OP I'm in the same situation. Also I've really noticed some (not all) visits are often a waste of time so I feel like I'm giving up on it all. Pre 2020 I used to be pretty uptight about my appointments now not so much. The care seems so much less productive now.

I schedule all routine medical appointments in the beginning of the year. It requires me to schedule it almost a year in advance - derm, eye, dental, GI, OBGYN, cardiac, annual physical - for my entire family.

I get all vaccines for flu, covid taken care of in August. Also, dental cleaning and eye exams.

Anonymous wrote:Girl you and me both.
I did the mammogram (very late). I'll tackle the next thing which is a hair appointment (important, right?!) and things like dental cleanings are pretty automated.

But the things I dread/push back on... they'll get done ... eventually.

+1. I'm another who has trouble scheduling appointments for myself but only 2 kids and no DH. I do get an annual physical and bloodwork every year because like a PP my work gives a discount on insurance, and I go to the dentist roughly every 6 months, but the rest is where I fall apart (3 years since last mammogram, 5 years since last pap and skin check, etc.). I like the idea of scheduling a few appts in a day to knock them out but not sure what month to do that since my kids have so many days off this year, which adds to the issue of scheduling.

So many things are much easier to treat if caught early. Inova has Saturday mammogram appts. And yearly physicals are important. You can think of it as modeling good habits to your kids.

Anonymous wrote: I take appointments at the beginning of my work day or end of day. Dentist is around lunch time usually. I can get in for my annual physical at 830am and my place does mammograms at 530pm. The mammogram also has Saturday hours.

The husband thing is lame though OP. It doesn't matter he is the breadwinner and blah blah. Is he making time for his medical appointments?

If he as breadwinner isn't making enough for you to switch to part-time, he can take the kids to appointments every once in a while. I assume he is carving out time for lunches, meeting for drinks, networking events, etc.. He can cut out a few lunches per year in order to take his kids to the doctor.

I take appointments at the beginning of my work day or end of day. Dentist is around lunch time usually. I can get in for my annual physical at 830am and my place does mammograms at 530pm. The mammogram also has Saturday hours.

The husband thing is lame though OP. It doesn't matter he is the breadwinner and blah blah. Is he making time for his medical appointments?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't remember the last time DH or I went to a doctor for ourselves. We did one big check up in our 40s each. We do get annual shots at the CVS though, and if actually sick, we go to a minute clinic. We are approaching 60. Neither of my parents needed any medication for chronic conditions and neither has major medical issues. DH has some family conditions in the mix, but also extreme longevity, so we probably should schedule another appointment. I think for us it's just inertia.

You should have had bloodwork, mammograms, and colonoscopies based on current typical practice.

My family also has extreme longevity (all grandparents lived to be 90-100) but my generation eats worse and is more sedentary and stressed.

I know. Knowing and doing are different things though. At least we eat well, exercise, and are not stressed out people.

Plan to take a day off in three months. Schedule all the appointments you need on the same day (but allocate 3 hours for each appointment because of wait times). If you do it 3 months from now, you should be able to get everything on the same day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A screening mammogram is like a 15 minute appointment. I know many people on here don’t like WRA but I’ve had only good experiences with them and can typically get in and out in under 30 minutes. The Park Potomac location has appointments starting at 7 am. And at least in Maryland, if you’re over 40 you don’t need a script for it.

If you’re done having kids and don’t have any particular gyn issues, you don’t really need a separate well woman exam at a GYn. You can get a pap and breast exam with a GP. So that can knock one appointment out.

15 minutes? Last time I went, the women in the waiting room started shuffling their appointments to prioritize the women who were going to have to leave without the mammogram because they had been waiting for hours and had to pick their kids up from daycare and school. They always seem to be backed up.

Yes. In and out in less than 30 minutes. Park Potomac location. It probably helps that I do early morning appointments. I’ve been going there for years.

This assumes that you are either 1) not waiting for results, or 2) have only had clear mammograms. As someone who had DCIS, I can tell you that if you have anything at all suspicious, even the most efficient mammogram clinic will take at least an hour, more likely two.

As much as we back on Kaiser, this is one place they excel. I’ve never had to wait for my mammogram appointment more than five minutes and the techs are super efficient. In and out in under 30 mins with garage op parking.

I take the time off. It’s without pay. Not getting something diagnosed will be more expensive in the long run than taking unpaid leave.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A screening mammogram is like a 15 minute appointment. I know many people on here don’t like WRA but I’ve had only good experiences with them and can typically get in and out in under 30 minutes. The Park Potomac location has appointments starting at 7 am. And at least in Maryland, if you’re over 40 you don’t need a script for it.

If you’re done having kids and don’t have any particular gyn issues, you don’t really need a separate well woman exam at a GYn. You can get a pap and breast exam with a GP. So that can knock one appointment out.

15 minutes? Last time I went, the women in the waiting room started shuffling their appointments to prioritize the women who were going to have to leave without the mammogram because they had been waiting for hours and had to pick their kids up from daycare and school. They always seem to be backed up.

