Thoughts on Medical Testing

A part 2 of sorts

Normally, I wouldn’t sent out two posts in one week, much less one day….but since some of you may have received the notes for this post unintentionally, I decided to share in full form as a “Part 2” to today’s original post.

On the subject of symptoms and listening to one’s body, it seems important to bring up the medical system. While I am thankful for what doctors can do and the wonders of modern medicine, truth be known….I don’t really like the whole idea of going to the doctor to get told if I’m healthy or not every year. I don’t like to subject myself to poking, prodding, swabbing, routine blood tests and scans. I’m not saying I don’t do the routine visits, scans and tests- as up to this point in my life, I have done them all. But part of me is always irritated that I bring myself to a virtual stranger to receive status reports on my health. I always feel a bit separate from my innate intelligence when I go to the doctor. I end up wanting to shout at them like a 5 year old saying…" “Yeah, yeah, well I already know all that! And you don’t even know me! And you’re not even my friend!”

So, even though I go to the doctor every year for routine testing, I also often wonder if it is possible to be so aware of my own body (via the fine-tuned reading of symptoms as per my last post) that I someday would not need the validation of routine medical testing.

My mom said goodbye to the poking, prodding and testing aspect of the medical system some 35 years back (when she was around my age, actually.) She figured if there ever was something really wrong with her body, she would know and would bring herself to the doctor then. In the past 35 years I’ve only known her to go to the MD a very few times (once for a broken arm that she got hiking.) My mom is 83 years old, very healthy, and does not live in fear of health complications.

My dad on the other hand is perfectly happy to have a visit with his doc any ol’ time. My dad loves his doc and has jokingly called him “God” on a few occasions (at least I think he was joking.) My dad also does not live in fear of health complications. (My parents are still happily married by the way despite their polar opposite views on annual doctor visits. As for me, it seems I am stuck in the middle of their views. A purgatory of sorts.)

For a few years there in perimenopause when I was already deep into my health regime, I had a couple lumps appear in my right breast. Now, no woman wants a lump of any kind in her breast, it’s alarming as hell, but I knew from how these lumps felt and also because I am very attentive to the state of my health that they were likely benign. Still, I went to the doctor to make sure and was told to get scanned. I went for the scan and my assumption was correct- the lumps were harmless cysts. On my most recent mammogram a scan revealed that both cysts had totally disappeared, further underlining my own intuition about my body.

In sum: I feel largely confident that I am at very low risk for disease due to the good care I take of myself. That said, I am not SO confident that I am willing to give up my annual mammograms or any other recommended health screenings at this time.

To be very honest with you, and for as much as I may sound like I’ve got it all figured out as far as health is concerned….I find it very difficult to live in our modern medical world.  The amount of routine testing we go through can inject a good deal of fear and distrust in our own bodies (which was the turning point for my mom.)  On the other hand, we know that simple regular screenings can minimize risk of fatality due to finding issues in a low stage of progression.

I’ve stumbled onto a big topic here which has lots of sidewinding paths which will likely be walked in future posts.

Would love to know YOUR thoughts on this aspect of our current medical culture if you feel like sharing.

XO