NHS Health Check

[Polar Bear]

My sister was once ordered to give up smoking by a Maxillofacial consultant (excellent skillz, known to be an utter twat in terms of bedside manner) who himself REEKED of cigarettes.

That was probably from his regular visits to the smoking shelter to hector the occupants ...

[hellymedic]

Meanwhile, some hospitals are removing chocolate etc from vending machines in an attempt to 'educate' staff and visitors.

That would be fine if good healthy food was available round the clock and the staff had enough time to eat it...

[barakta]

And sometimes you want/need SUGAR.

Several friends commented recently while supporting relatives in hospital that there were only diet fizzy drinks which some people can't drink and don't provide SUGAR which is sometimes handy for pushing oneself hard.

[robgul]

Bowel cancer screening is having a marked effect on bowel cancer death rates....

I'm having one next month.

Enjoy!

Rather better than the flexible cystoscopy* I'm having in about 2 weeks time - I had one in February 2016 and will apparently have one every year from now on - something to look forward to!

Rob

* some people may need to Google this . . it involves a long-ish thin pipe with a TV camera on the end - connected to a screen.

[hellymedic]

You probably don't want need SUGAR if:
Your last meal was adequate, timely and not too long ago
You are not chasing your tail like a blue-arsed fly and
You are in luck.

I was very grateful for the chocolate bar Giraffe fetched for me when I was on a steroid drip in Salisbury. My BM had been checked at 2.8 before they connected me and I felt fine. It was a couple of hours after breakfast but then I felt the need for SUGAR...

A Hellymedic with a low SUGAR is always not nice to those around her.

I apologise to all nurses, colleagues and Audax controllers adversely affected...

[TPMB12]

So I'm 44 years old, i don't think I'm particularly fit but compared to a nation with rising obesity and associated complications I'm rising into that fit classification just by maintaining my status quo. I'm the same weight as my mid to late 20s. BMI 22.3 for 15 years, seriously I've maybe changed weight by at most 2kg fluctuation in that period. I've got a lot of bowel cancer in the family. As in 3 generations and two in the generation above me from the same side of the family. Plus an oncologist professor friend of the family who knew our family cancer history told us to get checked out (me and a sibling). There's a few other cancers in the family too.

So i went to doctor's and after history was taken she promised to consult an expert. Cancer expert? Gastro enterologist said not to bother until i reach 50. BTW IIRC 50 is the age everyone can get bowel cancer screening. Those with a family medical history of it should get tested earlier I'd have thought.

Basically my point is NHS health checks seem to be carried out purely based on age and a checklist that send to me to be wrong. Add in postcode lottery and a massive gender issue in healthcare you've got a randomization over health checks.

I once read that in Germany everyone is given a health check every year. In fact it's encouraged if you haven't gone for over a year. I'm not sure if that's needed but something isn't quite right now. BTW in my case i could not get a bowel cancer screening under the NHS despite family history indicating it's needed (according to cancer specialist known by my parents).

Guess I've got another 6 years before i get checked out.

[hellymedic]

I didn't have my bowel cancer screening till 55. That seems the routine at my GP's surgery but it is by no means universal.
I have a nurse friend who is the same age as I am, whose previous husband died of bowel cancer. She lives a few miles away and has NEVER been invited for screening.

I think your analysis of tick-box screening is spot on!

If I had any spare cash, I would go for private screening, with a family history like that of bowel cancer.

If I had no cash, I would watch things like a hawk or might consider an alternative fact when seeing my GP...

[TPMB12]

Alternative fact? I don't understand.

BTW i only went because of a lecture from my mum and sister who did get tested despite only 2 years older (female and living in nice area near a big city so good postcode lottery chances). I have some serious intestinal activity in the form of ibs but the pattern of that had changed to just wind (sorry for crude). My gran died of bowel cancer because she went for a check up too late. She had years of bad flatulence and having been very young i have it in my mind there's a link.

[hellymedic]

Alternative fact is Newspeak for untruth.

'Red flag' symptoms for bowel cancer might be a change in bowel habit or bleeding.

A diligent GP would be duty bound to refer these for further investigation.

[rogerzilla]

I had a blood sample taken this morning - I'm mainly interested in cholesterol, which has always been below 5 but I'm almost 48 now and it hasn't been checked since I was 40.  Didn't bother with the other parts of the screening as I know my BP (about 125/60*), my weight is OK and I'm pretty sure I don't have diabetes.  Results next week.

There is no family trend of anything except Fuch's dystrophy - certainly nothing life-threatening.  One granny had a fairly major stroke but that was demonstrably due to a mix-up in her blood pressure medication - she was put on different tablets by a locum GP which made her hypotensive, regular GP came back, took her off those and gave her a prescription for the old type, and she collapsed in the street on the way to the chemist as her BP had gone sky-high having had no medication for 24 hours.  Actually lived for another 11 years, partially-disabled but her personality was actually improved 

*this would be considered prehypertensive in the US, but normal in the UK!

[hellymedic]

I think the latest UK BP edicts are that systolic should be below 120mmHg.

[mrcharly-YHT]

There is no logic to much of it. I'm on medication for digestive problems, have been for over 5 years now. Still have digestion problems, despite a restricted diet.

Thought I'd lost weight, because clothing was loose and I could fit into stuff that had been too tight. Nope, I've put weight on; does not compute. I'm back up to over 80kg, which seems a bit odd, dunno where it is hiding. 

[woollypigs]

Just had mine today.

Pressure 110/71, down from 137/70 back in 2014.
Weight 97.5kg with walking booth and fully dressed, down from 112Kg no boots and fully dressed in 2014.

