When Do You Go To The GP?

Dr Galen

There's always a lot of posts looking for advice on medical issues, both on this forum and other fora across boards. You can have a quick look across the internet to see thousands of blokes looking for medical advice too.

Got me thinking about how crap guys in general are in going and seeking the proper medical advice. First port of call is usually the GP, so the question is, how bad/worried to you have to be before you go there? It would be interesting also to know some of the reasons why you do or don't go?



** Mods....could someone unhide the Poll results so people can see, i forgot to do that and now I can't edit it**

Dr Galen

Personally I go pretty much when I feel there is a problem. Thankfully I'm in generally good health, but have no issues going to the GP when needs be.

I think the cost of it though has a lot to do with it for a lot of people. For some reason the €50 seems like loads, but we'll happily hand over multiples of that to plumbers, sparks, mechanics and so on.

trout

poll is now visible

r3nu4l

I'll go if my problem hasn't cleared up after a couple of days. I generally ask a ton of questions and keep digging until I have answers I'm satisfied with.

I guess the fact that I have a strong medical science background and work in the medical communications allows me to ask the right type of question a lot and therefore the GP knows that I'm somewhat (if not totally ) clued in.

amacachi

I rarely go other than when a prescription runs out. It's always the same problems I have so unless getting healthy one day quicker than I would without medication is important I just let things take care of themselves. That and the fact that I don't think that taking steroids 5 or 6 times a year would be a great plan. :P

Odysseus

I get bloods done twice a year, I'm an ultra runner so I time this around big events, or if I need paperwork done to say I'm fit to race. Other than when I'm off sick from work, I work in a medical environment so if I'm worry about anything I chat with one of our GPs then go to my own GP with a better sense of what happening.

Krieg

I very rarely I visit the doctor

If an illness crops up, I wont go the doctor unless it continues for a month, at which point I will pay a visit. I also find doctors too expensive, of course you can argue that expense should not take precedence over good health and Im not going to disagree

Random lumps/growths get dug out by fingernail

(Disclaimer: Im not advocating any practice mentioned above)

Dr Galen

makes interesting reading that nearly 80% of the voters appear to have an issue when going to the GP.

several posters have said that cost is an issue. IF it was free to go, would you be more inclined?

Joey the lips

I have to be dying, Its a fear thing I think cause I had a medical card for a year and I still would not go. I fact I went about 6 months after my medical card expired for something and my doctor commented that I was the only medical card person who made him a profit ?????

I fell down the stairs 4 weeks ago my back is hurting but I am hoping it will go. The boss ( Wife) is annoying me to go but I will have to be dying

No its not the money!!

Dr Galen

Joey the lips wrote: »

I have to be dying, Its a fear thing I think cause I had a medical card for a year and I still would not go. I fact I went about 6 months after my medical card expired for something and my doctor commented that I was the only medical card person who made him a profit ?????

I fell down the stairs 4 weeks ago my back is hurting but I am hoping it will go. The boss ( Wife) is annoying me to go but I will have to be dying

No its not the money!!

so, question for you then?

Why won't you go? where does the fear come from?

Joey the lips

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

so, question for you then?

Why won't you go? where does the fear come from?

Its a good question, I am not to sure,

I hate stripping for a doctor

I hate complaing although thats the reason for going

I ALWAYS feel that I am wasteing there time.

I think I dont explain myself well or sometimes overtalk

I dont know. I loved our family doctor when I was a child. I got panic attacks at my leaving cert( Thats what the councillor said) I went to my doctor cause I thought I was dying. She told me to "Pull myself together" and "Cop on". I never liked her for that. Maybe thats where the "Fear" comes from. I dont really know.

Dr Galen

Joey the lips wrote: »

Its a good question, I am not to sure,

I hate stripping for a doctor

i'd say we all do really. even me, and I've got a hot GP. Thats just human nature, nothing weird there

I hate complaing although thats the reason for going

There's a huge difference in being a moanyhole and actually having something that needs sorting. At the end of the day, your health and wellbeing is far far too important to not complain about. I know for one I'd rather be safe than sorry

I ALWAYS feel that I am wasteing there time.

in this country you pay to see your GP. SO whether you actually have something wrong or not, they still get paid. Your not wasting their time when you think of it like that, because your paying for it.

People may then say, well if there's nothing wrong with me then I end up wasting my money. Well like I said already, I'd rather be down 50 quid and reassured that I was ok, than 50 quid richer and sick

I think I dont explain myself well or sometimes overtalk

you'd be surprised, any GP with experience of patients (which is all of them) will see through a lot of the waffly stuff that we come out with when we sit in the chair in front of them. Its something that all health professionals are trained to do. So I say chill and talk away. The more info a doc/nurse/physio etc has the better.

