i am getting my first physical since

[SwampG8r]

hell who am i kidding i got one in 1978 and a cursory look over before a vasectomy in 1984 but other than that i havent seen a Dr since my physical for high school gym class.
they took my blood and urine for testing
hopefully not a taste test cause i grilled asparagus at work the night before and may have nibbled a little of it.
is it coincindental that the closer the date gets the more things i notice not working as well as in the past?
this is a routine exam my wife got the doctor to trick me into when he was fixing a footsprain.
im too "old" to go around without a checkup
i have no health issues that i know of.

[Aristus]

1. As a Physician Assistant, I have to say, candidly, that I think complete physical exams

are a waste of time. Every single problem I have diagnosed a patient with has resulted from pretty much incidental findings. For example, when doing a cranial nerve check on a patient complaining of migraine headaches, I have noted in the eyes a sign called corneal arcus, or arcus senilus, which is a hallmark of high blood cholesterol.

Things like that.

Didn't take a complete, time-consuming, head-to-toe exam to arrive at that diagnosis.

On the other hand, for at-risk patients, I will, as part of a physical, order lab tests for cholesterol levels, which would have revealed the same condition. So it's a wash, I suppose...

[SwampG8r]

2. i knew there was a cholesterol test so

i ate bacon at work all week....like studying
was that right?

[iris27]

3. Of course now that I'm looking I can't find it, but I swear I just came across a study

that said the positive correlation btw physicals and better health is because people who are more likely to be health-conscious in general are the ones who are more likely to get a physical -- not from any general benefit of the physicals themselves.

Kinda like how we originally thought hormone replacement therapy lowered risk of heart disease, etc. -- because it was healthier women in general who were more interested in the possible benefits of HRT.

[MiddleFingerMom]

4. I wonder what percentage of prostate problems are detected earlier...

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... because of general physicals?
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I know men from 45-50 and up are advised to get annual or bi-annual prostate
exams (if not more, um... in-DEPTH exams) depending on their at-risk factors...
but how many of us would actually GET those checks if on an "a la carte" basis.
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I never DREAMED I'd use the terms "prostate exam" and "a la carte" in the same
sentence.
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Be still, my heart!!!
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