POLL: How Many Doctors Do You Have ?

[mars]

Hi Everybody

A few days ago, after having another endoscopy, I got to thinking just how many different Doctors I am a patient of. This is medical practitioners, and not including podiatrists, dentists, physiotherapists or anyone else who is not a qualified MD.

I have spent most of my life not having a regular doctor, and then as I got around 50 I started to have a regular GP (General Practitioner or PCP). And this lasted for many years. ( He managed to miss every sign of every future ailment that has since been found, but that is by the by.)

Around 2005 I changed my Doctor, and started on a path that, in January 2011, I am a now patient of no less than 7 Doctors.

This seems unbelievable (to me), but is actually true. I have -

my local doctor
my Gastroenterologist Physician (for Gerds, Barretts etc)
my Gastroenterologist Surgeon (redo? anti-reflux wrap)
my Endocrinologist (for osteoporosis)
my Sleep Doctor
my Otolaryngologist (for bleeding nose)
my ENT - Head and Neck Surgeon (Laryngospasms)

and it looks like the next one is going to be a Dermatologist

The only thing I have resolved in the last few years is OSA (but not all sleep problems), and getting my lower back to allow me to function for part of the day (using BackMagic or a Lumbar Extender).

So I have devised a poll which I invite you to participate in, for 2 different age groups. The 2 questions in the Poll are -

What age group are you in ? How many Doctors do you have ? So each voter only needs to cast 2 votes.

And if you would like to elaborate on your personal situation, then please do so and post.

And the irrational rationale for this poll - is just me thinking my life has gone out of control with this all medical malfunctioning, and wondering how many other Cpap Users on the Forum have multiple Doctors in their life, and how they feel about that

I would have liked a better breakdown, eg - If insured or uninsured, how many years untreated OSA, and how many years treated OSA etc - but until we get a vertical poll, as well as a horozontal poll, we can only use what we have. (Anybody with doubts about my intelligence no doubt will be reassured by that last remark. )

I suppose multiple polls is an option, but then it is going to get messy.

My thanks to Georgio and all who participated in his poll "How Old Are Cpap Users", as that helped me decide the two different age sections.

cheers

Mars

[WestCoastCdnGrl]

For all intents and purposes I'm 39 years old (the candles will be blown out in a little more than 2 weeks from now) and I am a patient in the following specialties:

Cardiologist (whom I met in the ER department at work the afternoon after I started using CPAP - I had chest pains but have been medically cleared of any immediately life threatening cardiac problems)
Dermatologist
ENT (God Bless Him for my OSA diagnosis!)
GP
Gynaecologist (for Poly Cystic Ovary related issues)


Will likely be seeing an Endocrinologist in the near future.

[Hueffenhardt]

I am 35 and have 1: the sleep doctor. I have no regular doctor. I referred myself to the sleep doctor.

[2flamingos]

Recently turned 54.

PCP
Cardiologist
ENT
Pulmonologist
Opthamologist (for CSCR - not just for glasses)
GI

PCP is at least every six months (refills and bloodwork). Cardiologist just put me on 2 year checks, Pulmonologist and ENT are as needed, Opthamologist is every four to six months. GI is just for colonoscopy (every 3-5 years. have had 3).

Will be asking PCP for referral to Endocrinologist soon. Went to a urologist once about 5 years ago, so I don;t consider that under the care of...

Way more info than anyone wants to read.... but........

[Julie]

I think there's something that could be in the poll that isn't... what if you have no doctor? The last sleep/cardiol.(same) I saw was when dx'd and that was 6-7 yrs ago. I have a clinic I can go to and see someone different each time (it can take a very long time to get a GP here and I'm very new in town) but it's better than going to the ER, and better than 'just' a walk-in clinic because they do keep your records and will make referrals, something the walk-ins don't do, so one hand I sort of have a doctor, but not exactly so didn't have anywhere to fill that in. I'm in the second age category.