You ever watch House MD? Sometimes it really is like the TV, when the most insignificant detail in your mind, cause the lightbulb to flash in someones elses....

I dont know. I loved our family doctor when I was a child. I got panic attacks at my leaving cert( Thats what the councillor said) I went to my doctor cause I thought I was dying. She told me to "Pull myself together" and "Cop on". I never liked her for that. Maybe thats where the "Fear" comes from. I dont really know.

If your unhappy with your GP, checka round and find one you like, it's easy enough to change over tbh

For those of you who have just joined us, welcome back to Mystik Monkeys Public Psychiatrist Hour.......:D

dude, you not on your own. I think you post is very good at giving an insight into the male psyche and tbh you need respect for being honest!

Joey the lips

Thanks you have just given me another fear what if you went to see you GP. She is HOT she asks you to strip and tyson is ready for a good match

Ah jasus the agony!!!!!

Dr Galen

Joey the lips wrote: »

Thanks you have just given me another fear what if you went to see you GP. She is HOT she asks you to strip and tyson is ready for a good match

Ah jasus the agony!!!!!

**** that wasn't the intention! lol

never happened to me and one time she actually had to examine the nether regions.........

sam34

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

For those of you who have just joined us, welcome back to Mystik Monkeys Public Psychiatrist Hour.......:D

hey! thats my job;)

sam34

Joey the lips wrote: »

Thanks you have just given me another fear what if you went to see you GP. She is HOT she asks you to strip and tyson is ready for a good match

Ah jasus the agony!!!!!

speaking from the other side of teh fence here - am a female doc, not a GP but did my stint in hospital medicine....

(not going to comment on levels of hotness or otherwise )

the above happened a few times when examining patients...

usually the patients are very embarrassed by it

but really, its not a big deal (no pun intended )

it never bothered me, its not like teh guy was doing it on purpose.

you just behave in a professional matter and if he mentions it or apologises, just say something like "thats OK" or "that happens all teh time" or something else reassuring and calming.

end of story, really.

wont be remembered teh next time you visit the doc.


edit: is a kinda dirty joke appropriate here?? mods delete if ye deem unsuitable!

man goes to GP for check up, she says to him "i think you should stop masturbating". he asks why and she replies "because im trying to examine you"

sam34

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

i'd say we all do really. even me, and I've got a hot GP. Thats just human nature, nothing weird there

would having a hot GP not make it worse though?
IMO, if i had to strip off, id much rather be revealing my less-than-perfect body to someone who was also less-than-perfect than to a Dr doug ross lookalike

maybe thats just me though

Dr Galen

sam34 wrote: »

speaking from the other side of teh fence here - am a female doc, not a GP but did my stint in hospital medicine....

(not going to comment on levels of hotness or otherwise )

the above happened a few times when examining patients...

usually the patients are very embarrassed by it

but really, its not a big deal (no pun intended )

it never bothered me, its not like teh guy was doing it on purpose.

you just behave in a professional matter and if he mentions it or apologises, just say something like "thats OK" or "that happens all teh time" or something else reassuring and calming.

end of story, really.

wont be remembered teh next time you visit the doc.


edit: is a kinda dirty joke appropriate here?? mods delete if ye deem unsuitable!

man goes to GP for check up, she says to him "i think you should stop masturbating". he asks why and she replies "because im trying to examine you"

I've had it happen plenty of times too. Blokes used to get very embarrassed, particularly because I'd be a nurse of the male variety. Really, it wasn't something I'd give a second thought to. We men get stiffys at the drop of a hat, sometimes the more you think about not getting it, the more it..............ok you know what I mean.

Anyway, point is, any doctor/nurse etc will have seen it all. So really, no stressing is required on the patient's part. To us, bits and bobs are just bit of flesh, like ears or noses

Dr Galen

sam34 wrote: »

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

would having a hot GP not make it worse though?
IMO, if i had to strip off, id much rather be revealing my less-than-perfect body to someone who was also less-than-perfect than to a Dr doug ross lookalike

maybe thats just me though

well tbh stripping off doesnt really bother me. In a GP/Medical fashion I mean. I know that within half and hour of me walking out, they'll have forgotten and moved on. Have to say though, the marathon training is making a difference to the old physique...............ohhhhhhhhh i feel a cold coming on

Codofwar

Personally Ill go when her self makes me mostly but if im worried about something ill head on without the need for herself to make me but to be honest the money aspect of it does annoy me at times, If there was some bit of leway rather than fifty if your there for 5 mins or 30 mins, Id happily have no problem giving out 30 for the ten mins as the fifty for a quick chat and poke around is a bit excessive.
Just my 2cents though.