Going to the doctor...

[beeyawnka]

I have only lived on my own, away from my parents for a year, and in most aspects I've done really well and love the independence... but every time I get sick and have to go to the doctor's office, I find myself making excuse after excuse NOT to go. Growing up this was never the case, I almost LIKED going! Has anyone else dealt with this crazy and weird reluctance to go to the doctor by yourself.. or is it just me?

[wordsmith]

My reluctance to go has nothing to do with being uneasy going...it has everything to do with the horrible ridiculousness of the insurance industry.

[capella]

I don't go to the doctor unless something is broken or bleeding, for the most part. It's more to do with growing up with no health care and/or having to deal with military doctors when I did have health care. It's just not worth it for me to go every time I get the sniffles. They can't do anything for me anyhow, so what's that point.

[texasgirl]

This is so vain, but I really don't like getting weighed at the doctor and thus avoid going unless it's something that absolutely requires prescription medication. I know it's completely ridiculous, but I just hate stepping on that scale!

[beeyawnka]

Hahah, texasgirl, I didn't even think about that-- it's been so long since I've gone, but now another reason not to go! That scale is just too damn acurate!

[SmilesSoSweet]

I have no shame in going to the doctor.

I get weekly allergy shots, so I go to the nurses station at my allergist every week to get shots. The shots have helped so much. If I didn't have them, then I would be sick year-round.

I go to a doctor whenever anything major I feel is medical not right with me. I do go to the gynocologist every year and I see my main physician yearly as well to make sure all my blood work is A-okay. I also need to have a prescription for my birth control pills and my other two meds that I take.

I'm also not in perfect health. I still have a good 30-40lbs to lose and I don't feel bad about stepping on the scale.

My health insurance isn't the greatest (but it's definitely better than none at all). I end up paying for 20% of all my medical bills so it gets pricy, but then again it's my health, it's my LIFE so I'd rather not take any chances.

[texasgirl]

Hahah, texasgirl, I didn't even think about that-- it's been so long since I've gone, but now another reason not to go! That scale is just too damn acurate!

Exactly! Although I like to tell myself that my shoes weigh 5 lbs, my clothes weigh another 4...

[WorkInProgress]

I've had very few good experiences with doctors, and plenty of bad ones. It's a hassle, I don't like going, I don't want to pay the copays, I feel fine, and I've been unimpressed with the office organization, time management and frankly, the doctors I've been to.

[Quench]

I hate going because of the hassle factor.

[redav]

I rarely go to the Dr b/c he's just going to tell me what I already know, so what's the use?

[EmberMae]

I've always hated going to the doctor. For several reasons. I have insurance now, so the cost is not that bad. The whole process is annoying though. Having to ask off work, because they are never open on weekends, having to fill out the same damn paperwork over and over because they don't keep records for more than a year, and they certainly don't share records between doctors, even if you ask them to. The fact that the chances of a primary care provider actually being able to solve your issue is pretty slim. Last night I got a pretty large gash in my foot and i really did not want to go to the dr. I still refused to go to the emergency room and just went to a doctor this morning, there was a lot of clucking about that. I'm glad I went, they do seem to know how to deal with these things. But it hurts worse now than it did before.

[pisces2473]

The fact that the chances of a primary care provider actually being able to solve your issue is pretty slim.
True. I hardly see mine. I see my endocrinologist many times a year. She knows more about my health than my primary does, which is fine, since I have a chronic condition that needs to be monitored.

What I hate is the lateness. And how they can cancel last minute without any penalty but if YOU do it, they charge you.

[steph78]

What I hate is the lateness. And how they can cancel last minute without any penalty but if YOU do it, they charge you.
This really got to me at my OBGYN last year. By the end of the pregnancy, I seriously felt like I lived in the waiting room there. I would show up on time my appointments (and by the last month or so you are going once/week minimum) and then I would have to sit around for like 45 minutes waiting to be seen. Then after all that, the visits take like 5 minutes max - they weigh you, take your blood pressure, listen to the baby's heartbeat, ask if you have any questions, and assuming everything is normal (always was for me) they send you on your way only to repeat the whole process next week. But the one time I showed up FIVE MINUTES late (hit ridiculous traffic on the highway) I got the evil eye from them like I was throwing off their whole schedule for the day. Ironically, the one time I was late I didn't have to wait as long to be seen - what's up with that?

[pisces2473]

Ironically, the one time I was late I didn't have to wait as long to be seen - what's up with that?
Because they were probably running late too! haha

My fear about the GYN is that I'll get there and be told "She's at the hospital doing a delivery." That always happens to my mom--but her GYN is by himself. I am seen by a fairly large practice.

[steph78]

That is the nice thing about larger practices - they have rotations so things don't get screwy. The practice I first went to was always running into the problem you describe and I got annoyed enough that I switched (I also changed jobs and started going to a practice more convenient to my new office) The new one has 5 doctors and 6 midwives so on any given weekday some see patients in the office, some are on call at the hospital, and some are off. It seemed to work really well. They just have you see all the midwives at some point during the pregnancy so that when you go to the hospital you will have a familiar face there. The midwife who delivered Caroline was someone I had only seen twice before d-day, but she was great.

Of course now I've moved to a new state and will have to find a new practice eventually...what a pain.

[pisces2473]

That is the nice thing about larger practices - they have rotations so things don't get screwy. The practice I first went to was always running into the problem you describe and I got annoyed enough that I switched (I also changed jobs and started going to a practice more convenient to my new office) The new one has 5 doctors and 6 midwives so on any given weekday some see patients in the office, some are on call at the hospital, and some are off. It seemed to work really well. They just have you see all the midwives at some point during the pregnancy so that when you go to the hospital you will have a familiar face there. The midwife who delivered Caroline was someone I had only seen twice before d-day, but she was great.
I was wondering how that worked--when it comes to babies. I bet my practice does it like that too. There are 6 doctors and I think as many midwives. My GYN is a midwife, actually, and I've never had her running off to do a delivery, so I bet they just schedule office appointments on the days she's not scheduled at the hospital. This practice also has 4 or 5 offices which is convenient because I can be seen at one closer to work if need be, versus the one right near my house.

I just realized--I think I have a good practice, lol!