If you can afford it. These days medical technology has a remarkable ability to keep many of us alive up until the moment our money runs out.
The whole point of prevention is to keep us healthy that long. I will refuse technology just as I refuse prescription drugs, which are far too strong for me.
IN my 20s, a dermatologist gave me a tiny bit of local anesthetic to remove a deep mole, which he said might hurt a lot. I almost passed out. He told me he’d never seen anyone react that way, and that I should always be careful.
For minor surgical procedures, I insist on a valium drip with ME controlling the drip. Regular anesthetics are far, far too strong. Even a small shot of valium to “put me out for 10 minutes” for an endoscopy performed by the head of internal medicine at UC MED school hospital in S.F. put me out for three hours. There were nurses standing around me trying to wake me up. I told him to give me 1/3 the regular amount. And he did.
So basically, I’m protecting myself from the medical profession. And dentists. You don’t want to know me if they give me any epinephrine...get so buzzed I can’t stop talking, so they can’t get In my mouth.
This has been working for me for the last 50+ years. Only 17 more to go till I reach the magical 100 mark.