What to say to guys who don't believe in doctors?

@bluegill I've already received thanks from one person for doing that. He said I "saved his life," which might be a slight exaggeration, but they did catch his Gleason 9 cancer before it metastasised.

Don't overthink it. Until our various public health authorities around the world get their 💩 together and admit they were tragically wrong to recommend against routine PSA screening, it's up to us to spread the good word..

There’s faith and there’s science. Two ways of “knowing”. I think the secret is balancing the two.

@ucla2025 Render unto Science that which is Science's, and unto God that which is God's.

Like you imply, the two shouldn't be in competition: if a person of faith prays for help with their cancer, their God's answer may be a good oncologist and helpful medications. It would be arrogant to close oneself off from that.

@northoftheborder Agree! Why not accept all the universe has to offer? In my mind the alternative is to miss much of what is going on all around us, all the time.

@thmssllvn The annual FAA medical exam can't catch much (other than high blood pressure) if the pilot doesn't complain. There's no blood test required (which might catch cholesterol issues). Given the FAA's hyper sensitivity about many medical issues, most pilots don't volunteer much in their FAA exam. The FAA used to mandate a rectal prostate exam for every man at any age, until common sense stopped that. There are other silly examples (provided upon request).

Some pilots with minor medical issues have two doctors, one for the exam, & one for their health. However, hiding those visits from the FAA can get you in big trouble.

From the standpoint of this discussion, the big benefit is that pilots are used to getting medical exams, & most are sensitive to dealing early with any medical issues that might end their career.

@dkgibson The Transport Canada aviation aviation medical is probably similar. The doctor takes a urine sample (for blood sugar, not drug testing) and checks your blood pressure, vision, and hearing. If you're over 40, every 4 years you also have to take an ECG. The rest is voluntary disclosure.

When I disclosed what happened to me in 2021, the reason they gave for taking away my medical was the spinal surgery, not the cancer drugs.

My surgeon took that personally and volunteered to write a letter, and an aviation lawyer (recommended by COPA) thought I had a strong case, but I decided not to pursue it (yet) because they still have the opportunity to fall back on the ADT and ARSI (which they ignored in their letter) if I were to win over the spinal injury.

I've went up with an instructor in a rental Cessna a couple of years ago (when I was still walking with a cane), and he said my stick-and-rudder skills and situational awareness were solid, despite 2 years away and everything that happened to me, so maybe some day I'll take up the fight. 🤷

@heavyphil Decades ago I worked for a company that was self-insured and charged employees higher medical premiums for being at higher risk.

It wasn’t just things like obesity, smoking or uncontrolled diabetes. It also involved engaging in risky extracurricular activities - like SCUBA diving (which is what I did back then), horseback riding, sky diving, racing cars, and more. (There was a medical questionnaire we had to fill out each year.) And if we had a pre-existing condition, we’d better sign up within the first 30 days of employment or the pre-existing condition wouldn’t be grandfathered and we’d pay higher premiums.

The company was also looking out for its pocketbooks.

(There are companies today that charge higher health insurance premiums tied to an employee’s controllable health status - like BMI.)

I would do exactly what you did.

@bluegill you are doing the right thing. I have 2 acquaintances who were diagnosed as a result of getting PSA tests due to my urging. Enjoy your coffee and keep spreading the Good News!