high blood pressure and under stress my heart goes into an irregular rhythm. Doctors say to slow down or I'll stroke out or have a heart attack if I don't watch it. Not long afterwards I seriously hurt my back. Tear up a bunch of muscles, compress the spinal column, and ruin the natural S curve everyone's spine has. Bed ridden for the better part of six months on all kinds of pills and then physical therapy for more than a year to try to regain some usefulness.
Skip ahead to September 2001 and I'm in the hospital now for kidney pain that I thought was a UTI. Due to all the other problems my kidneys are damaged & I'm told to slow down and to cut out cokes, coffee, and tea consumption.
In January of this year I ended up at the hospital again with bronchitis and it took over a month to get rid of it. Years of taking meds of all kinds have made me tolerant to most pain killers and antibiotics. I'm in pain daily in both my back & my leg, and I've got arthritis coming on in every joint and carpal tunnel in both hands from years of doing computer work. Some days it's all I can do to get out of bed, but I plod along as best as I can. I'm popping lortabs most days to knock down the pain and on the really bad days I'll take percocet. Even with that the pain comes through and I can't stand or walk for more than 20 - 30 minutes without my leg and back throbbing. I need to lose a good 60 pounds, but dammit it's hard to do when you can't do $hit. I'm down to eating 1000 - 1200 calories a day and haven't lost a pound. In fact I've gained weight.
I've had just about every test run except a full on colonoscopy. Just about everything bad runs on one or both sides of the family, and almost two years ago I lost my father to small cell carcinoma that went from his lung to the liver, bones, and finally a spot in his brain. I imagine that with my immune system being compromised I'll end up with something of the sorts eventually, but for now I'm just gonna live each day and enjoy it as much as I can.
Well, I turned 55 last December. Been seeing Dr. stinkfinger yearly since I was 45. Had my 1st colonoscopy when I was 52 and they said come back in 10 years. I don't know how this happened but last 2 years my physical has been on Wednesday of Woodward Dreamcruise week.
I used to drink heavily when in my early 20s but quit when I was about 25, then I got married at 32 and drank heavily for the 2 years I was married, after I got divorced there was no need to drink anymore.
I've smoked a pack a day since I was 18 but quit 2 months ago.
My dads' dad died of cancer at 70 in 1958 (smoker). And his 2 younger brothers died of cancer in their 60s (smokers), but my dad and his older brother are still alive at 87 and 88, both with heart disease and his brother has Alzheimer's (former smokers). His youngest sister died at 40 with a brain hemorrhage and the other younger sister died at 85 of heart disease (both non-smokers).
My mom must be a hypochondriac; she always thinks that she's sick but never really had anything wrong with her and is healthy at 86 now. In December '06 my dad made a left turn in front of another car and totaled their '87 Grand Marquise, the impact broke my moms neck (slight fracture) but she was back up walking within a week, she may live to be a hundred or more. My moms' dad lived to be 84 and her mom died at 32 in 1932 but her moms' mom lived to be 97, no cancer on that side, maybe some heart disease, my moms' sister was never sick but died last November of heart disease at 75 (all non-smokers).
I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol (both chemically controlled) and I'm overweight at 210-220 and 5'7", but I walk and bicycle allot and lift weights. So who knows, I may live to be 75 or I may die tomorrow, I don't think I'll make it to 80.
Well,
I have not got Diabetes, High Blood Pressure. or anything like that. I guess I am very fortunate in that regard. My most serious problem is weight. I am between 6'1 and 6'2 and weigh 290. I have gained 105lbs in the last 11 years. When I married my wife 11 years ago, I was 185. I have sensory neuropathy in the feet. It was not diabetes. They checked...twice. I think I have a roid that is just itching my ass off. I think the neuropathy is structural in origin. My feet are odd in their arch. I think the docs have overlooked something there. I have always had the tendancies towards cold sores. About 14 years ago. It decided that it liked my left eye as well as my lips. So now I suffer from that on occassion. I know I must do something about my weight. I am trying to figure out how to approach it. I can't run as my knees wont take it. (Tore them up in high school, but the results waited about 5 years or so to show.) I like the idea of biking, but skinny little seats up my fat arse make me reluctant. I know I must cut back on the food, but there will be the hardest thing for me. I love food.
