Too many appointments

[Anonymous]

Do you find it overwhelming to be on top of all health checks? There are so many! I'm good about dentist, derm and gyn but have not had an eye exam ever, need colonoscopy, yet another mammo and ultrasound, a new PCP to do more comprehensive bloodwork. It feels like so much to do.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Same here.

Two scans a year
Dentist
Annual visits x 2
Eyes
DEXA ev 2 years

And then follow ups and other odds and ends.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but I have multiple a month with specialists, mammogram every six months…..

[Anonymous]

I have those things and they don't stress me. Both my kids have health issues, especially one with lupus who needs regular labwork, which she hates to do, and THOSE stress me out.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid with medical issues and another who we are testing for adhd. It’s a lot. Oh and now I need a small surgery.

[Anonymous]

A lot of mine are annual, so I schedule them all in one month of the year so I only have that big disruption once. No vacatinos that month for sure.

[Anonymous]

Yes. And it just seems to get worse the older I get.

[Anonymous]

This. I'm in my early 50s and I feel like all I do is make appointments while my DH never goes, refuses to let me put him on the waitlist with our new GP, won't get a colonoscopy, won't get his hearing checked, etc.

[Anonymous]

You can elect to skip some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can elect to skip some.

I don't think I can afford to do this at this stage. I am a recent empty nester and very much focused on my kids and their needs and did the bare minimum for myself but as I approach 50 it feels like the stakes are serious and it all must be done regularly, like maintenance on an old car.

[Anonymous]

No. It is too important to miss so health appointments take a priority. I’m single with sole custody of two teens, one with chronic health issues. I’ve got skin cancer (at least 4 appointments a year) and in chemo treatments soon to be followed by radiation (uterine cancer found by regular gyn appointment/biopsy of possible polyp.) I’m managing a lot of appointments on top of teen activities and my job.

I write everything in a paper calendar and block my work calendar. To the greatest extent possible, I get the earliest appointment of the day to limit the impact on my work. For annual or 6-month appointments, I schedule in March and September so they are predictable and kids are in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. It is too important to miss so health appointments take a priority. I’m single with sole custody of two teens, one with chronic health issues. I’ve got skin cancer (at least 4 appointments a year) and in chemo treatments soon to be followed by radiation (uterine cancer found by regular gyn appointment/biopsy of possible polyp.) I’m managing a lot of appointments on top of teen activities and my job.

I write everything in a paper calendar and block my work calendar. To the greatest extent possible, I get the earliest appointment of the day to limit the impact on my work. For annual or 6-month appointments, I schedule in March and September so they are predictable and kids are in school.

How did the gyn appointment find the cancer? i wonder about this because I never get ultrasounds other than when I get a new IUD inserted and that's obviously not often.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I find it overwhelming.

Last week I had four freaking appointments. Annual sleep med follow up, pcp follow up for weight loss meds and hrt, cosmetic derm consult, and dentist for crowns (ugh). I am almost a year overdue for scheduling a mammogram, and I should have scheduled an appointment with the pain specialist my doctor referred me to for some weird nerve pain in my head over a month ago. Overdue on dental cleaning as well, even though I did finally get those crowns done. I'm sure I'm forgetting something as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This. I'm in my early 50s and I feel like all I do is make appointments while my DH never goes, refuses to let me put him on the waitlist with our new GP, won't get a colonoscopy, won't get his hearing checked, etc.

I think this is the very definition of a DH. Past a certain age, anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It is too important to miss so health appointments take a priority. I’m single with sole custody of two teens, one with chronic health issues. I’ve got skin cancer (at least 4 appointments a year) and in chemo treatments soon to be followed by radiation (uterine cancer found by regular gyn appointment/biopsy of possible polyp.) I’m managing a lot of appointments on top of teen activities and my job.

I write everything in a paper calendar and block my work calendar. To the greatest extent possible, I get the earliest appointment of the day to limit the impact on my work. For annual or 6-month appointments, I schedule in March and September so they are predictable and kids are in school.

How did the gyn appointment find the cancer? i wonder about this because I never get ultrasounds other than when I get a new IUD inserted and that's obviously not often.

I had light spotting between jan/feb periods. No other symptoms. First an ultrasound and everything pointed to polyps (no family history of cancer of anything other than skin cancer, no additional risk factors, no other physical symptoms). A biopsy determined cancer. Surgery determined one lymph node involved. Suddenly I was a stage 3 cancer patient.

Do not skip regular appointments. And check out any odd changes sooner rather than later.

The most important thing in your life is your health.