Are you up to date with your Preventative Testing?

Recently Katie Couric revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer; she underwent a lumpectomy and radiation therapy, and her prognosis is excellent. She also revealed that she was six months overdue for her annual mammogram. Many people had positive comments, wished her well, and said, “thanks for being so open,” but others admonished her for not being up to date. She is considered a role model for being so open with screening for colorectal cancer (her first husband died from this), and, according to the naysayers, should not have been late. 

 Katie also stated that she has “dense breasts.” She said that having an ultrasound for someone with dense breasts is important as mammograms may not be as accurate. I will not debate this, as it is a medical issue to be discussed with your provider. But if you have dense breasts, ask the ordering provider if more testing is required.

 But what happened to Katie Couric can happen to all of us, particularly with our present healthcare system. Years ago, we had the same providers and insurance and received reminders of tests that needed to be scheduled. However, this is no longer the case. It is not financially feasible for doctor offices to send out reminders:  we may not live at the same location, we may have changed insurance and can longer see the provider, mail service is not reliable, and if we do not come in, are they liable if there are problems and we didn’t go for the test? 

 I recently went for my six-month check-up with my cardiologist. The last time I was in, she gave me a lab slip for my annual cholesterol screening (FYI, this only needs to do once a year, EVEN for those on medication, unless there is a change in the dosage). I thought I was to get it done in November, but I did not have it done before my visit. It turns out I was wrong, it was last done in April of 2021, so I was six months late. As we get older, time moves faster (have you noticed that), and it seems to slip away. 

 It is up to us to advocate for ourselves and keep up to date with our preventive screenings and immunizations, as most providers don’t have the time, staff, or impetus to chase us down.

 There are a few ways to do this. Some people advocate getting screenings in your birth month, but logistically, that may not work out. Everyone has to have their own system, and I have now started to put it into my smartphone, as my calendars are there for years ahead. And I send myself reminders.

 Figure out what strategy works for you (and what doesn’t). Do you have a system for keeping up with preventative screenings? Please share.

 After all, everyone needs a little help sometimes.