Yes. In and out in less than 30 minutes. Park Potomac location. It probably helps that I do early morning appointments. I’ve been going there for years.

This assumes that you are either 1) not waiting for results, or 2) have only had clear mammograms. As someone who had DCIS, I can tell you that if you have anything at all suspicious, even the most efficient mammogram clinic will take at least an hour, more likely two.

? It’s a screening mammogram. Of course I’m not sitting there waiting for results. I’m pretty sure they don’t give you immediate results after a screening mammogram, at least not at WRA. If there’s anything suspicious they call you for a follow up diagnostic mammogram. Which I’ve had to do once, and yes those do take an hour. But not relevant for OP, if she’s never had one then her first one would be screening.

I've had a screening mammogram where I was brought back in for an ultrasound because of suspicious areas. It can happen.

To clarify, I was brought back in *during the same appointment* because of suspicious areas. I guess it depends on how your radiology practice works. I went to an academic medical center. I don't think that they do this at WRA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A screening mammogram is like a 15 minute appointment. I know many people on here don’t like WRA but I’ve had only good experiences with them and can typically get in and out in under 30 minutes. The Park Potomac location has appointments starting at 7 am. And at least in Maryland, if you’re over 40 you don’t need a script for it.

If you’re done having kids and don’t have any particular gyn issues, you don’t really need a separate well woman exam at a GYn. You can get a pap and breast exam with a GP. So that can knock one appointment out.

15 minutes? Last time I went, the women in the waiting room started shuffling their appointments to prioritize the women who were going to have to leave without the mammogram because they had been waiting for hours and had to pick their kids up from daycare and school. They always seem to be backed up.

Yes. In and out in less than 30 minutes. Park Potomac location. It probably helps that I do early morning appointments. I’ve been going there for years.

This assumes that you are either 1) not waiting for results, or 2) have only had clear mammograms. As someone who had DCIS, I can tell you that if you have anything at all suspicious, even the most efficient mammogram clinic will take at least an hour, more likely two.

? It’s a screening mammogram. Of course I’m not sitting there waiting for results. I’m pretty sure they don’t give you immediate results after a screening mammogram, at least not at WRA. If there’s anything suspicious they call you for a follow up diagnostic mammogram. Which I’ve had to do once, and yes those do take an hour. But not relevant for OP, if she’s never had one then her first one would be screening.

I've had a screening mammogram where I was brought back in for an ultrasound because of suspicious areas. It can happen.

Anonymous wrote:OP - Dh is the breadwinner in our family and has a very stressful job and travels quite a bit. So all of the appointments end up being pushed onto me. It is what it is at this point. So I end up prioritizing the kids appointments and mine just slip to the wayside.

Think of how much more time you’ll end up missing if you actually fall ill.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A screening mammogram is like a 15 minute appointment. I know many people on here don’t like WRA but I’ve had only good experiences with them and can typically get in and out in under 30 minutes. The Park Potomac location has appointments starting at 7 am. And at least in Maryland, if you’re over 40 you don’t need a script for it.

If you’re done having kids and don’t have any particular gyn issues, you don’t really need a separate well woman exam at a GYn. You can get a pap and breast exam with a GP. So that can knock one appointment out.

15 minutes? Last time I went, the women in the waiting room started shuffling their appointments to prioritize the women who were going to have to leave without the mammogram because they had been waiting for hours and had to pick their kids up from daycare and school. They always seem to be backed up.

Yes. In and out in less than 30 minutes. Park Potomac location. It probably helps that I do early morning appointments. I’ve been going there for years.

This assumes that you are either 1) not waiting for results, or 2) have only had clear mammograms. As someone who had DCIS, I can tell you that if you have anything at all suspicious, even the most efficient mammogram clinic will take at least an hour, more likely two.

? It’s a screening mammogram. Of course I’m not sitting there waiting for results. I’m pretty sure they don’t give you immediate results after a screening mammogram, at least not at WRA. If there’s anything suspicious they call you for a follow up diagnostic mammogram. Which I’ve had to do once, and yes those do take an hour. But not relevant for OP, if she’s never had one then her first one would be screening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Dh is the breadwinner in our family and has a very stressful job and travels quite a bit. So all of the appointments end up being pushed onto me. It is what it is at this point. So I end up prioritizing the kids appointments and mine just slip to the wayside.

Tell him how you have made his absences “work.”

He should care.

+1. It is really unfortunate how much wives coddle their husbands and excuse them from very basic parenting responsibilities - and it is equally unfortunate how much husbands, most of whom are the primary bread winners so you're not alone there, OP, have become accustomed to having their wives shoulder the majority of children's appointments and paperwork. This is literally a hill you can die on, OP. So make those appointments and make sure that DH has his schedule cleared so that you can take care of your own health. If you end up being really sick, DH is going to have to do all the kids' appointments regardless.