In my 40’s I skipped mammograms most years. Turned out I was fairly in line with the new recommendation, and I’m happy I skipped it. Everything I heard and read, the 40 year old mammogram yearly didn’t make sense to me. I’m in my 50’s now and willing to do it more often, but I want to research it more. I’d rather do a sonogram instead and not be radiated. I just did a mammogram a week ago, my last one was over two years ago.
I skipped dental X-rays only doing them every 2–3 years and I’m very happy I skipped those too. I do get a cleaning. I did them every 6 months for years. Then I switched to once a year. Only this past cleaning did I do ahead and book to go again in 6 months and the hygienist asked me three times if I was sure I want to bother doing it in 6 months.
I am very good about my annual GYN check. Maybe twice in my life it was 2 years in-between visits in 39 years, otherwise always within 18 months, usually at the 12–13 month mark.
I don’t go to GP’s or Internists with any regularity since my teen years.
Since my early thirties I get colonscopies, usually when the doctor says, only delaying one time, when I waited 7 instead of 5 years. So, it’s not annual, but it is something I need to do as recommended. I had one about 6 months ago, then three months later I had to do a sigmoidoscopy, and my next one is scheduled for two years from the sig, and I plan to do it on time. I think if I had not started in my thirties I would have had colon cancer by now. Starting at 50 would have been to late to prevent it. Now the recommendation is 45, but not when I was 45.
I’m also supposed to get a cardiac stress test every year. During covid I waited close to two years.
I used to see my endocrinologist every 6 months, but I haven’t found another that I like since I moved back to Florida.