Let's compare notes

@sol_cee (38224)
Philippines
July 5, 2017 9:40am CST
Health is wealth, goes the old adage. But with the yearly physical checkup coming soon, I found some of my coworkers grumbling about it. Made me wonder why so I unleashed my inner Sherlock and digged a little. And now the curious cat wants to share my anxiety to all of you. Apparently in Japan, (or maybe in other countries too), as one gets older, more tests are required by the doctor. Forget about the 'standard' medical checkup we are familiar with but rather more in-depth procedures which my coworkers describe as an ordeal they have to undertake. Year after year after year. I can name a few but the one that really scares me the most is this stomach camera that is inserted through the nose (or mouth) which goes down the throat. Yikes! I can imagine myself choking! Anyhow, the company will shoulder the expenses. All I gotta do is to let the doctor dissect me and pray I live another year or so. Dreadful thinking. What's a yearly medical checkup like in your country? Let's compare notes. Photo is from Google.
20 people like this
18 responses
@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
5 Jul 17
Oh heck no @sol_cee , no way am I allowing them to insert a camera down my nose or throat, no matter how small it is! I see my doctor and have my bp and cholesterol checked, I also have tests, but no camera!
2 people like this
@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
24 Jul 17
@sol_cee , lol, nah ah, that selfie would be too scary
2 people like this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
@bluesa hahaha not with the same camera of course!
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
24 Jul 17
Just a selfie please! haha
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
5 Jul 17
There is nothing "mandatory" in our country, there are some tests that the doctors suggest after 50 years, like blood test, stool analysis, mammogram for woman, prostate exams for men. We have at home the small thing to test blood pressure.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
26 Jul 17
@sol_cee No, I show you the picture of the one I have, it's easier than trying to explain.
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
What's that small thing at home? Like a thermometer?
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
@LadyDuck a sphygmomanometer!
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45125)
• Canada
28 Jul 17
I'm retired and so unless I go to the doctor no medical checkup is required. By the way, a few years back I had the procedure you describe and I them knock me out as I would have choked for sure.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45125)
• Canada
28 Jul 17
@sol_cee I had a serious acid reflux problem and a change in diet helped a lot but I still have to keep an eye on the problem.
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
28 Jul 17
@1hopefulman your health-related posts make sense now.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
28 Jul 17
Omg! Is your stomach ok now?
1 person likes this
@wiLLmaH (8805)
• Singapore, Singapore
25 Jul 17
I've experienced putting a camera from my nose and down to my larynx. Here in Singapore, we do not have yearly checkup required by our job or by insurance agencies.
1 person likes this
@wiLLmaH (8805)
• Singapore, Singapore
25 Jul 17
@sol_cee The ENT sprayed a anesthesia in my knows and the liquid slowly creeps to my throat. Then after few minutes, he inserted a camera. The anesthesia lasted for 3 more hours after the check-up.
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
25 Jul 17
Yikes! How was it?
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
25 Jul 17
@wiLLmaH So it wasn't painful?
1 person likes this
@Genipher (5405)
• United States
9 Jul 17
Pshaw. We don't bother going to the doctor unless there's something wrong. No need to expose ourselves to germs unnecessarily! I am so glad check-ups aren't mandatory here in the U.S. Well, unless a person is going out for sports or, perhaps, for life insurance purposes. Then it's required.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
24 Jul 17
How'd you read Pshaw?
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
@Genipher not silent P?
@Genipher (5405)
• United States
24 Jul 17
@sol_cee p-shhhh-aaaw The "p" makes a short sound. I'm really not good at explaining sounds...
1 person likes this
@manasamanu (3746)
• Bangalore, India
5 Jul 17
The medical check up here is to check BP, sugar, and some other examines too as for I know. Not really much I know about it. But it is really essential to get the whole body checked and stay fit for the whole Year.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
25 Jul 17
Have you had yours?
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
@manasamanu good luck!
