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Don't have corona virus? Good luck seeing a doctor.

TravelTime

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Ask to speak to the radiologist, or more preferably call your doctor. Might just be a cyst that they want to confirm.

With how sensitive the mammograms are these days, they often see something and call me back. I think I have been called back for my last 2-3 mammograms. One time, they even did a biopsy. So far, they have not found anything. I hate being called back because it causes worry. The stats indicate most people who are called back are cleared but it is still worrisome. If it is cancer, the sooner it is taken care of the better.
 

Panina

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With how sensitive the mammograms are these days, they often see something and call me back. I think I have been called back for my last 2-3 mammograms. One time, they even did a biopsy. So far, they have not found anything. I hate being called back because it causes worry. The stats indicate most people who are called back are cleared but it is still worrisome. If it is cancer, the sooner it is taken care of the better.
That is why I would call you doctor who can look at previous and current mammograms and talk to the radiologist. It could be the same thing they are asking you to come back for That they did last time. Usually they do both at the same time if they had to both the last time.
 

TravelTime

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That is why I would call you doctor who can look at previous and current mammograms and talk to the radiologist. It could be the same thing they are asking you to come back for That they did last time. Usually they do both at the same time if they had to both the last time.

Good idea. I will call and ask more questions.
 

Panina

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Good idea. I will call and ask more questions.
Just don’t assume the worse. I understand. I have been called back multiple times since my 20’s had aspirations and changed the procedures for major hospital years ago for biopsies, as I had no light going thru a growth and I was on the biopsy tablet and I asked them to try to aspirate first and they argued with me 20 minutes that it wasn’t a cyst and then the did what I asked and it was.
 

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Dr. is unlikley to read xray. He'll just read the report and likely defer to radiologist. You can get a copy of your report. I'd go for the follow up. Most are determined to be OK, but those that aren't need attention.
 
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Talent312

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DW has a mammogram tomorrow.
They called today to say they will be "distancing" people in the lobby.
So, no one else may go with her, unless she needs assistance.

I have a follow-up with an orthopedist in two weeks. Fingers crossed.
.
 

bluehende

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I finally got a call re: my mammogram. The radiologist wants me to return for an ultrasound. I asked if it made sense to do it now or wait. The receptionist said they are only scheduling essential procedures now. So they must think this is essential. I am debating whether I should go in ASAP or whether I should wait until May. Any thoughts?
The risk from this kind of trip is small. You will not contact a lot of people and they will be fastidious about distancing and cleanliness. I would think the risk from not going is not great either. Only you can do that calculation. I would not wait until may as a lot of predictions put us in the thick of this then; especially early May.
 

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I have that Good RX app but that $22 is for one month, not 3.

I think I've finally convinced Cliff no sense going to CVS to see what the Aetna price is for a Rx. Von's with a GoodRx coupon is the way to go. Yesterday they could only give him half of the 30 day supply on his new prescription because of lack of supply, so we'll go back again in two weeks.
 

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Cliff has a standard 3 month re-check next week. He wasn't ready for me to cancel it when I called ten days ago to cancel my appt that was to have taken place this morning. Today he got a call from the doctor's office informing him that his doctor would do a phone appt next week. He then realized he'd never made a blood sucker appt, so is going to do that tomorrow at 9am. Under normal circumstances he never could have gotten a next day LabCorp appt and would have just had to go in and wait, so I expect lots of people don't want to go in for routine lab work right now.
 

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I think if you need an appt and it is offered right now, you might take it before things get too busy in your area for appts to even be offered. We've known for a while that other medical services would be pushed to the side for pandemic. So, either grab it, or wait possibly more months than expected.

I cancelled my doc appts weeks ago, I'm not planning to reschedule until whatever happens, happens. I have no important needs currently, so I am very willing to open those slots up for those with urgent needs.
 

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I'm fortunate that I completed my Doctor and Dentist appointments in January and have nothing scheduled until July. If things haven't cleared up by then, I think I will email my Doctors and ask to move my appointments to December. I will also ask them authorize Walgreen's to give me a new 3 month supplies of my meds with one refill... I have a good relationship with both my Doctors and think this will be OK with them...

George
 

WinniWoman

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I finally got a call re: my mammogram. The radiologist wants me to return for an ultrasound. I asked if it made sense to do it now or wait. The receptionist said they are only scheduling essential procedures now. So they must think this is essential. I am debating whether I should go in ASAP or whether I should wait until May. Any thoughts?

