Annual Checkups Matter

If you’re like most people, going to see the doctor isn’t one of your favorite activities.  In fact, some of you may need to be really ill before you would even consider going to a doctor.  But the reality is that annual checkups with your doctor are really worthwhile, whether you’re in great shape or health, whether you’re “too busy,” or whether you figure “ignorance is bliss.”

An Ongoing Relationship

We have relationships with our accountants, mechanics, attorneys, financial planners…why shouldn’t we also have a good relationship with our doctor?  In fact, all of the previously mentioned professions only deal with a part of your life that you sometimes need to deal with, but a doctor deals with your body, the only thing that keeps you alive.  It’s important to have a good relationship with your doctor so that as he/she gets to know you better, he/she can ask better, more insightful questions (and remember what you said before, because it was written down!).

Routine Maintenance

Your body is a machine.  It’s quite possibly the most wonderful, miraculous machine in creation.  But like any machine, it needs maintenance and it can always benefit from a look under the hood.  Annual checkups will often involve blood work and other tests that can help find things that should be further looked into, even if you are “feeling fine.”  A car will drive well past when its due for an oil change, but that doesn’t mean that the engine isn’t suffering as a result.  Part of the reason we engage in routine maintenance is for peace of mind.  You’ll have it if you get regularly checked.

Questions

Sometimes you’ll hear about a new medication or about a health concern being brought up in the news.  Other times a family member or close friend may be going through some challenges.  You may have questions about these things and how they apply to you.  Instead of just searching the internet for impersonal answers you can get a customized-for-you answer from a live doctor when you’re at your wellness checkup.  We might think the questions are boring, but doctors love answering questions and pretty much anything having to do with health and wellness.  It’s the career they chose, so keep the questions coming!

Costs

Many healthcare insurance packages include an annual checkup, and quite a few employers now incentivize staff with cash bonuses if they can prove they are healthy via annual checkups.  You can see the excuse window continuing to shrink…

Do you go for annual checkups?  Why or why not?  Share in the comments below to get a free upgrade on your next hair service.

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3 Comments

  1. I good friend of mine, who eventually died of prostate cancer, strongly encouraged me to go annually by age 40 and have everything checked out. He said that his urologist highly recommended it. It’s not my favorite thing to do, but after a nine year systemmic cancer battle my buddy eventually lost his life. I honestly believe that early detection is life saving. My friend’s detection was not early enough.

  2. I have neglected to get annual check ups for some time. I did go in recently and was told I should get an unpleasant sounding procedure done because it was so long since my last one. I did so recently and the doctor removed 5 polyps. All were benign but I plan on getting regular check ups. It’s just the smart thing to do.

    1. Hey Ted,

      Thank you for your comment! We’ve added a complimentary upgrade to your next visit.

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