topic Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments in Wellness

A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:08:02 GMT

Before I bang my head on a wall please give your opinion on the following: DH had a colostomy in fall of 2015 due to cancer diagnosis. In Oct. of 2016 he had a colonoscopy to make sure all was good. Dr. (his surgeon) was happy and said we'll see you in 3 yrs. for another colonoscopy. Now he's due in Oct. of this year and I said we'll have to call for an appointment. DH says they will contact us. I have never had a Dr. call me every year and say it's time for a check-up. This dr. works at a huge hospital with who knows how many patients. I'm sure his office doesn't have the time to track and call hundreds of patients and remember they need this or that. Make it ourselves or wait for them as DH thinks?

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

kittyloo — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:13:01 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 you are absolutely the correct one here.

there is no way that i would trust them to stay on top of this. I'm sure that dh is just hoping to drag his feet a little, and delay the dreaded colonoscopy.

i would make the appointment ASAP

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

godi — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:13:55 GMT

Please call.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

nomless — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:14:21 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 , some of my docs send me a letter telling me it's time to schedule (whatever it is), some do not.

Since you don't know for sure what this doc will do, I wpuld call and make the appt. There's no downside to doing so.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:21:06 GMT

@kittyloo Thank you. He really likes this Dr. and he has no problem going to his onocologist. He just thinks they will magically call.

A few years ago he ordered 2 new windows for LR. Did it in Sept. so they could be done before winter. At he end of Oct. I mentioned calling them. He said they will call when they come in. Okey Dokey. They called in Feb. and asked if we still wanted the windows,they had been there since the beginning of Nov. But hey, what do I know???

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

RedTop — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:21:38 GMT

It is your husbands responsibility to keep up with testing and rechecks. I have never had a reminder from my physician about my colonoscopies; only get reminders for my eye exams.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

Scooby Doo — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:24:48 GMT

I would be proactive and make the call. When you make the appointment ask them if they call to remind patients. I would not put my health in the hands of some office clerk that doesn't have any interest in your situation. Maybe they have a lot of turnover in the staff and it slipes through some crack (so to speak).

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:25:55 GMT

@RedTop Yes, he is a grown man, but seriously, his memory is so bad anymore I don't trust him to remember.

He will insist he didn't see an episode of a TV show when we watched it together 2 weeks earlier.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

ALRATIBA — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:27:32 GMT

I have a dentist and two doctors that I see regularly .... I get email notices, phone calls, and text messages reminding me of appts.

These days everything is automated. Not such a big deal for doctors to send out reminders.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

Sunnycorle — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:28:31 GMT

You have to be your advocate. Make the call and appointment.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

DiAnne — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:28:36 GMT

I get reminders for mammograms, eye exams, colonoscopies, wellness checks, skin checks, dental cleanings all by computer to my e-mail address.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:30:49 GMT

I am calling tomorrow. Once the appt. is made they send written reminders of all upcoming port flushes and appts. Plus they call a couple of days before.

Geez, I love him more than life itself but he has gotten really stubborn the older he's gotten. He is 75.

I remember everything and he remembers nothing.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

Icegoddess — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:32:05 GMT

I actually got a call about 5 or so years in after my 1st colonoscopy from the doctor's office that did it. I reminded them I was on the 10 year plan, they checked and said yes I was and that they would call then. My family doctor jumped the gun and got me in a little early this time since I didn't get my 1st one until after I was 51 and I'm not quite 61 yet, so I won't be surprised if I do get a call from that doctor's office again. I think my husband got a post card telling him it was time for him to make an appointment.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

Annabellethecat66 — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:50:21 GMT

Not to bust on your husband because if you looked up the word 'procrastinator' my picture would be next to it.

On my cell phone under 'notes' that click up once every day, I have several reminders that have popped up every day for well over 1 year.

Your husband is procrastinating. He isn't fond of this particular 'thing' he has to do and is putting it in the hands of someone else.

I've had a few Drs offices call me with a reminder that this or that is due, but they are few and far between and they'd never call for something like what you mentioned.

You (or he) had better make that call.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

mousiegirl — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:52:09 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 I never get reminders only after I make an appointment, then I will receive a reminder online through the system.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

aroc3435 — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:52:13 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 My HMO which was my health provider during my 35 years of working for one employer always used to send a reminder about tests due. At least once a year they would send a summary of this kind of thing as part of their "wellness" program.

I seldom get sick and don't like going to the doctor and in my HMO the doctors in a big practice often didn't stay so in my experience by the time I had to see someone I'd wind up with a different primary doctor. I knew more about me and my thin patient file and history than they did!

Bottom line for me these days would be to not rely on them reminding your husband--call and then you have a better chance of getting scheduled for your convenience rather than theirs and based on your husband's prior history this would be an important follow-up test.

P.S. Smile, sigh, and keep loving your husband, as I am sure you do, but sometimes you can't help but shake your head . . . so I understand.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

cherry — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 22:52:24 GMT

Actually, this is exactly how my husbands Dr does this. We are always called for reminders to schedule appointments. It has never been 10 years, but we do get yearly calls for appointment reminders

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

happycat — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 23:02:12 GMT

Its better to be safe than sorry. I'd go ahead and make the appointent. If you wait, your dh may have a hard time getting in. Better to be safe than sorry.

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

number one queen — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 23:14:56 GMT

I would call. But I am in the minority in backing up my doctors, my total knee doctor had his secretary call me to remind me it was time for my Five year checkup! On both knees. My GI Dr.starts reminding me when the 3rd year just starts,as my Chrons dictates every 3 years ! Of course there are several doctors who I would not trust to even remember who I am ! Sorry for being so cynical! Rule of thumb only you and hopefully your spouse will care enough to look after yourselves!

Re: A Question About Making Dr. Appointments

sunshine45 — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 23:15:16 GMT

the only reminders i get are from the dentist and from the optometrist. every six months for the dentist, every year for the optometrist. i would not expect a doctor to follow up with me if he told me to wait three years. i would consider that my responsibility.