Since my BMI was just over, I was send for a diabetes check and since my last cholesterol test was in 2011, I got that as an added bonus.

[rogerzilla]

Well, they wouldn't give numbers over the phone but want to give me "dietary advice" so I assume cholesterol was a little high.  Can't fit me in for a month (I blame Thatcher) so I'm off red meat, cheese and processed meats and eating lots of awful salads washed down with Benecol.  B.p. has dropped to 115/55.  I'm not sure if this is connected to the metrosexual diet.

Will probably find it's due to dehydration (it was first thing in the morning) and that triple espresso I had before the test.  The nurse couldn't find a vein and told me I should have drunk a pint of water. Family trait is to have low cholesterol (father's is 3.6 without statins at age 79) so I'll get another test done.

[woollypigs]

Oh yes I got my blood works results back, all ok and no risk of heart related issues for the next 10 years, said the letter.

[rogerzilla]

Tested myself this morning in a hydrated and uncaffeinated state, using the Boots cholesterol kit (read reviews first and it generally agrees with GP performed tests).  Came up on the low side of normal.

[rogerzilla]

Results were 5.9 total cholesterol (a bit high) but also an improbably high HDL - the "good" number that is ideally above 1.3 - of 1.77.  Looks like a duff sample.  The previous test was 4.38 total (it was on the computer) so I am going to be retested in two months' time; the NHS won't process a sample more often than three months.  I could probably pay for the local pharmacist to run one.

All the other numbers were ok - my main fear was that I'd suddenly developed diabetes or something!

[offcumden]

I got the results of my annual blood tests this week, and once again managed to avoid being put on medication - phew!

My total CL was 6.1, but the doc was not overly concerned because my HDL was 2.49. I believe high HDL is quite usual for people who do endurance exercise regularly (I'd hesitate to call myself a long-distance cyclist these days, but neither am I a beer-swilling couch potato).

I also had a PSA test. Before the test the (locum) doc warned me about false positives etc. and said I should not ride a bike for some time before the test. I expressed surprise that I'd never been told that previously, and subsequently looked it up on one or two reputable sites (eg patient.co.uk, NHS choices). It seems that some researchers suggest avoiding vigorous exercise, cycling, motor-cycling and sex (one or more of these, I guess) for 24-48 hours before testing. This was considerably less than the fortnight hinted at by the doctor.

Anyway, I was offered a test at short notice and decided to go ahead and ignore the advice. I rode 50 miles the day before, and the PSA level was very low.  I didn't see the same doc for the results but I wonder, a little tongue-in-cheek, whether he might have suggested that my reckless non-compliance could have led to a 'false negative'.

[rogerzilla]

Supposedly regular cyclists are at low risk from prostate cancer...maybe a hard-as-nails Brooks pummels the thing into submission.  Or remission.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Well, they wouldn't give numbers over the phone but want to give me "dietary advice" so I assume cholesterol was a little high.  Can't fit me in for a month (I blame Thatcher) so I'm off red meat, cheese and processed meats and eating lots of awful salads washed down with Benecol. 

I did not do the following for cholesterol lowering reasons and the effect has been an unexpected bonus.

Since the start of January I have not eaten:
- red meat (rarely ate it at home anyway, but was no stranger to the full English or bacon sarnie when out and about)
- cheese
- any dairy aside from tea-whitening quantities of skimmed milk (and yeh I know there are doubts about the benefits of skimmed)
- chocolate
- cake
- nuts
- eggs (edited to add)

When I say I have not eaten the above, I really do mean none, except for the odd trial of things containing tiny amounts of nuts such as cashew milk.

I have eaten:
- more oily fish
- more fish in general
- a range of different things instead of milk because I don’t trust any of them especially soya milk
- even more veg than I ate already
- lots of salad leaves of various sorts, which I was not previously enamoured with
- porridge every single day without fail. Food of the gods.

Total cholesterol about 6 months ago was an acceptable 4.9, but with an unfavourable ratio.
Total cholesterol last week was 3.2, with a perfect good / bad ratio.

So in my case at least, diet can have a significant effect, but I have been extremely consistent and strict for 3 months.

[TPMB12]

So do people go for regular health checks? I only go to doctors if unwell or for specific reasons health related. At nearly 45years should i be getting checked out for things like BP or cholesterol?

I've had one cholesterol check at about 30ish and it was ok. Can you just ask for a cholesterol check or general health check?

[woollypigs]

I only went because the GP told me it was time for a check up, else I would only go like you if something hurt.

[SteveC]

My GP offered me a check a couple of years ago. The nurse admitted that it was because they were getting paid for it and that I'd be called back for another after five years only if a similar scheme was in place then.

[mrcharly-YHT]

My cholesterol was fine at 30. Health ok.

At about 45 it went haywire. Currently controlled with diet.

Yes it is worth getting tested.

[TimC]

I have never been offered a health check, bowel cancer screening or any other kind of preventative measure by the NHS. I will be 62 this year, was with my previous surgery for 9 years and the one before that for 10. I moved last year, and registered with the local health centre. All they offered me was a link to an online lifestyle survey.

In all that time, my only personal interactions with the NHS were a GP's accusation of cheating on my wife and giving her an STD (she didn't have one, and I certainly hadn't cheated!), and some palliative care after a nasty cycling accident. So, I have to say I'm Seriously Not Impressed with the GP system. The hospital system, which my parents had a great deal of interaction with (my Dad has been in for 7 weeks now), OTOH, has been generally excellent.