Unfortunately, most of the 'baby boomer' generation (especially the males) assumed that if they felt good, there was no need to do much preventative care unless the doctor recommended it, and about that time socialized medicine hit, and doctors started working for (and being paid by) the insurance companies instead of the actual patient. Certainly even some of those who take meticulous care of themselves and have doctors who take preventative care seriously still pass away (as do we all), and some of them even pass at unfortunately-young ages, but as you say, perhaps God felt it was time for their 'promotion'. Still, it saddens me to see how many of the 40-60 year olds out there are NOT doing anything but the bare-minimum "will my insurance pay for it" type health care, and likely take better care of their motorcycles than their own cardiovascular systems. People will balk at spending $300 a year on stuff that has a very good chance of enabling twenty more years of healthy life, yet they'll blow thousands of dollars beyond what is really necessary on a vehicle upgrade, hobby, or vacation.
Unfortunately, 'gun owners' and other outdoor-enthusiasts are among the worst about this - it seems the streak of 'rugged independence' that makes them what they are, also works against them.
That's bad for our society, because we need to keep 'our' numbers up and healthy to counter all the tofu-and-sprouts crowd of trust-fund yuppies who just love big government, taxes, and gun control...
Many women know-better than to neglect themselves, and seem to have far less
fear of doctors than men do, so if your wives/girlfriends/daughters/moms/sisters tell you you should get a thorough 'checkup' there's a reason for it. But don't go in and just say "everything's fine" and do the bare minimum (contrary to what most people think, with primary care, the 'bare minimum' is what makes the doctor the most money, so they won't generally push you beyond the bare minimum, insurance-covered, generics-only program). Women go in with a list of questions, issues, and goals, and perhaps that kind of self-care is one reason they live another decade longer than we do.
The smart guys not only get thorough annual physicals, but take their wives with them to 'rat' on them, ask questions, and take notes - plus serve as the 'policemen' at home to make sure they eat right, take their meds, and so on.
That's my advice - take it or leave it - it's your life...