We don't get the finger test like you guys, but there are mammograms and other tests "down below" that aren't much fun but necessary.. At 57, 58 in Nov., my doc has now scheduled me for these tests yearly, rather than every two years. My overall health is fairly good, considering that I've abused my body in every way imaginable. Lungs look surprisingly good even though I smoke like a fiend, glucose level is within specs, blood pressure is in the 115-135 over 85 range, cholestorol level is borderline but not bad . I've put on about 15 lbs over the winter that I'm working to knock off but that's about it. Robin has Type II diabetes so we've both been trying to eat more healthfully and get more exercise. My Great Dane, Lab, Pit Bull mix sees to that..
But I have similar arthritis problems to Jeremy, twisted muscles in my right leg (congenital), carpal tunnel in both arms, a pinched nerve in the same leg plus have a chance of getting osteoporosis. I have trouble standing still for very long without loking for something to lean or sit on. Moving around isn't so painful. I'm on the Lortab plan too for the pain, an estrogen suppliment to help prevent osteo plus a trank and anti-depressant. As far as living to be 80, that would be cool ONLY if I can still do some physical things that I enjoy. If I were confined to a wheelchair, I wouldn't.
Jan
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My lifelong goal has been to tear down a mall and build a race track!
I'm 40 and ain't got shit wrong with me... Yet... Finger poke later this year...
Jeremy I am going to start callig you Lucky! Wow what a life.
My friend Greg GCHERO351 over on FM (lives close) is in almost the same situation as you but his was from getting hit by a car at age 14, he's now on Percoset like vitamin C daily, and his one short leg and bad back pains him enough that he sweats from the pain of standing more than 10 minutes at a time... That's not even covering his mental problems....
I'm 42 now. 6'2" and weigh 220. I have cancer on both sides (both parents died of cancer...Dad (colon) at 60 and Mom (breast) at 66). Paternal G-parents both died of cancer (colon and prostate). Maternal G-parents both died of heart disease. After Dad died I went in for my full "baseline" exam with video and the "whole nine yards"...including the Barium. For me the worst part was when they inflated my entire colon with air...probably why I'm overdue for a follow-up. I smoked for 11 years (between age 10 and 21). I'm glad I gave up the smokes.
I exercise regularly: walk 1.33 miles every week day, bicycle 30 miles per week, play competitive volleyball one night per week, and take Karate with my oldest son. I eat a lot of salad, but I'm no vegetarian. I drink a lot of water...1.5 gallons per day.
Generally, I'm enjoyng good health. I had shoulder surgery three years ago...torn labrum from volleyball. So, far my legs and back are holding up okay. My wife likes having me around (live in handyman), so she helps me keep up with my "diet". I've had to learn how to push back from the table long before my brain is satisfied...it's an on-going battle.
I've had two heart attacks, and I'm only 26. The first one when I was 20, and the second one a few years later. I had never drank, done drugs (which is always the first question that is asked: "So when was the last time you did meth?") I was diagnosed with Prizmetal angina, and for me, it occurs when I'm asleep. I've been 'attach free since 2004, but even so I get a checkup every 6 months for the rest of my life. No finger waving yet for me though, just stress tests, and blood tests.
A man goes to his doctor for his physical and gets sent to
the Urologist as a precaution. When he gets there, he
discovers the urologist is a very pretty female doctor.
The female doctor says, 'I'm going to check your prostate
today, but this new procedure is a little different from what
you are probably used to. I want you to lie on your right side,
bend your knees, then while I check your prostate, take a
deep breath and say, 99.
The guy obeys and says, 99! The doctor says, 'Great.
Now turn over on your left side and again, while I repeat
the check, take a deep breath and say, 99.
Again, the guy says, '99.
The doctor said, 'Very good. Now then, I want you to lie on
your back with your knees raised slightly. I'm going to check
your prostate with this hand, and with the other hand I'm
going to hold on to your penis.
Now take a deep breath and say, 99
) and put on a ton of weight.
I'll not be visiting Mr. Roto Rooter any time soon. Colon problems do not run in my family & I do not tolerate needles well so it'll wait 5 more years. Good subject Chuck
