Terrified to go to the Doctor

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

Firefly, you illustrate exactly my point. People only hear about the horrible stories, and never the millions of stories where everything was normal. It creates a false sense of danger and applicability to yourself. You lose the proper perspective about life and death in general. If people even realised just how dangerous it is to drive each day, relative to everything else that can hurt you in life, I think they would be extremely surprised.

And I am sorry for your loss, but your sisters case was definitely rare, and just as rare as it was 20 years ago.

It was 8 years ago. And not rare in my family. Recall me saying going to the Dr saved my cousin? He's 24 now, was 21 at the time.

My point is this; the more often you go, the less petrified you will be. Fotze has 8 years of anxiety now built up. If you go once a year like you're supposed to, what's the most that can grow in one year?

Something like 50% of the population will get some form of cancer. Rare? Don't ever kid yourself. The more often you go, the better your chances.

Really Fotze, you've lived 8 years without going to the Dr. Sure lots can have happened, but it's highly unlikely you'll drop dead between now and then. Nothing is worse than not knowing, but the waiting can be petrifying.

[FurnaceFace]

OK, instead of doom and gloom I have a somewhat humourous memory for you.

We got married in Tahiti and it falling under French law we needed to fill out a bunch of paperwork which included a medical from a doctor who spoke French.

Well, the only Dr. we could find was female, no big deal, I'm prepared for the inevitable "turn your head and cough" test. We get through that and the other tests and stuff and she takes my blood pressure. She says - straight faced:

"Well, your blood pressure is a little high, but that could be because we just did the scrotum exam."

Now there is a doctor with a sense of humour!

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Buff

Unless you've got penis cancer and they have to cut it off!

I have a feeling I would refuse treatment.

[NuclearFart]

Firefly, I am not trying to make it personal or anything, but your familial predisposition for ?colon? cancer is rare in itself, and the reason why Fotze has very likely no history. True it is not rare in your family, but relative to the general population under age 50 to which the overwhelming majority of us belong, it sure as heck is.

The figure that 50% of the population will get cancer is wrong, and out of context. More reliable studies estimate a lifetime prevalence of about 33%, but this is averaged across healthy individuals and those at higher risk (ie. smokers, familial history such as yourself). Cancer is a biological inevitability for all if you live long enough, but many of us die from other sources (ie. atherosclerosis in the old, trauma in the young) before onset. Secondly, the most common forms of cancer in males are lung cancer (which is highly preventable) and prostatic cancer (which is associated with increased age). Are these groups applicable to Fotze, and is the generalized statistic of 33% applicable to Fotze? Again, assuming his history is pretty standard, I am confident in saying NO.

But Yes I agree, the more he goes, the less anxiety he has. We should all go periodically, if not just to maintain a relationship with a GP when we finally need one.
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GREATMAN REPLAYS

[11mile]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

Fotze, I don't know you, your symptoms or your family history but I am going to assume you are still relatively young (<50 year) without any major risks. Having said that, I can tell you right now that you do not have cancer.

You cannot make this call with minimal history and no physical exam.

Odds are that you are correct, but it is negligent to say something like this without additional information. Maybe it's my US training and my sensitivity to litigation, but man, you don't even know where the "stomach" pain is from what this person posted.

[11mile]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

The figure that 50% of the population will get cancer is wrong, and out of context. More reliable studies estimate a lifetime prevalence of about 33%, but this is averaged across healthy individuals and those at higher risk (ie. smokers, familial history such as yourself). Cancer is a biological inevitability for all if you live long enough, but many of us die from other sources (ie. atherosclerosis in the old, trauma in the young) before onset. Secondly, the most common forms of cancer in males are lung cancer (which is highly preventable) and prostatic cancer (which is associated with increased age). Are these groups applicable to Fotze, and is the generalized statistic of 33% applicable to Fotze? Again, assuming his history is pretty standard, I am confident in saying NO.

I'm a noob here so I dunno if you two know each other or not.

If not, it is simply not cool ruling out major pathology based on statistics. How many modifying risk factors can a person have that they are NOT posting up on a public forum which could alter your guess work? Off the top of my head, I can think of a dozen bits of information that a person may not want to broadcast online... information that would make anyone think twice about a quick rule-out.

If a person is concerned about their health, go to a doc. Simple as that.

[NuclearFart]

You are correct 11mile, and it was an casual attempt to comfort him, because people in his place need definitive words.

I was not diagnosing him with anything, and I made it clear that my words were based on alot of assumptions. That said, the odds are very much in my favour, enough so that I am not afraid to put my credibility on the line.

