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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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 Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:19 am Post subject: Re: idiot korean doctors |
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| pest2 wrote: |
| crazylemongirl wrote: |
So I went in for my mandatory medical yesterday. One of the things they do is a chest x-ray. The school nurse is all in a tizzy because they think I either have pneumonia or lung cancer. Now I'm a 26 year old non-smoker from a non-smoking family so chances of lung cancer a very low. I had also been for a workout just that very day so my chances of having pneumonia again very low. I did have a cough but that's because my asthma hasn't been the best due to the yellow dust.
However I do have a slightly weird ribcage (two sets of ribs don't meet up where they are supposed to) which I told the doctor about when I went back. I suggested she do a physical examination to check that was the source of the weirdity on the xray. She refused.
To cut a long story short: After 3 hours and one TB test, a Cat scan, a mammogram, an IV and 5 chest xrays it turns out CLG was right. However I can't help but wonder if I didn't have cancer before hand, dousing me in radiation all day wouldn't have helped me along. |
Yeah this is great you have this story to tell because I, too had the pneumonia a couple of months ago...
I went to the doctor, and they were all perplexed and worried so they took chest xrays.
Now, I have a "barrell" chest... my momma had a barrell chest, my grand-daddy had un, and gosh darn it, I got me un, too. I've actually always been quite happy to have it; I have a really high lung capacity that really helped me back in my cycle-racing days (vo2 max of 80+ ml)... In fact, I still ride alot/fast around where I live here in the land of white lies and Kimchi and I suppose it is still good. I am still really healthy/watch what I eat/wouldnt dream of smoking.
Anywayz, the doctor is all in-awed by my chest xray. Then she gives me a scolding look and says, "when you quit smoking?? smoking bad"...
I'm like, "whadya mean?? I dont smoke!! I wouldnt dream of it!!!'' (but Im totally aware that she wont believe me because she assumes that I, too, am a natural part of her culture of white lies)...
She points to the photo of my chest xray and says,"your chest shape wide. You have disease".... I'm like... "OK, whatever, I'll stop smoking... but for now can you just give me my cough pills and antibiotics?"... |
You're right, she probably deals with patients who lie about such things all the time. But, her diagnosis was still incorrect. Had she bothered to ask you a few questions instead of jumping to conclusions, the whole thing could have been avoided. |
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flakfizer
Joined: 12 Nov 2004
Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.
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| Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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| laogaiguk wrote: |
| flakfizer wrote: |
| laogaiguk wrote: |
| I_Am_Wrong wrote: |
hahaha...
Last september I had to have a new medical done for the start of a new school year. After a year in Korea I had gone from 160 lbs. to 180 lbs. Now, I'm 6 feet tall, so I wasn't too concerned about it. After doing all of the tests I sat down and had a chat with the doctor about my general health. He was looking at a chart that had height and proper weight for that height. He looked up my height and my weight, turned to me, and exclaimed, "YOU ARE OBESE!" I said, "sorry, I'm not obese." He looked at his chart again and said, "no no no...you are very obese...oh my god!" So I said to him, "look at me, do I look obese to you?" He said, "no you don't" and looked up his chart again and said "this is big problem because you are very obese." |
Well, if he was going by that stupid BMI scale thing, I can understand it. That BMI thing sucks. |
Actually, I think the BMI is pretty useful. Studies have shown that even if a lot of the weight is muscle, people who weigh a lot for their height have more health risk. By the way, according to the BMI, being 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds would land you in the "normal" range (score of 24.4) anyway, so I don't know what method that doctor was using. |
Muscle is 3 times as heavy as fat. Since the index doesn't take that into account, it sucks. (there are other things, but that is an easy one).
And what Hollywoodaction said. |
Oh right, the muscle thing. And some people who smoke 2 packs a day live to be 90 years old. But generally, smoking is not good for your health. And generally, people who have a high bmi are endangering their health. Go back to North America and take a look around and tell me with a striaght face that most of the people you see walking around with high bmi's are just muscle-bound.
Also, look at how every year some football player dies in training camp. It's always a big guy. I see lots of guys at the gyms here and even more back home that are just adding muscle to their fat. That makes you stronger, but not healthier. The heart has to pump blood to all that tissue, no matter what it's made of, and a lot of guys that go to the gym neglect to exercise that most important muscle.
| Quote: |
| Bah. Seems like an excuse not to do any physical activity. The health risks involved in having a higher muscle mass are rather insignificant when you consider the fact that most people who have a higher muscle mass workout regurlarly. |
Well, I'm not sure why HA wrote this. Actually, it's a reason to do more physical activity-adding aerobic activity to one's workout. Adding muscle is all fine and good, but if the heart is not exercised, I'm not sure adding on that weight will do much good. Ever see Bob Sapp (The Beast) fight? That guy is a huge, walking muscle, but he's winded 60 seconds into the fight. I really don't see a guy like that making it into his 70s. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| flakfizer wrote: |
Well, I'm not sure why HA wrote this. Actually, it's a reason to do more physical activity-adding aerobic activity to one's workout. Adding muscle is all fine and good, but if the heart is not exercised, I'm not sure adding on that weight will do much good. Ever see Bob Sapp (The Beast) fight? That guy is a huge, walking muscle, but he's winded 60 seconds into the fight. I really don't see a guy like that making it into his 70s. |
Whatever. It has more to do with conditioning and the type of muscle fiber that is the most developped than with BMI (never heard of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers?). Look at those sprinters. Most of them are pretty big by any standards, yet they are fast. According to the BMI scale, Michael Jordan was about 45 pounds overweight when he played. I'd like to see you try to outrun him on the court.
