Why I’m Getting a Full Body MRI at 71 With No Symptoms
I am getting a full body MRI today. My doctor did not order it, so my insurance is not paying for it. I am paying for it myself, about $3,100.
So why get an MRI nobody asked for? Two reasons.
Reason One: A Baseline
If I am going to try to live to 200, I have to know where I am starting from.
I started with blood work in January, and I test twice a year, so I already have a baseline there and I can see what is improving. The MRI is the next step. It is the expensive step.
Part of that $3,100 is an extra charge for a more detailed brain scan. Brain health is something I have been working hard on, from tracking my sleep to what I take every night, so I want as much detail there as I can get.
Reason Two: Find Problems Early
There may be something wrong with me that I do not know about. Maybe it is minor. Maybe it is major. Either way, I want to find it now, while it is easier to deal with, not later when it is much worse.
What About False Positives?
Kathy and a few friends have warned me about this. Full body scans can turn up things that look worrying but turn out to be nothing, and that can lead to more tests and a lot of stress.
I do not get stressed out about much. I would rather spend time on a few doctor visits I did not need than skip them and find out I did. I wrote more about that tradeoff, and the honest case against these scans, in why I am paying cash for a full body MRI.
The scan is this afternoon. I will share what I can once I have the results.
Come Walk With Me
I post every day about longevity and health in my Facebook group. Come join us at garyleland.com/facebook, and tell me in the comments: would you get a full body scan with no symptoms?
Keep Going
Everything I take is on my protocols page. What I do to stay strong is on my fitness page, and every blood number I publish is on my test and stats page.
Live long and prosper,
Gary
A note from Gary: I am not a doctor, and I am definitely not your doctor. I am a 71-year-old running a 129-year experiment on myself and publishing the results as they come. Talk to your physician before changing anything about your own health, including whether a scan like this makes sense for you.
These are products I use on my push to 200. I only put something on this list after I’ve tested it on myself. The links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
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