Have you never reassured a patient in your office that they do not have Cancer? Aside from death, there are never any certainties in medicine, only probabilities, and yet we often speak in absolutes. Why?
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CHEAP UTG EVERBLAST SPECIAL AIRSOFT SHOTGUN

[NuclearFart]

Originally Posted by 11mile

I'm a noob here so I dunno if you two know each other or not.

If not, it is simply not cool ruling out major pathology based on statistics. How many modifying risk factors can a person have that they are NOT posting up on a public forum which could alter your guess work? Off the top of my head, I can think of a dozen bits of information that a person may not want to broadcast online... information that would make anyone think twice about a quick rule-out.

If a person is concerned about their health, go to a doc. Simple as that.

I totally agree, but I will reiterate that this is all about odds, and I am trying to put it into proper perspective for him. He is way, way more likely to die in a car accident driving to the doctor, than he is to die from anything the doctor diagnosis. Even if you incorporate all his relevant risk factors that "he didnt list", this still holds true. This is what I am trying to get across.

Modern day medicine is statistics. The Evidenced based medicine we hold in such regard, is at its very essence, numbers. Indications for screening, investigations, treatments, relative risks, sensitivity, specificity, validity - all based upon digits.
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MONTANA MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY

[HelloHockeyFans]

fotze it's not too late to just cancel.

You haven't gone for what, 8 years now? You haven't been going for fear of them finding something... you'll probably be happier with the end result trusting your instincts...

[snappyk]

Modern day medicine is statistics. The Evidenced based medicine we hold in such regard, is at its very essence, numbers. Indications for screening, investigations, treatments, relative risks, sensitivity, specificity, validity - all based upon digits.

Are you a doctor, if you are I really don't agree with that statement at all.

[NuclearFart]

Yes. And I encourage you to express reasons for disagreement, and why that matters if I am a doctor or not?
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Outdoor Sex

[snappyk]

I just find it odd that a guy off the street would be rambling on about stats and not actually looking at the guy to see symptoms, that's why I asked if you were a doctor. I guess I still believe in seeing a doctor and letting him figure out what ailment I have when I go to his office not over a message board, that's just me.

[Superfraggle]

Drink some water, get some rest, and walk it off. Doctors? Bah!

[flamefan74]

Fotze, I know how you feel. I finally went to the doctor last year after not having been to one in over 10 years. I didn't go because of what they might find. In fact, I didn't sleep for 2 days before because I was worried. After getting poked and prodded, turns out I was just overweight. That's it. Got myself worked up for nothing.

Dentists on the other hand...
I swear those guys just make crap up so that they can cause you pain. Sick people they are. Probably eat puppies too.

[Tower]

Fotze - once you get the "Check up" everything is gravy. Remember "road trip"... Two fingers.... Oh ya.... Find a hot lady doctor and you're fine....

[11mile]

Evidence-based medicine is based on stats. This is correct.

However, people are individuals. The mere definition of statistics will not let it get beyond just that. If statistics were all we needed, there is no need to suffer through school and residency to develop the clinical jedi-sense. Again, I would be hesitant to offer any statements based on odds alone. There are no absolutes. The one case that gets by you out of 1000 is the one that gets you sued. Unfortunately, the legal precedent with online chatter/bum information has already been set in the US. I am so jealous of Canadian practitioners.

Fotze - I don't know Dr. Fart, but I'd be surprised if he/she's offended by my posts. Docs are used to beaking back and forth all day long... at the end of the day, it's all in the name of making yourself better.

[11mile]

Fotze - I guess this is the difference between Canadian and US trained mentality. The key to survival in the US is defensive medicine; from day 1 of residency to the final day of fellowship, we were taught how to protect ourselves from overzealous lawyers and unhappy patients. In this case, I might have offered a few stats, but I would not have the guts to say that you don't have cancer. Subtle difference, but it is the reality in the US.

The one thing about the Canadian system is that it does lend itself to docs becoming wankheads. The "service" industry aspect will not kick in until the 2-tier reforms come about... then, hopefully, more folks can be like Farty.

[cSpooge]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Yeah you just described me to a tee. My g/f can go in for the stirrup check, but mention the nether regions around me and I run.

i had that same problem until my brother died of testicular cancer... now i will ALWAYS go to the doctor when something is wrong with me/going for my annual physical.

[Clarkey]

Are you sure that you're not just worried about going to the doc because you have something really embarassing going on like bleeding hemorrhoids or lactating pecs?

[Reggie Dunlop]

I got a Medic Alert bracelet with the word "Hypochondriac" engraved on it.