Besides, your heart does get a workout during strenght training if you know how to do it properly. It's all about maintaing a certain heart rate.
Last edited by Hollywoodaction on Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| flakfizer wrote: |
| laogaiguk wrote: |
| flakfizer wrote: |
| laogaiguk wrote: |
| I_Am_Wrong wrote: |
hahaha...
Last september I had to have a new medical done for the start of a new school year. After a year in Korea I had gone from 160 lbs. to 180 lbs. Now, I'm 6 feet tall, so I wasn't too concerned about it. After doing all of the tests I sat down and had a chat with the doctor about my general health. He was looking at a chart that had height and proper weight for that height. He looked up my height and my weight, turned to me, and exclaimed, "YOU ARE OBESE!" I said, "sorry, I'm not obese." He looked at his chart again and said, "no no no...you are very obese...oh my god!" So I said to him, "look at me, do I look obese to you?" He said, "no you don't" and looked up his chart again and said "this is big problem because you are very obese." |
Well, if he was going by that stupid BMI scale thing, I can understand it. That BMI thing sucks. |
Actually, I think the BMI is pretty useful. Studies have shown that even if a lot of the weight is muscle, people who weigh a lot for their height have more health risk. By the way, according to the BMI, being 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds would land you in the "normal" range (score of 24.4) anyway, so I don't know what method that doctor was using. |
Muscle is 3 times as heavy as fat. Since the index doesn't take that into account, it sucks. (there are other things, but that is an easy one).
And what Hollywoodaction said. |
Oh right, the muscle thing. And some people who smoke 2 packs a day live to be 90 years old. But generally, smoking is not good for your health. And generally, people who have a high bmi are endangering their health. Go back to North America and take a look around and tell me with a striaght face that most of the people you see walking around with high bmi's are just muscle-bound.
Also, look at how every year some football player dies in training camp. It's always a big guy. I see lots of guys at the gyms here and even more back home that are just adding muscle to their fat. That makes you stronger, but not healthier. The heart has to pump blood to all that tissue, no matter what it's made of, and a lot of guys that go to the gym neglect to exercise that most important muscle.
| Quote: |
| Bah. Seems like an excuse not to do any physical activity. The health risks involved in having a higher muscle mass are rather insignificant when you consider the fact that most people who have a higher muscle mass workout regurlarly. |
Well, I'm not sure why HA wrote this. Actually, it's a reason to do more physical activity-adding aerobic activity to one's workout. Adding muscle is all fine and good, but if the heart is not exercised, I'm not sure adding on that weight will do much good. Ever see Bob Sapp (The Beast) fight? That guy is a huge, walking muscle, but he's winded 60 seconds into the fight. I really don't see a guy like that making it into his 70s. |
Fine, you just threw more help onto my argument. Look at all the things BMI doesn't take into account. It's practically useless  |
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kermo
Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Location: Eating eggs, with a comb, out of a shoe.
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| Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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I went to the doctor's today to get a general exam. I enjoyed a lot of the tests-- lung capacity, hearing tests, bone age, "eye pressure"(?), abdominal sonogram (hello spleen!) Some of them I enjoyed less, like the mammogram (oh my word-- I taught that nurse a few new cuss words) and the blood tests. Some tests were new and strange to me, like when my wrists and ankles were clamped with wires and my chest covered in little suction-cups... but harmless overall. However, I was not prepared for the endoscopy.
Endoscopy?
I started to really worry when they told me I'd be sleeping for about an hour following it. I protested that my esophagus was perfectly fine, and the three staffers looked embarrassed and confused. "It's a good test!" they said. "My think- you take it."
Curiousity got the better of me, and I took the chalky potion they offered me, then held some slimy yellowish anesthetic in my mouth. They gave me an IV and as I grew dizzy and sleepy, they inserted a white plastic mouthpiece between my lips and strapped it to my head.
Things went dark, and when I regained some consciousness, I was retching violently and twitching. People stood around me, and I could hear myself gagging loudly (perhaps vomiting?) as they struggled with the mouthpiece. Eventually, they took the mouthpiece away, and left me alone. I slept again...
I awoke later-- alone, confused and cold, still hooked up to the IV. I remembered the test, and opened the curtain. I was in the emergency recovery room, and the doors were wide open. I shivered, and got quite tearful trying to understand what had happened-- had something gone wrong? Why the emergency room? Why the retching before? I stared forlornly at the staff walking back and forth, but was ignored. The staff at this hospital has less English than I do Korean, which pretty meager. I finally croaked out at one nurse and tried to ask what had happened. They unhooked me and I shuffled back upstairs to get my clothes. I assume things went as planned, because I was told to return later for the results.