1 person likes this
• Bangalore, India
25 Jul 17
@sol_cee No not yet
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90727)
• Philippines
25 Jul 17
Oh, that is endoscopy. My hubby, my boyfriend then had a problem of bad breath. So we went to Chinese General Hospital and he had this endoscopy. It was then so choking. I felt bad for hubby when that stethoscope thing was inserted into his stomach through his mouth. He was made to lie on his side, with a tray to catch his saliva while that thing is in his mouth. Physical examination here depends upon the Health care provider. It could be as simple as an x-ray , 2D echo and blood chem. But others have treadmill exams, 2D echo and ultrasound for the stomach and a lot more. Yaiks I don't want endoscopy. But I salute Japan for having a through examination of employees.
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90727)
• Philippines
27 Jul 17
@sol_cee Yes, last month.
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
25 Jul 17
Have you had your physical exam already?
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Jul 17
It is non existent for me here as I do not have money to get this done. So oh well, going to pass away without doctors checking me out.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 Jul 17
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
You're as fit as a fiddle!
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (34731)
• Philippines
8 Jul 17
Yesterday I completed my Annual Physical Exam. Urine, BP check, Eye Check-up, physical exam, ECG (oppps! I'm getting old) blood extraction and lastly X-ray. Unfortunately, the x-ray apparatus stopped working. My colleagues told me not to go down to the mobile xray because I will wasting my time.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
24 Jul 17
And the result?
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
11 Jul 17
I don't think there are mandatory procedures for the elderly here, only the ones they opt to undergo or as suggested by the doctors.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
25 Jul 17
@sol_cee It can be both. But no one seems to be complaining about it.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
@cahaya1983 I would! Haha
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
24 Jul 17
Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
1 person likes this
@shshiju (10343)
• Cochin, India
25 Jul 17
Endoscopy needed for diagnosis not for medical check ups. It's disgusting.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
Have you tried endoscopy?
1 person likes this
@shshiju (10343)
• Cochin, India
26 Jul 17
@sol_cee No but my kins undergone for it.
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Jul 17
I don't think there are any checks like this in Australia unless you want them. Of course for some occupations you might need checks. Vince has to have regular checks because he has a licence to drive a large vehicle but also has diabetes. I think you might need eyesight checks once you reach the age of 80 and still want to drive a car.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
Recently, there are many accidents involving people in their 80's who still drive.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40250)
• United States
24 Jul 17
Oh dear. That camera thing sounds invasive. At least your company pays for it, but still. Here a yearly physical is height and weight, blood pressure, chat about your health and then a detailed exam of your.... uh..... undercarriage. Not fun, not too bad compared to the stomach camera though
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
25 Jul 17
What's undercarriage?
@YrNemo (20272)
7 Jul 17
Never have to go thru that stomach checking procedure before so I wouldn't know (let hope I will never have to experience that), but it sounds terribly awful. Lots of fasting prior to that I assume? My doctor only checks my blood pressure, doing a normal blood test and that was it (normal routine check up).
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
25 Jul 17
How's your bp?
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20272)
25 Jul 17
@sol_cee The doctors always told me that my BP was pretty normal (disappointed isn't it )! My guess is my current one is normal too.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
26 Jul 17
@YrNemo good for you! My mom's having a hard time keeping her bp normal.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203717)
• Walnut Creek, California
5 Jul 17
Ours are pretty simple. Typical check heart, check blood pressure. After 50 or so, send them a little poop once a year. Checking for colon cancer, I reckon.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
5 Jul 17
I can live with that! :)
@ridingbet (66861)
• Philippines
6 Jul 17
that is endoscopy - the EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) wherein the tube is inserted through the mouth down to the esophagus to the upper part of the stomach. here in the hospital where i work, when the elderly needs to undergo an executive check-up, he should be asked if he wants to undergo EGD because it may be harmful to his health.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
25 Jul 17
Informative, doc.
1 person likes this
@JustBhem (70601)
• Davao, Philippines
7 Jul 17
That will freak me out.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
25 Jul 17
Indeed!
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22932)
• India
6 Sep 17
My college does not have any yearly medical plans...So you have all these hospitals offering full health check up at discounted rates etc. Hubby's co has this yearly check up for its employees though .