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Post by originalvanillabean on Feb 11, 2024 16:00:10 GMT
I schedule everything as far out as a I can (massage appts for the whole year) Pap, Physical, Eye, Dentist, Derm, Mammo (all schedule next year when I go to appointment this year)
I will say, if a provider handles urgent or "I need to get in soon" they should leave some time blocks for only those type of situations and not fill them up with maintenance appointments. It is ridiculous to have to wait a couple months to get in if you didn't even realize you need to see them.
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,680
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Feb 11, 2024 16:09:13 GMT
Welcome to corporatization of Americas medical. We were told this is the reason socialized medicine doesn’t work, but it looks like corporatized medicine is just as bad when it comes to waiting. Absolutely. Once our health became a profit center for corporations and shareholders, we were sunk. My doctor left a corporation because they dictated how many patients she should see a year (well over 2000); and how much time to spend with each patient. She was miserable and, as she put it, "making money for them was not why I went into medicine."
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Post by flanz on Feb 11, 2024 18:00:25 GMT
I called in June for my mammogram and pap to be done during my summer break. I had to schedule my pap in OCTOBER on a random day I had off and thankfully was able to get a mammogram the same day. 4 months! My DH had swelling under his arm in May and didn’t think much of it until he started having pain at the start of June and called to get an appt. The GP said that he could get an appt in 6 weeks and if he needed to be seen sooner he could go to the ER. 1 week spent calling daily to see if anything opened up and nothing so he went to the ER when he had a fever. CT scan showed a mass. 1 week later a punch biopsy showed melanoma in his lymphnodes. Immune therapy (which was stopped after 1 infusion because his body attacked his liver) was started within a month and surgery was 10 weeks after since he had to use prednisone to end the immune reaction immediately. MRI 8/1 showed nothing in his brain, MRI 12/14 showed 3 brain tumors. PET scan 12/16 showed nothing below his neck. 12/21 he was able to have targeted radiation. Chemo started 2/5 and he has a nodule on his neck. His oncologist was able to get him a PET 2/16(within 10 days). Sometimes things move fast and sometimes things move slow. It seems like once he was in the oncology department things started moving quickly. I've been thinking about you guys. How are you both doing? ((( hugs )))
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Kerri W
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,776
Location: Kentucky
Jun 25, 2014 20:31:44 GMT
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Post by Kerri W on Feb 11, 2024 18:11:06 GMT
My experience with two separate medical issues recently has been positive in getting timely appointments. My hair stylist is another story however. She books four appointments out then charges half the appointment cost if you have to reschedule. I like her but sometimes life happens and my schedule has to change for something more important.
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leeny
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,671
Location: Northern California
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 1:55:53 GMT
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Post by leeny on Feb 11, 2024 18:16:33 GMT
I was seeing a physical therapist for Vertigo, and they have a sign in the lobby that they are scheduling 3 months out, so you better set all of your appointments out at one time.
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,581
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Feb 11, 2024 20:15:15 GMT
I called in June for my mammogram and pap to be done during my summer break. I had to schedule my pap in OCTOBER on a random day I had off and thankfully was able to get a mammogram the same day. 4 months! My DH had swelling under his arm in May and didn’t think much of it until he started having pain at the start of June and called to get an appt. The GP said that he could get an appt in 6 weeks and if he needed to be seen sooner he could go to the ER. 1 week spent calling daily to see if anything opened up and nothing so he went to the ER when he had a fever. CT scan showed a mass. 1 week later a punch biopsy showed melanoma in his lymphnodes. Immune therapy (which was stopped after 1 infusion because his body attacked his liver) was started within a month and surgery was 10 weeks after since he had to use prednisone to end the immune reaction immediately. MRI 8/1 showed nothing in his brain, MRI 12/14 showed 3 brain tumors. PET scan 12/16 showed nothing below his neck. 12/21 he was able to have targeted radiation. Chemo started 2/5 and he has a nodule on his neck. His oncologist was able to get him a PET 2/16(within 10 days). Sometimes things move fast and sometimes things move slow. It seems like once he was in the oncology department things started moving quickly. I've been thinking about you guys. How are you both doing? ((( hugs ))) We're doing ok. Thanks for thinking about us! The first week of chemo (Temodar) went well. No side effects other than tiredness. Oncology appt. this week and PET Friday. Hoping that the neck thing isn't cancer and that the PET doesn't show anything new.
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Post by Zee on Feb 11, 2024 20:48:37 GMT
This whole thread is wild to me. Like, let me know where y'all live so I can avoid it. For real.
My only reference is eastern Iowa/Western Illinois, Philly burbs/Bucks Co PA, and Metro ATL.
The only one I really thought for sure would be a long time was the derm and even that was almost immediate. (If you're willing to see a PA or NP, which I always am, in fact I usually prefer them)
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RosieKat
Drama Llama
PeaJect #12
Posts: 5,453
Jun 25, 2014 19:28:04 GMT
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Post by RosieKat on Feb 12, 2024 0:42:11 GMT
My doctor left a corporation because they dictated how many patients she should see a year (well over 2000); and how much time to spend with each patient. She was miserable and, as she put it, "making money for them was not why I went into medicine." Same with my favorite ever GP. Unfortunately, she had signed a noncompete, so she had to retire, effectively. It really sucked.
