When did I get old? Ageism at its best.

Ethelwulf, I'm so sorry for your loss. What a lovely poem.. very thought inspiring. Thank you.

Ethelwulf. Terrific ode. Thank you so much.

Last year I decided to have a private health check - mainly to see if they could come up with any suggestions for my legs aching badly at night (never in the day,) They didn’t,
but they did highlight high blood pressure, which got me to go for monitoring with GP and a test showed I wasn’t at risk of Alzheimer’s and best of all I was told that my metabolic age was 15 years lower than my actual age! Made the money spent worthwhile!

Anyone who feels that their GP is brushing off reasonable queries with "It's your age" instead of attempting to find out whether that is so, or if the symptoms are caused by something else needs to change doctor, quickly.

The same applies if you feel your doctor is being patronizing. How can you feel like confiding health issues to someone whose manner you find offensive?

Upon asking my age and being told '62' (at the time) my doctor remarked ' You don't look it.' Needless to say I was quite happy with his response!

Errycarr I agree.A supportive GP is like gold dust.
I experienced a lack of sensitivity bordering on the callous from mine not long after my late DH had passed away. I had visited the surgery for a repeat prescription I suffer asthma. This particular GP was on duty and he greeted me with 'Hello how are you ?, sorry for your loss but he had a good innings
How does one follow that.

edsnana, I used the very same line to a consultant regarding my eyes, with no successful comeback. Many years later I related this tale to 'another' consultant when I was returning with the selfsame problem. He had a look at my docs and said 'Oh yes, that was me'. Ouch!

When I was in my late 40’s I suffered from a severe bout of depression. As I was recovering I decided to apply for university. I asked my (rather young) psychologist if he thought it was a good idea. His reply was that at my age it didn’t really matter, it wasn’t as if I would ever use it! I felt about 100 lol! Still I went on to do a degree and graduated in 2010.

I was once told by a pharmacist whose advice I sought for natural help with menopause symptoms, that it was going to be downhill all they way from now on! I did ask him if he'd already reached the bottom of the hill himself and maybe I'd catch up with him one day. Horrid little man.

I visited the doctor to ask about my menopause symptoms he said "In your natural state you would have had 17 pregnancies and be dead by now"

ethelwulf, I love your poem!

Beautiful poem Ethelwulf. Will frame it and hang it on my kitchen wall.

Some GP's are the pits! I haven't experienced it myself yet but my father was always being fobbed off by his GP - to the point that he wasn't asked to sit down even to explain his symptoms. He was more or less told he couldn't expect anything else at his age which was only 72 at time. He got upset, I got furious and wrote a letter of complaint! I mentioned Care Commissions Council - now am not an expert and didn't even really know what this was but next thing we were called to a meeting at the Surgery where the GP and several other health professionals were there. Result: Dad got amazing treatment and was never fobbed off as an 'age' thing again.

I am now having similar problems with my mum who was mortified when we had to go for this meeting with dad so she won't allow me to complain. BUT I do feel if it is justified we should complain, no matter what age.

When I last went to my dentist he told me that my teeth were showing signs of wear - I did remind him that I was 61 and had had my teeth for 50+ years, ate a healthy diet of raw veg, fruit, nuts and the like and really - what did he expect! He laughed. I am sure he meant well bless him.

On the subject of GPs, I live in a rural practice with 5 doctors and we have gone from being able to get an appointment in 2-3 days to 2-3 weeks. This happened very abruptly about 3 months ago. Does anyone else have to wait so long - only to be told its their age ...

I must be lucky - not one of the GPs in our practice has mentioned my age in connection with any of the ailments I present. Nor has any of the consultants at the local hospital whom I have to see from time to time. And nobody suggested, when I had a nasty fall that it might be age-related. I'll be 77 next month.

What concerns me with us “ golden girls” is that most of us don’t want to be going to the Dr every month with various ailments. We all know that we are now going to get issues of one kind or another, but how many times do you read or hear, if only it had been diagnosed earlier so .... Unless we are able to pay for private annual scans it’s all a bit hit and miss. It’s hard not to use Dr Google and self diagnose !

Should have been primigravida ,first time mum!

I'm not too bothered about it but when I went for a check-up at the dermatologists I asked him to particularly check 2 moles I had just discovered. He looked a little sheepish as he said that some might say they were just a symptom of my age. I was most taken aback as they were on the underside of my breasts and those boobs are 14 years younger than the rest of me!

I was told when I had just miscarried at four+ months "you're nearly thirty, better tell your husband to get his finger out"
The nurse apologized for him after he had gone.
Still in shock and it being the 70's I never had the nerve to
comment on his rudeness and lack of empathy.

Maybe your GP was trying to say he did not want to give you any treatment/meds as this was normal for your age bracket. Personally I avoid meds where possible. You feel different at different ages.

My own GP said with a flourish when I started early menopause "Yes, it's all drying up" Thanks a bunch.

I took my dh with me on my last visit for moral support. I have an underactive thyroid and all the issues that come with it. My GP said we are living longer and that’s the problem, people are dying from the Hiroshima bomb, people are shooting each other in America and 1 in 3 of us will get cancer.
We are still trying to work out what any of that has to to with my medical condition.
This is the same gp who has been treating me for depression for 11 years. Maybe he wanted me to go home and reduce the population.... looking for a new doctor.....

See another GP.

..........and I was an elderly multiple at 36!

Baggs.... I'm with you on this.... At a certain age 'stuff happens'... it's just like a toddler falling and scraping hands and knees all the time....it's what they do but they grow out of it. We grow into difficulties. It is often age related and why that upsets anyone to be told so is lost on me. I am 68 , walk at least 3 miles a day and swim 3 times a week! If you don't want 'stuff' to happen... try and help yourselves a little. I also had two strokes... one at 35 and the other at 47. And also a couple of TIA's. If I'd been told THEY were age related I might've pulled a face!! I'm fitter now than I've been most of my adult life. Perhaps I had all my bad luck early!!