I rarely cancel doctor’s appointments, even when I don’t feel like going. But I did that on Monday.
I was supposed to see my Boston Medical pulmonologist, the one who specializes in pulmonary hypertension, for a late afternoon appointment. This was a routine follow-up from February.
However, on Friday I had just driven into Boston for a midday appointment with my cardiologist, also a routine follow-up, this time from January. And since he has been my go-to for diagnosing my Type 2 pulmonary hypertension, and, thank goodness, the medication he put me on is working well, I just didn’t see the point of the Monday appointment. Why drive an hour-plus each way to wait and wait for a 15 minute appointment where I will tell the same story of my status and get the same (welcome, but not needed) reassurance from her that I’m doing okay, no changes needed? Especially if she can just read his notes in my chart.
This is not to say that I don’t value the pulmonologist’s time and advice. It’s just the schedule made the whole thing seem redundant. And Boston traffic during rush hour is no picnic.
I tried several times last week and again Monday morning to see if I could at least switch the appointment to telemedicine, but now that the pandemic is in the rear view mirror (thank God), that option is no longer readily available. So I rescheduled for September at a more reasonable time of day.
There are always stretches of multiple medical appointments in my calendar. Sometimes they are well-spaced, and sometimes they clump together, as they have recently. I still have another Boston Medical appointment for Thursday with my rheumatologist. Cutting out one more commute this week is the best way for me to conserve my energy while managing my own case. And to stay sane.
Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.
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You are so right with having to reschedule an appointment when there are a lot scheduled back to back. Amen
Thanks, Linda!
Me too!! Although I live in Durham NC and all but one of my doctors is part of Duke Health, their clinics are scattered all over the city. I can no longer drive soI use Lyft to get to and from most appointments and have earned awards(??) for my frequent patronage. One time I was able to schedule two appointments at the same site and on the same day. A miracle. My fantasy is checking into one of those European spa/hospitals where all the movie stars go (Switzerland maybe) and get everything checked and treated at one time plus massage, skin care etc. Yummy food, tea served in a china cup, luxury linens, silky pj’s and lots of great books to read. What could be a better health visit???
Great idea, Patricia! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if “coordinated care” were that patient-friendly?