Go. Do not fool around with it.
 

TravelTime

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I scheduled the ultrasound for Monday. They said if they find something at a screening, that the follow up is considered essential. They are not doing basic screenings right now because that is considered non essential. Only the patient who is being seen is allowed in the building and they screen for Covid-19 at the door. Hopefully it is safe to go. I am not overly concerned myself about getting Covid-19 but I like to have safe practices when I go out to minimize the possibility of unnecessary illness. I am concerned about my DH and do not want him to get sick. He tends to get sick more than I do and his immune system does not seem as strong.
 

WinniWoman

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Well this does it! Received a call from our new doctor's office- whom we have yet to even meet- that our previously rescheduled appointments for May and July are cancelled as the office does not plan on opening until August! I worked so hard at finding a doctor (MD) here. Had our medical records sent to him and everything.

I asked what if we get sick? The office person said we should call the Laconia Clinic. I asked if that was a Medicaid clinic and she said no- it is affiliated with them but I do not believe it. I have heard bad things about it.

In any even both are affiliated with the local hospital which just furloughed 600 people. I am thinking that has a lot to do with it. The hospital has been trying to partner with another hospital and has not been able to so far. Not the best reputation either.

A lot of the people here seem oblivious or nonchalant to this kind of thing, mostly because they are from Massachusetts and claim they go down there for care. Well- as you get older you are going to drive 2 or more hours to see a doctor and go to a hospital?

So I guess now annual physicals, mammograms, colonoscopies, blood work, etc. are not so important any more. I told my husband to just take his blood pressure himself. I will do breast self exams more often. I will hope I can get my diagnostic colonoscopy by the end of the year. I am keeping a knee brace on my knee which has been bothering me. And anything else - go to an emergency room- which will probably kill us anyway.

Oh yea- we can try teledoc for minor illnesses- IF we can get through. But you can't get tests on teledoc!

Nice to be in your 60's, go through everything I went through to get health insurance set up for us and then to not be able to get important tests and see a doctor. Well- at least they always told us the tests were important. I guess not.

This country's health system was bad before and now it is shot to he&%l.
 

Panina

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Well this does it! Received a call from our new doctor's office- whom we have yet to even meet- that our previously rescheduled appointments for May and July are cancelled as the office does not plan on opening until August! I worked so hard at finding a doctor (MD) here. Had our medical records sent to him and everything.

I asked what if we get sick? The office person said we should call the Laconia Clinic. I asked if that was a Medicaid clinic and she said no- it is affiliated with them but I do not believe it. I have heard bad things about it.

In any even both are affiliated with the local hospital which just furloughed 600 people. I am thinking that has a lot to do with it. The hospital has been trying to partner with another hospital and has not been able to so far. Not the best reputation either.

A lot of the people here seem oblivious or nonchalant to this kind of thing, mostly because they are from Massachusetts and claim they go down there for care. Well- as you get older you are going to drive 2 or more hours to see a doctor and go to a hospital?

So I guess now annual physicals, mammograms, colonoscopies, blood work, etc. are not so important any more. I told my husband to just take his blood pressure himself. I will do breast self exams more often. I will hope I can get my diagnostic colonoscopy by the end of the year. I am keeping a knee brace on my knee which has been bothering me. And anything else - go to an emergency room- which will probably kill us anyway.

Oh yea- we can try teledoc for minor illnesses- IF we can get through. But you can't get tests on teledoc!

Nice to be in your 60's, go through everything I went through to get health insurance set up for us and then to not be able to get important tests and see a doctor. Well- at least they always told us the tests were important. I guess not.

This country's health system was bad before and now it is shot to he&%l.
I wonder what the projection of peak is for your state and if that has something to do with it.

After this virus is controlled/cured there will be a backlog of medical services needed with more critical illnesses due to issues not being taken care of now.
 

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I don't think this is a surprise. All along, it was clear that the big problem was overwhelming the healthcare system.

Part of the stay home orders are to not risk car accidents or other stuff that might land you in a hospital because there isn't sufficient staff to take care of these other things. Yes, stop spread is top priority, but avoiding these other things that happen daily and land people in the hospital.

"Preventive medicine" right now is on the individual. Exercise, eat right, take the meds you are supposed to, don't take unnecessary risks. I suppose certain places you can get screenings and so forth, but I have no qualms on putting those off as I'd rather have a slow moving disease that is not found until late this year or next year vs risk getting the fast virus that could kill me.

