Health check

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I don't want to sound like a hypochondriac but we naturists should feel comfortable with our bodies and we should go for regular check-ups just to ensure we are ok. I say this because recently, a friend of mine who's only two years older than me discovered he had Stage 4 prostate cancer. And he looks even healthier and more energetic than most of us. Most of us neglect going for health screening because we usually just don't think we'd get it.

Last November, I did my colonoscopy and I also went for all the cancer markers which proved negative. The PSA which is a marker for prostate cancer was normal – 2.4 – anything under 4 is normal. But I understand that the PSA can sometimes be unreliable. This afternoon, I saw my urologist who did a prostate ultra-sound scan and a physical examination (the latter of which is rather uncomfortable). My knowledge of the human anatomy is quite inadequate – before today, I didn't exactly know where the prostate was and I was a little surprised when the urologist told me what he was going to do. I almost reminded him it was a prostate examination and not to see if I had piles.

Anyway, he said I was in perfect condition, at least, urologically. Some of my friends think I'm a hypochondriac and perhaps I am. But if you think about it, a simple check up that doesn't take up much time and apart from a minor discomfort was totally painless can save us from something as serious as cancer.

My advice is just go for it. Better be a hypochondriac and live.

86 thoughts on “Health check”

    • That's OK. I have a friend who goes for a colonoscopy twice a year!!! And each time he goes, they have to get rid of polyps. His father died of colon cancer but the doctors say that if he sticks to this regiment of twice-a-year colonoscopy, he should be all right. That's the beauty of medical science. Just keep up with it. Once every 3 years is nothing.

      • I only had 3 polyps on my last visit…much better than the one previous. I have a new doctor that's great and understands my allergies and sensitivities to drugs. I went this past time with only a minor pain blocker, wide awake, no problems.

      • I can't do that. I have a good anaesthetist or as they call such a person in the US, anaesthesiologist or rather, it should be spelt anesthe… Anyway, I need to fall asleep. I hear the drug that killed Michael Jackson is the best for such a purpose. You wake up without feeling the after-effects of anaesthetics. I got up feeling quite good and very hungry because I had fasted for this wretched procedure. But it was nice to be wheeled on the stretcher on my way to the endoscope theatre. I like to appear like I'm on the verge of death, like it's some emergency. There was a nun who saw me looking the picture of death and she looked quite concerned and then she bowed her head and clasped her hands and I think she was saying a prayer. LOL. It was fun.

        • I was joking the whole time with the doctor and nurse…they think I'm a little crazy…they're right!
          Unfortunately I'm allergic to the base is edition to make the drugs that put you out, so I've learned to deal with the discomfort. It's a little odd feeling the camera moving through you…

  3. For prostate health eat 10 servings of cooked tomatoes per week ( sundried, pasta sauce, tomatoes paste…) cooking activates the lycopene & walking increases blood circulation in your lower body.10 servings of vegetables + 5 servings of fruit is in reality what a body needs per day. Your lean body weight in kgs X 33ml = your water requirement per day (150ml can be a fruit juice also includes soups, herbal teas, actual fruit but mostly just water)

  5. Forsake processed food & eat solely wholefoods, maintain good hydration everyday, heal the gut with healthy fats, enzymes & probiotics. Daily exercise outdoors in the sunshine & maintain a positive attitude & be grateful for all the good in your life. Minimise chemicals & pharmaceuticals in your environment & your body!

  6. Let me be brutally honest. Now, my results may seem rosy. I did comprehensive tests and all the cancer markers and all the procedures and I'm found to be reasonably healthy. But the day will come for certain when I will shuffle off this mortal coil. Before that, I'll probably be found with some inoperable or untreatable cancer. It's bound to happen. When it happens, I'll just have to tell myself that my time is up. After all, I've long outlived my time. We were not meant to live for so long. Like all other animals, we are genetically primed to be healthy up to reproduction age and of course a bit more to care for our children. But we humans are so brainy that we developed our medical science to such an extent that we can prolong our lives beyond what nature has ordained. But I know one thing. The moment I'm given the death sentence by the doctor, I'll suddenly become religious. I'll recite my prayers, the Creeds, the Kyries and whatever I can remember from my altar boy days in preparation for death. But I'll still live my life normally and I'll still turn up at NEWT. LOL

