I just finished my annual physical. I probably wouldn't bother with it, except that my wife seems to think that I'll go to federal prison, or that they will take my Medicare away if I don't show up for the annual physical. I was up half the night studying, and I passed. I like my current doctor. She hasn't even mentioned cholesterol, and she's fine with my not choosing to be vaccinated like a new puppy.
I skipped my annual physical this year, and my PCP actually renewed my blood pressure medicine for another year without seeing me. I was astonished but happy.
The only medication I'm taking that I couldn't get without a prescription is Levothyroxine, and I don't think my doctor needs to see me every year to determine that I haven't grown my thyroid back.
The purpose of the annual physical is to see if you have developed any more health problems since the last checkup. If I have, I would want to know it before it gets worse. It would be far easier to treat it now rather than when it becomes severe enough to cause noticeable symptoms. It doesn't cost me anything and it doesn't hurt..... except for the part where the Vampire Lady draws blood.
@Shirley Martin I compare what you are saying with my pesky "CHECK ENGINE" light: it's permanently on for a meaningless little fault, harmless, but if I fail to check it now and then, how do I know new, damaging faults have not occurred? Frank
I subscribe to the idea that I'm not sick until the doctor diagnoses me with an illness, so as long as I can avoid doctors, I will remain healthy.
haha.... (maybe still findable ) > When the doctors went on strike, the death rate dropped a lot. When the doctors returned off strike, the death rate immediately increased. (Years after this was 'news', some of the kickback was sites claiming it was not what happened... )
fwiw, I messaged the op a while ago. (not sure to make this public or not) but , the last annual physical, actually the last physical by a usa licensed doctor at all, the last one I needed or I had (or remember) was in 1988. I take no drugs at all (unless coffee counts ) ..... Others, likewise, have not seen a doctor for decades.... they know how to stay healthy. In medical school, one of the first things we learned was that doctors 'never' took their wives or daughters/ family/ to a hospital..... too many risks of infections at the hospital, and not so good care available per the risk. After the 2002 conference by a doctor in chicago, about the death in a flu shot, thousands or tens of thousands of licensed ama doctors never let their wives or daughters or female relatives get a flue shot again. (it resulted in too many spontaneous miscarriages, statistically, even year after year after year (some over six spontaneous miscarriages, without their doctor ever telling them what happened or why) ....