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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by pseudoname on November 22, 2005, at 10:11:48
I just saw a GP for the first time in about 12 years. I was there to get "a physical exam," at my decision as part of covering the legal hazards before starting to take opioids for depression. I am 40 and in good health. He had not seen me before.
I filled out their medical history sheet and the nurse took my BP and weighed me.
The doctor did the following things:
(1) He looked in my left ear, which I said had felt plugged for the last 18 months. He didn't look in my right ear. He said nothing.
(2) He digitally checked my prostate because I said I'd had a few problems urinating recently. (And "digital" here doesn't mean fancy electronics, LOL.)
(3) He listened to my heart & breathing.
(4) He ordered bloodwork (CBC, liver fxn, PSA, but not cholesterol, fasting glucose etc).
That was it. No patellar tendon taps, looking at the retina, follow-my-finger, turn-your-head-and-cough, examination of the skin, feeling the glands, abdominal palpation, testing of balance or muscle tone. We discussed nothing about lifestyle, diet, exercise, stress, or long-range health.
Are these things passé? quaint? useless? I'm mostly upset that he said nothing about my ear, but what the H. does a proper initial physical exam involve these days, anyway?
He got $140 and talked to me more about urban renewal in Chicago than about my health.
Posted by CareBear04 on November 22, 2005, at 16:05:29
In reply to what's in a ''physical''?, posted by pseudoname on November 22, 2005, at 10:11:48
I've had a lot of physicals and am trying to remember the commonalities among them. Definitely abdominal palpation has always happened. Sometimes testing the reflexes. I think most important are those discussions that you didn't have about lifestyle and preventative care. I'm sorry you didn't have them and sorry that your doctor didn't comment on your ear problem. It's good that he ordered labs, but I think many drs nowadays substitute bloodwork for an actual decent physical exam. Hope everything works out for you.
Posted by pseudoname on November 26, 2005, at 6:32:57
In reply to Re: what's in a ''physical''? » pseudoname, posted by CareBear04 on November 22, 2005, at 16:05:29
Hey, CB, thanks for commenting.
I talked to people at Thanksgiving, and they say that their docs have done more of the thorough check-up I remember. What I got was more like the physical a kid gets when he needs a signature to play sports. I really think I won't be continuing with this doctor. Well, I hope I don't *have* to!
I had hoped more Babblers would share their experiences with physicals. But traffic on the Health board is kinda low, I guess.
Thanks again. You take care, too!
This is the end of the thread.
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