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Are you a fan of preventative medicine?
Preventative medicine never really concerned me. At least not for things the aging population deals with. Shoot, I never expected to live this long.
Now I don’t know if I want to put in the effort. A mammogram sounds complicated. I was already informed I couldn’t do it locally. Mole mapping? No thanks. Infusions for bone density? That would mean annual scans to monitor progress.
The initial scan to tell me my bones were less than stellar, which I already knew, was difficult enough. Will I regret it if I don’t? I don’t know.
How much effort do you put into preventative medicine? Do you think it’s beneficial?
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4 Replies
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You’ve landed on the big question about preventative care: none of us were expected to live this long so what’s the point? That said, we ARE living this long. And we do want our quality of life to be as vibrant as possible.
This is where I start looking at the biggest bang for my buck. You guys know I am a big fan of acupuncture, eating a Hey healthy diet, meditation, and being in nature as much as possible.
Bone density test when I know my bone density sucks? There is very little we can do to improve bone density in significant ways. Pass.
Mole mapping? Are you fair skinned? Does skin cancer run in your family? Every few years we do superficial mapping of easily accessed skin. If your dog is smelling one spot a lot, get it checked immediately. A lot of dogs have found cancerous lesions before the doctors notice.
Now we come to the dreaded mammogram.
Here’s a practical workaround that is manageable in every hospital. Have your doctor write an order for a mammogram AND a breast ultrasound. The first time you go there might be a fuss about having to lift your arm and basically being in impossible positions. Once they go through that BS the only thing they have left is an ultrasound. And that, my friend, is easy. They asked me to come in every 6 months for the first year and a half, and after that it’ll be 1x a year.
Word to the wise: Skip the usual “how can I make this easier for everyone involved?” Go directly to, “no, I can’t do that, no, my arm won’t move that way, you’ll have to lift my arm because I can’t hold it.”
What strategies have you guys found?
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Thanks for your response. I love your insight! It’s definitely a balance of how much effort goes into it versus the benefits. Yes, a vibrant life is the goal. Are there other procedures or areas of medicine I haven’t thought of?
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I’m definitely like you and thought I wouldn’t live this long to have to consider these things. But I do think preventative medicine is important. I’m still in my thirties, so I am a little younger than you, but these are things I’m starting to think about. I’m actually heading to the dermatologist for the first time ever this week and have a feeling mole mapping is in my future. Both my dad and grandmother have moles all over their bodies, and I’m starting to get them, too.
I also hope to get to a cardiologist this year as a preventative measure. Arteriosclerosis runs in my family and starts at a young age. So I want to keep an eye on my arteries and track any calcium deposits in case I have this condition, too.
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Oh that’s funny, moles must be hereditary too. I joke with my mom that the gene from her one big mole broke into 100 pieces when it passed down to me. That’s why I’m hesitant to do mole mapping. I’m sure some would get missed, then they’d be deemed suspicious next time. If you do get referred for mole mapping let me know what the process is like!
I’m always hesitant to add another specialist to the roster. Do you find they all work together cohesively?
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