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,680
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Feb 12, 2024 12:23:55 GMT
My doctor left a corporation because they dictated how many patients she should see a year (well over 2000); and how much time to spend with each patient. She was miserable and, as she put it, "making money for them was not why I went into medicine." Same with my favorite ever GP. Unfortunately, she had signed a noncompete, so she had to retire, effectively. It really sucked. We had to hunt down the doctor my dh liked that left our previous practice. He went totally AWOL and I just kept googling his name, knowing he had probably signed a non-compete - but it’s hard enough to get my dh to the doctor; I was bound and determined to find this guy! Finally, he showed up in a town a few miles away across the NY border. When my dh made an appt with him and showed up, the doctor smiled and said “You found me!” It’s funny - on my town’s FB page people post occasionally “I found Dr. XXX!” Because so many have left but can’t tell anyone where they’re going. Nuvance took over our local hospital and most of the private practices and it’s a shit show. I’d rather pay a few thousand dollars to see a doctor who knows my name, isn’t going to rush me out and will make accommodations to see me. Our health system is in tatters. Best healthcare in the world - if you can afford it and get an appointment.
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
Posts: 4,774
Jun 25, 2014 23:21:30 GMT
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Post by scrapngranny on Feb 13, 2024 1:13:41 GMT
I scheduled my bi-annual skin check last August, I go this week. I’d rather do that than find out you can’t get an appointment for 3-4 months when you call the doctor’s office.
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tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,370
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on Feb 13, 2024 3:58:59 GMT
Yup. But supposedly this only happens in countries with socialized medicine. Happening right here in the US with its profit-based medicine, too. An issue we’ve noticed here is that lots of practices are going concierge, which means you don’t have to wait for an appointment - IF you can afford the big annual membership fee. I feel lucky to have found a PCP I like who is not fresh out of med school and who works in a regular non-concierge practice. But scheduling can be quite a ways out. That’s what I do. My doctor went concierge about 18 months ago. He’d been my doctor for over 10 years. Quite frankly I kept him because I like him, he isn’t afraid to bring in a specialist if I need one, and I didn’t want to have to deal with a new doctor. It’s worth every penny. If I need to see him I get right in. His practice is limited to 400 people.
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Post by eventhinker on Feb 13, 2024 4:28:40 GMT
I needed to reschedule a December appointment. And they couldn’t get me in for 6 weeks…primary care doctor.
I get there. There’s a sandwich board sign, advertising same day appointments. I was pretty ticked off
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,744
Location: Houston, TX
Jun 25, 2014 22:47:49 GMT
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Post by smartypants71 on Feb 13, 2024 14:33:24 GMT
I typically schedule my regular appointments (endocrinologist, annual physical, well woman) as I'm checking out for the previous appointment. The one that I'm really struggling with is the podiatrist. I've tried 3 different podiatrists that have somewhat of a short lead time (<4 weeks), and they've all either no-showed or were so late that I had to leave. At this point, I'm just accepting the pain. So frustrating! For basic sick stuff, I just use Teladoc or the local hospital's neighborhood urgent care.
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pinklady
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,628
Nov 14, 2016 23:47:03 GMT
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Post by pinklady on Feb 13, 2024 14:42:12 GMT
This thread had me worried so I called yesterday to schedule my annual mammogram. They said the first available was 2/23 in the afternoon or 2/26 in the morning. I took the 2/26 appointment.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Feb 14, 2024 1:57:01 GMT
I typically schedule my regular appointments (endocrinologist, annual physical, well woman) as I'm checking out for the previous appointment. The one that I'm really struggling with is the podiatrist. I've tried 3 different podiatrists that have somewhat of a short lead time (<4 weeks), and they've all either no-showed or were so late that I had to leave. At this point, I'm just accepting the pain. So frustrating! For basic sick stuff, I just use Teladoc or the local hospital's neighborhood urgent care. Can you go to one of the orthopedic urgent care places where you can just walk in? I went to one of those clinics when I hurt my hand a couple years ago and was pleasantly surprised for the most part by how quickly my problem was addressed, and that it was basically a one stop shop since I didn’t have to go elsewhere for x-rays, a splint or PT. All of their main services were handled in the same location which meant fewer appointments. If I would have gone to my regular GP, I would have had to go to them first, then they would have sent me somewhere else for x-rays, somewhere else to get the splint and a third somewhere else for PT and all of those would have been separate appointments all with separate copays.
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,744
Location: Houston, TX
Jun 25, 2014 22:47:49 GMT
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Post by smartypants71 on Feb 15, 2024 17:16:13 GMT
Yes, you can go to the urgent care place for minor ortho issues. My son went to one for his hand, but unfortunately he required surgery. But because we had the images and doctor report in hand, we were able to get him scheduled for surgery with my ortho within 2 days.
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