I put it on the medical community to assess risks to staying open and taking routine appts vs shutting it all down. Some of those doctors are now pressed into service on front lines virus fighting.

I would do most anything to avoid ending up in an ER right now. There are some repairs I'd like to make around here, but won't be on any ladders without a spotter and won't be running chainsaw. All of that crap can wait.
 

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I don't think this is a surprise. All along, it was clear that the big problem was overwhelming the healthcare system.

Part of the stay home orders are to not risk car accidents or other stuff that might land you in a hospital because there isn't sufficient staff to take care of these other things. Yes, stop spread is top priority, but avoiding these other things that happen daily and land people in the hospital.

"Preventive medicine" right now is on the individual. Exercise, eat right, take the meds you are supposed to, don't take unnecessary risks. I suppose certain places you can get screenings and so forth, but I have no qualms on putting those off as I'd rather have a slow moving disease that is not found until late this year or next year vs risk getting the fast virus that could kill me.

I put it on the medical community to assess risks to staying open and taking routine appts vs shutting it all down. Some of those doctors are now pressed into service on front lines virus fighting.

I would do most anything to avoid ending up in an ER right now. There are some repairs I'd like to make around here, but won't be on any ladders without a spotter and won't be running chainsaw. All of that crap can wait.
Ditto. I have several preventative screenings scheduled for May which I will be postponing, and one nagging problem which has not been checked out by my doctor. I will take my chances of a slow moving disease vs. a fast virus which could kill me.
 

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My daughter has had several appointments via tele doc and then gone to a lab for follow up blood work . Labs around here are still open for business.
 

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Meanwhile our testing sites here are EMPTY!
 

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Meanwhile our testing sites here are EMPTY!
You have testing sites??

I've given up on testing, doesn't actually matter now, since containment is a long gone possibility. Pos vs Neg would not change what I do. I could die of regular pneumonia as easily as COVID-induced pneumonia. Treatment is same, I would assume docs would handle me like I am COVID regardless.

I wonder if the masses know there is testing? I would guess they are staying home unless bad enough to go see a doctor. At that point, I would not be stopping off for a test, even if it were rapid result.
 

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I've been told to see an urgent care place for anything imminent.
DW's doc-group happens to have an urgent care (walk-in) office.
They just sent us an email about their expanding their hours.
.
 
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As I read your experiences with lack of docter’s appointment and lack of lab work, I see that same thing in Ohio. My mom, who is 91, doctors won’t see her, so they are just communicating with me on the phone. I send pictures of how badly her legs are swollen and etc. Doctor changed 2 of her medications which is very scary for me during this isolation time. Of course, that’s if we can get cell service. I feel like I should have went into nursing to understand all this!! Tuggers, keep safe and healthy!
 

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I had my ultrasound last week. Fortunately, the radiologist thinks its a benign cyst and it is very tiny. They recommended going back in 6 months for another ultrasound. The technician said hopefully this coronavirus crisis will be behind us by then. That made me feel hopeful since it was coming from a health care worker. It was nice to hear someone being positive about getting past this. I asked her if they are busy. She said yes, many people are coming in for procedures. The process to keep people safe is not very scientific. They just ask you a bunch of questions before you enter and they have tape on the floor. They ask you to sit apart from other people. The technician had to get very close to me to complete the ultrasound. Her risk must be high.
 

Panina

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I had my ultrasound last week. Fortunately, the radiologist thinks its a benign cyst and it is very tiny. They recommended going back in 6 months for another ultrasound. The technician said hopefully this coronavirus crisis will be behind us by then. That made me feel hopeful since it was coming from a health care worker. It was nice to hear someone being positive about getting past this. I asked her if they are busy. She said yes, many people are coming in for procedures. The process to keep people safe is not very scientific. They just ask you a bunch of questions before you enter and they have tape on the floor. They ask you to sit apart from other people. The technician had to get very close to me to complete the ultrasound. Her risk must be high.
Glad your results were good. This is very good news to hear!
 

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Cliff had a doctor's appt last Thursday that we'd planned to cancel but the office called us the week before to tell him it would be a phone appt. So he quick made an appt the next day for blood work and walked into an empty Labcorp office. In person we always wait an hour in the waiting room and an hour in the exam room because our Doctor takes as much time as she needs with each patient. We were surprised when the phone rang at 10 sharp. She spent 20 minutes talking to him, went over his blood test results with him, had me help him take his blood pressure (hard to do while holding a phone), and generally it was a good experience.
 
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