Not the greatest morning. But hey- free endoscopy! Woo hoo!  |
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flakfizer
Joined: 12 Nov 2004
Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| Hollywoodaction wrote: |
| flakfizer wrote: |
Well, I'm not sure why HA wrote this. Actually, it's a reason to do more physical activity-adding aerobic activity to one's workout. Adding muscle is all fine and good, but if the heart is not exercised, I'm not sure adding on that weight will do much good. Ever see Bob Sapp (The Beast) fight? That guy is a huge, walking muscle, but he's winded 60 seconds into the fight. I really don't see a guy like that making it into his 70s. |
Whatever. It has more to do with conditioning and the type of muscle fiber that is the most developped than with BMI (never heard of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers?). Look at those sprinters. Most of them are pretty big by any standards, yet they are fast. According to the BMI scale, Michael Jordan was about 45 pounds overweight when he played. I'd like to see you try to outrun him on the court.
Besides, your heart does get a workout during strenght training if you know how to do it properly. It's all about maintaing a certain heart rate. |
Actually, according to the NBA, Jordan was 6-6 and 216lbs. his final year. That makes for a bmi just under 25. That's not even close to 45 pounds overweight. Doesn't matter though, you could find some half-back or tight end who has a higher bmi and is a good athlete. I never said the bmi is perfect. I said it is useful. If a doctor calculates that a guy has a high bmi and then sees that his torso looks like Jordan's, he's not going to say, "you need to lose some weight." Doctors are bright enough to use the bmi as a guideline but not as the end all be all of fitness measurement. I'm not sure why you're making this about me. I never mentioned my bmi nor did I say anything about being faster than Jordan. Perhaps the bmi is touchy subject for you? |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2006 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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| kermo wrote: |
| Some tests were new and strange to me, like when my wrists and ankles were clamped with wires and my chest covered in little suction-cups... but harmless overall. |
Nerve study? |
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kermo
Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Location: Eating eggs, with a comb, out of a shoe.
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2006 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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| OiGirl wrote: |
| kermo wrote: |
| Some tests were new and strange to me, like when my wrists and ankles were clamped with wires and my chest covered in little suction-cups... but harmless overall. |
Nerve study? |
They said it had something to do with my heart. I worried a little when they pulled the curtain shut and started swabbing my ankles and wrists, but it was utterly painless.
My esophagus is still hurtin' though.  |
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Wrench
Joined: 07 Apr 2005
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Actually They are idiots I can walk into a doctors office make up some lie and they will perscribe me the medication. Lying to a doctor back home didn't get you far. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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kermo, Oigirl... you two know less than your average ten year old! (about this)
geez.
it's called an EKG. or ECG. Electrocardiogram.
And it's on every medical t.v. show ever made!
seriously. |
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kermo
Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Location: Eating eggs, with a comb, out of a shoe.
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Wrench wrote: |
| Actually They are idiots I can walk into a doctors office make up some lie and they will perscribe me the medication. Lying to a doctor back home didn't get you far. |
Speaking of meds...
A friend of mine went in this week with a very bad flu. She was prescribed the typical truckload of pills, and I advised her to research them individually (I was once given a very weird pill which doesn't seem to appear in medical reseach outside of cocaine rehabilitation!)
Yep, she was given a painkiller that also doubles as an anti-depressant. Sure, why not cure your existential angst along with that sore throat! What a bargain. |
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periwinkle
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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Why are they giving mammograms to 26 year olds? Really unnecessary, unless you have a lump.
BTW, if you want to get out of getting X-rays, tell them you think you're pregnant (it worked like a charm for me). |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| periwinkle wrote: |
Why are they giving mammograms to 26 year olds? Really unnecessary, unless you have a lump.
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because I had a family member die of breast cancer in her late 20s. But in this case I think they were just doing as many tests as possible to charge to the insurance agencies. |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
| periwinkle wrote: |
Why are they giving mammograms to 26 year olds? Really unnecessary, unless you have a lump.
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because I had a family member die of breast cancer in her late 20s. But in this case I think they were just doing as many tests as possible to charge to the insurance agencies. |
They also tend to freak out if you have any history of lumps, even benign. I think the doctors are scared of foreign women's mammary glands! |
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bigscott
Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Location: Incheon
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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| I_Am_Wrong wrote: |
hahaha...
Last september I had to have a new medical done for the start of a new school year. After a year in Korea I had gone from 160 lbs. to 180 lbs. Now, I'm 6 feet tall, so I wasn't too concerned about it. After doing all of the tests I sat down and had a chat with the doctor about my general health. He was looking at a chart that had height and proper weight for that height. He looked up my height and my weight, turned to me, and exclaimed, "YOU ARE OBESE!" I said, "sorry, I'm not obese." He looked at his chart again and said, "no no no...you are very obese...oh my god!" So I said to him, "look at me, do I look obese to you?" He said, "no you don't" and looked up his chart again and said "this is big problem because you are very obese." |
Yes, I had the same problem. I told the doctor that I am not obese.... I am just a little short and need to grow another 30cm. |
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