For the past few months, off and on anyways, I have been trying to find a medical doctor. I have not regularly seen a doctor for almost 5 years. There has been an ER visit, but that is not regular care, and I did not follow up with the last doctor I was seeing. In short, I did not like him. When I first moved out here my HS freshman year, I actually went to the doctor's father, as he was the doctor RM went to see. I only saw him like once I believe, for the updated tetanus, etc shot for school. After that, it was a rare visit: shots for allergies for awhile, then pretty much nothing for years. Around age 40 I decided to get back to seeing a doctor, and was assigned to his son, who practiced in the "family business". At first I liked him. He was younger, and seemed more up to date on issues/treatments.
This Doctor scheduled me for visits every thirty days. This meant I also had to do a visit to the lab company for fresh results for each visit. I was placed on blood pressure medication, and that dosage never changed over the course of almost 8 months. In fact, nothing changed from the first visit with this doctor, he just would not give me a 6-month prescription (or longer). Only 30 days at a time. After 8 months, I just quit going to see him. When my prescription ran out, I just did without.
Move forward several years, I ended up having a work comp injury. I returned to this PCP as I had neverbothered to find a new doctor, and he had my previous medical anyways. Again was put on a HBP med, and he started doing the every 30 day thing again. I went a total of three times, asking each time for the 6-month to a year follow-ups and was denied. Screw it. Now it has been almost 5 years, and I realize I need to start taking better care of myself, but I refuse to go back to this doctor.
I began asking friends for recommendations for a doctor. I was referred by many to their own PCP, and a few I did call about setting up an appointment. Most I called were not taking on new patients. We were in the middle of the whole Covid crap, and I am guessing they were just overwhelmed. A few I called (including just trying to find a doc near me) would take on a new patient, but the appointment had to be made 4-6 months out. It was frustrating.
The other night, as I was sitting with a friend at the pub, this convo kinda came up about docs, and he suggested a location he goes to, that is not too far from us. I put it off yesterday. I was apprehensive about calling, let alone going to see a doc. So, this morning, I looked up the information for this place, and made the call. I have an appointment for next Thursday. Yes, less than a week out. I am amazed. Add to this, they are associated with the hospitals out here, particularly, the one I had my last visit(s) to, all the way back to 2016, so I do not have to doo all that paperwork, as most of it was already available to them. I am impressed!
So, for once that item of stress for me has been done, aside from actually going to the appointment, which will be easy. I hope to walk out of there with a 'script for the HBP, and maybe a 30-60 day follow-up, to be sure the dosage does not need to be adjusted. I'm even willing to do lab work at least once.
Other than that, it is Friday. I stayed home last night to avoid the amatuers, and was up early today so I can finish work in the early afternoon. A friend and I are going to check out a different VFW tonight, to see if we like it better than the one we regularly go to. It is a bit closer (a couple miles) than the other one.
No plans for the weekend. Guess this 15 minute break is over so I gotta get back to work.
PeacE
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