  7. Ive had two prostate biopsies performed. Thats a miserable test but I was foundcto be ok. The doctor kinda jumoed the gun on the PSA test both times. I firmly believe it was a money maker for him to do them. Just had a colonoscopy done last year. Good there for another 6 years. I was in the hospital in November for chest pain. After the heart tests the doctor said I was fine there too. And I had a stomach scope done too last year. All is well. Guess all my ailments are from getting older.

  8. Screening for cancer in the prostate is the worst. The PSA is not all that reliable. But my urologist tells me that it is not as unreliable as I think it is. If the PSA goes up, it is very telling that something needs to be investigated. My brother's PSA was already high to begin with 3.9 (maximum is 4) but it went up to 6. He went for a biopsy (12 specimens were taken) and it was negative. But his worry is not over. They may have taken the wrong cells for testing and there may be cancer in the cells not taken. Apparently, we have this problem with the prostate because of evolution. The poor designing has everything to do with evolution. If we had been properly created, the prostate wouldn't have been where it is. As the evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne humorously puts it, if we are to use architectural terms for the design of our prostate, it's like building a playground next to the sewage. Coyne is a funny chap. Even he couldn't escape my photo-taking. I took a selfie with him recently. LOL.

  10. I have annual checkups. I have had two colonoscopies, probably about due for another one. Only one polyp in the last one. I don't remember any pain because they gave me a shot of something. The worst part is fasting and drinking a strong laxative the day before. I felt great though when I woke up afterwards, so getting cleaned out is probably a good thing.

  11. I forgot to mention that I had my third colonoscopy last month. The first one was in 2010, when they removed 13 polyps, the second one was in 2011, which was clean, and this time they removed one polyp. Next one is scheduled for 2019.

    • I wish you good health Steve, the colonoscopy is a painful experience as I well know. I've had 4 so far and each one seems to produce more polyps? I won't go into detail here but I guess you know what I mean when I say it was 'bloody' painful last time!

  12. I see my nephrologist three times a year, my hematologist and my urologist twice a year, and a dermatologist once a year. I also have labs six times a year, so if something is awry, they can spot it quickly. I have quit counting how many DRE's I have had, so getting that exam is no big deal.

    Even though the jury is still out on the usefulness of PSA tests for detecting prostate cancer, that is not all it is good for. My PSA rose rapidly a few years ago, and because of how rapidly it rose, my urologist diagnosed it as prostatitist. Thirty days of Cipro took care of both the prostatitis AND the PSA level. My PSA dropped to normal within sixty-days.

    Keep getting your checkups, particularly as you get older.

      • While a nephrologist "only" specializes in kidneys, the health of our kidneys affects a LOT of other things. Our kidneys regulate our electrolyte-balance, so if we are excreting too much potassium, that can make our blood-pressure very difficult to control. I had that problem about a year ago, and regulating my blood-pressure was like hitting a moving-target. Once my potassium-level got regulated, with the help of my nephrologist, my blood-pressure was stabilized WITH LESS BP MEDICATION.

  14. Not hypochondria – just common sense, like taking your car in for regular maintenance. A lot of things can go wrong with the human body that are fairly easy to deal with if caught early, and a real pain (sometimes literally) to handle if allowed to grow unchecked. Having an annual physical exam makes a lot of sense.

    • I agree that it is purely common sense to have a regular medical check up. If that does involve a PSA or a prostrate examination then just grit your teeth & think of more pleasant things.
      I'm fairly sure the women on here have had many medical experiences that would make a man's eyes water! My ex-partner had yearly medicals & prior to me arriving on her horizon she had given birth 4 times.
      My wife now has annual check ups 'smears' & 'breast scans' which she actually thoroughly dislikes.

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