[Lizistired]

I'm 51. I have a primary care doc that I try to avoid and now a sleep Doc that I don't expect to see much of.
I think it's healthier to just stay away from them if you can. I'm just not fond of pills or radiation.

[rested gal]

I think there's something that could be in the poll that isn't... what if you have no doctor?
----
I'm in the second age category.

Same here, on both counts.

I have no regular doctor. I referred myself to

... myself.
viewtopic.php?p=5977#5977

[DreamOn]

The last time I visited medical providers was over a year ago. One was a sleep specialist and the other a Nurse Practitioner. I have no plans to visit any doctors in the near future if I can avoid it.

[cflame1]

I'm under 55:

GP... is actually a PA
Internal Medicine... is a nurse
Endocrinologist
Gynecologist
ENT
probably will have a rheumatologist soon
Opthamologist
Sleep Doc

[Madalot]

Let's see.....

Primary Care
OB/GYN
General Surgeon
Gastroenterologist
Opthlamologist
Pulmonologist
Neurologists (at least 2, plus I'm a curiosity, and they work in teams so it's more like 5 or 6)

And I'm going to have to see a Cardiologist as my disease is now possibly affecting my heart -- YIPPEE!

I'm 48.

[Komodo]

I'm 56, and marked off 1-3 doc's (PC, Sleep, Pulmonoligist) which I see on a regular basis, but in reality I have quite a few more.
Ya' gotta love my 3 "regular" doc's, they ALL constantly send me off to some other doc for one reason or another. In the past year alone, I've had to have been seen by at least a dozen other specialists.

[NotMuffy]

12.

[HoseCrusher]

I am an "old fart."

I have a very good primary care physician.

Around 10 years ago I walked into the doctors office and mentioned that I seemed to have an elevated pulse. They measured me at 198 beats per minute and a blood pressure of 94/74. We walked over to the hospital (about 3 blocks) and I met my cardiologist. I was told I had atrial fibrillation with some occasional bouts of supra ventricular tachycardia. An hour later I walked out after converting to sinus rhythm on my own.

My primary care physician and my cardiologist work very well together. My cardiologist suggested I have a sleep study and actually discussed it with my primary care physician before discussing it with me. The sleep doctor I was sent to discussed my results with me, but all of my "xPAP machine tweaking" is reviewed by my cardiologist. He seems to have a lot of interest in sleep. I don't know if the sleep doctor is in the loop or not, but I haven't heard from him since the sleep study.

Other than popping in an out of afib from time to time, I am doing well.

[Jersey Girl]

Dear Friends,

Like Madalot, I am only 48. Yet, I seem to have a slew of doctors and yes, I wish I were healthier and did not have to use all of them, but thankfully we have good health insurance and I am able to have my health needs addressed.

PCP
Cardiologist (I have a documented arythmia that they found when I was having my daughter 24 years ago)
Pulmonary dr (sleep doctor)
Endocrinologist (for diabetes Type 2)
Gastroenterologist
Pain Management
Gynecologist
Orthopedic (for knee in need of replacement - not doing it yet!)
Pharmacologist (to make sure that my meds are not conflicting)
Psychiatrist (always suffered from anxiety - working on it, though)

Since I have arthritus in my neck, back and knees, and have no cartalidge left in my left knee and very little left in my right, I am a 48 year old that feels at times much older.

I am thankful for one thing though, that I made it to a full year of cpap treatment and can honestly say that I no longer feel sleep deprived.

Regards to all,

Jersey Girl

[kteague]

The list could be quite long if I listed every doctor I have seen or might see on occasion.

Most of my docs are members of the same HMO:
GP - Diabetes & high blood pressure
Ortho - Periodic shots in knees
GYN - Yearly
Pulmonoligist - way overdue to follow up on my interstitial lung disease
Gastro - only as needed for hiatal hernia and periodic scopes

Sleep doc is seen as needed by me or as required by the powers that be due either to the OSA or prescribing of meds.