Blood Tests for Seniors: When Did We Become a Bunch of Numbers?

I was in the coffee shop talking to a friend about my morning blood test and impatiently waiting for the results when another friend walking by leaned in and said, “Yes, at this age, we rely on our blood tests to tell us if we’re healthy.”

We never concerned ourselves with blood tests, but now it seems many of us, me included, and possibly even the doctors, are obsessed with them.

Within an hour after taking the test, I’m on pins and needles waiting for the email that the results are in.  It took them four hours. FOUR HOURS! Last time it was only three. Why so long?

And then there are the numbers that are technically “normal” but somehow manage to make you feel abnormal.

Created by ChatGPT 9/11/26

One year, a number might be perfectly fine at 99. The next year, it’s 101, and suddenly it’s flagged in red. Nothing has changed except two numbers on a computer screen, but there it is: HIGH.

High sounds ominous. High sounds like I should be making funeral arrangements. Then I Google it. “Is a result of 101 dangerous?”

Google gives me 47 possible causes, three of which involve serious diseases and one of which suggests I should immediately see a doctor.

Of course, I’m already seeing a doctor. That’s how I got the blood test in the first place.

Now Google knows everything there is to know about my health. Forget about HIPAA. All those forms and regulations block everyone’s access to your health information. I can’t even call our Care Center and ask if a person is there.

You know that question: list the people who can see your information. I list my spouse and doctor. I wonder if I should list Google.  But I don’t know Google’s phone or email address.  Besides, I can still keep some secrets from Google – my height and weight.

But I digress. I don’t remember at what stage in my life blood tests became so important. Initially, it was just your blood sugar and a urine test. Now it seems like there are hundreds of numbers—22 in my CBC alone (quick Google: what’s CBC—complete blood count?). Then there are six others, including A1C (blood sugar over time) and even Vitamins D and B12.

Created by ChatGPT 9/11/26

And in the good old days, you had to undress, put on that revealing hospital gown, and the doctor would spend time poking and prodding your stomach, back, on and on. Now they just put the stethoscope on your chest and back, have you breathe a couple of times, and do a quick press on your ankle to see if you are retaining fluid.

I should be happy I don’t have to undress and get prodded. “Sue, I notice your stomach is getting a little fatter.” But I wonder if they are missing something. 

I remember taking an older relative to the doctor, and the doctor pressed her stomach and said, “Her liver is enlarged.” He actually had me feel it, as if I could tell what he was feeling.  Anyway, turns out she had cirrhosis.  No blood test involved.

When something new and advanced comes along, do we sometimes forget what the old-fashioned method could tell us? In this case, are we trading a doctor's hands and ears for a page full of numbers? I don't know. I'm not a doctor. I'm just wondering.

Oh, then there’s the urine test. I think that’s pretty much the same as it was in biblical days. But Google told me: “Think again – urine tests are much more sophisticated than they were 50 years ago.” They can detect early stages of kidney disease and even use DNA biomarkers to determine strains of bacteria.

I can never give the sample at the lab.  I always hit the bathroom before I take the trip because who knows what traffic will be like and how long the wait will be. So I end up taking the sample jar home. This morning I was going to drop the sample by the lab. I had the little bottle in a clear baggie.  When I opened my apartment door, the hall was filled – maintenance men, a neighbor. I dodged around the corner. Somehow I didn’t want to start a chat with a baggie of urine in my hand.

So anyway, it seems that when I go to the doctor, I’m no longer flesh and blood to be examined. I’m a set of numbers.

My blood has numbers. My urine has numbers. My blood pressure has numbers. My weight has numbers. Even my age is a number that seems to get more attention every year. And if one of those numbers is a little too high or a little too low, I immediately Google it, worry about it, and wait for someone in a white coat to tell me what it means.

Maybe that’s progress. Maybe it’s just modern medicine. But sometimes I miss the days when the doctor actually poked and prodded me and said, “Let’s see what’s going on here.”

Now I just get an email.

And a bunch of numbers.

It reminds me of the old Bob Seger song: “Feel Like a Number.”At this age, it’s taken on a whole new meaning.