Wellness

[conlt]

@deeva I agree, I see sick people all of the time who thought they were OK and did not go to the doctors for routine exams. Routine exams are most important.

My brother, age 59 had 5 strokes 5 years ago. He is infirmed in a nursing home, he cannot walk or roll his wheelchair. He is incontinent of urine and stool. 

This could have been avoided. He had Diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol and did not know it. By the time it was discovered these diseases took my smart, funny, active brother to what he is today. 

He is in a wheelchair, blind from the Diabetes, and has a dismal life. It all could have been prevented if he had known he was sick and taken action to treat those diseases. 

I had a patient in her late 50's who was bedbound. She had a major stroke. She and her husband decided to cancel their health insurance because they were "doing so well". What she did not know was that her blood pressure was sky high. 

After the stroke, they were struggling to get her care with no insurance. 

I am a RN and I see my doctor and have my blood drawn at least 2 x per year. I would never try and self treat. 

Dr. Avoidance is a leathel thing. 

[qvcaddition]

I have to email mine on my medical site and lucky if I get an answer.

[qualitygal]

Sorry I didn't read your whole post, but my group of women friends have also discussed that it's up to three mos now to get into your doctor.

Our doctor,  just last minute cancels. "Won't be in tomorrow or today" even.  We should get paid that fee they'd charge us, if we did that to them!!.

[Sapphiregal]

---

@Sooner wrote:

---

@wagirl wrote:

@Sooner --and mine did, but still have to wait for an appointment and if you mean an Urgent Care by a emergency clinic--have done that too, most times I've gotten some immediate care, but got referred to ER a couple times-- I did go--reluctantly---and feel my normal dr could have helped me more, or at least the same -----it's the time thing, I don't understand--my DD has to make appointments a year in advance for her mammo stuff----WHY????? 

---

@wagirl I believe it is because our medical system is clogged with healthy people being scanned and tested for every possible illness anyone could ever have every year.  They will test you and test you until they find something amiss then schedule you for appointments every two weeks for the rest of the time you live.

Doctors are so busy examining healthy people they don't have time for the sick ones.  And the sick ones are going every two weeks, so no they don't have time for you.  And they are milking insurance to death so they are rich and not worried about it. 

---

@Sooner 

Oh, man, Sooner - you hit the nail on the head! Too many healthy people being scanned and tested until they find something not quite right in their opinion. 

I got so upset with my primary care physician a month or so ago. I have been seeing her for about 10 years and she knows me well.  So, on a Sunday,  started feeling a UTI coming on. I messaged my doctor Monday morning to see if she would call in a prescription for me. Her nurse messaged back that I would need to come in clinic and be seen. Sure enough, I had an infection and needed an antibiotic. They just had to get $$$$ for an office visit and lab work.

[Trinity11]

---

@Sapphiregal wrote:

---

@Sooner wrote:

---

@wagirl wrote:

@Sooner --and mine did, but still have to wait for an appointment and if you mean an Urgent Care by a emergency clinic--have done that too, most times I've gotten some immediate care, but got referred to ER a couple times-- I did go--reluctantly---and feel my normal dr could have helped me more, or at least the same -----it's the time thing, I don't understand--my DD has to make appointments a year in advance for her mammo stuff----WHY????? 

---

@wagirl I believe it is because our medical system is clogged with healthy people being scanned and tested for every possible illness anyone could ever have every year.  They will test you and test you until they find something amiss then schedule you for appointments every two weeks for the rest of the time you live.

Doctors are so busy examining healthy people they don't have time for the sick ones.  And the sick ones are going every two weeks, so no they don't have time for you.  And they are milking insurance to death so they are rich and not worried about it. 

---

@Sooner 

Oh, man, Sooner - you hit the nail on the head! Too many healthy people being scanned and tested until they find something not quite right in their opinion. 

I got so upset with my primary care physician a month or so ago. I have been seeing her for about 10 years and she knows me well.  So, on a Sunday,  started feeling a UTI coming on. I messaged my doctor Monday morning to see if she would call in a prescription for me. Her nurse messaged back that I would need to come in clinic and be seen. Sure enough, I had an infection and needed an antibiotic. They just had to get $$$$ for an office visit and lab work.

---

Actually, if you have a UTI, you need to leave a sample because it needs to be typed and cultured to see what antibiotic will be necessary. There are many different types of bacteria and a culture will tell the doctor exactly which antibiotics will work. Not all antibiotics work for specific bacteria. So if your provider sends in a random antibiotic resistant to the bacteria you are presenting with, you could end up with a kidney infection @Sapphiregal . It's really for your protection, not a money grab.

[qvcaddition]

I have to email mine, still no answer. She says my thyroid med needs increasing, but hasn't done it and its been a week.

Just before covid, my Dr. who retired that Dec. use to email me back the same day, sometime at 11 pm in the evening. He was old school. 

I get a young female one who is very nice, but doesn't work at office all week, so there is one problem. She must be overworked.

I was told its her staff that reads emails and decideds who gets replies.

I'm 89, live alone and not much help at all from family. 

I am still strong and care for myself and my home. No outside help, don't need it yet, but would like the meds I need when she suggested it after my lab results.

I will call an advise nurse and ask if they can message my Dr. about my thyroid med being increased.

We live in an different world today.  I do like my Dr. so changing is not an issue.  I only take two meds. MY thyroid, my water pills for BP.

I'm pretty healthy for my age. Very mobile.  

[Q-Checker]

@Trinity11 and @Conit - Thank you for your recent replies with rational fact-based medical information.There are people posting medical advice on this forum who are in way over their heads with non-professional and sometimes unintentionally unscrupulous medical advice, not to mention those who report that they just unwittingly bypass medical care.Your posts give good examples and rationale for seeking treatment from highly educated and trained medical professionals. And, yes, in today's world, doctor appointments and care are not always easy to come by. Not an excuse to bypass them.

[Trinity11]

---

@Q-Checker wrote:

@Trinity11 and @Conit - Thank you for your recent replies with rational fact-based medical information.There are people posting medical advice on this forum who are in way over their heads with non-professional and sometimes unintentionally unscrupulous medical advice, not to mention those who just unwittingly bypass medical care.Your posts give good examples and rationale for seeking treatment from highly educated and trained medical professionals. And, yes, in today's world, doctor appointments and care are not always easy to come by. Not an excuse to bypass them.

---

Not just here but the internet is full of YouTube channels with "doctors" some who have lost their license giving medical advice. Then we have people with a certificate from an on-line school giving advice charging $300.00 an hour. It is no wonder people are confused. Just read of a Senator here on Long Island telling people to cure their own cancer. No need for poisonous chemotherapy. 

Sadly, lives are at stake @Q-Checker . I completely agree with you.

[granddi]

Most health care providers are corporate employees.

Corporations dictate operating procedures such as time for each appointment or what insurance plans will be accepted. 

Then there is the "cookbook" of care that is followed.

It can be called Standard of Care or Guideline Directed Therapy. 

Dr want their records to show that "standard of care" was followed. 

Then there is insurance plans that are the gate keepers for medications, procedures , screenings, hospital admissions, Length of hospital stays.

Health care is big business. 

[Q-Checker]

@granddi Thank you for sharing the business structure of today's medical practices. It's a sad fact of modern life that many of the solo practitioners of yesteryear are sadly disappearing. Yes, for better or worse, health care IS big business and doctors, like patients, are subject to it. And, at the risk of sounding political, which is not my intention, I think it is important to consider health care issues when making voting decisions.