10 month wait for a gastroenterologist appointment

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GoJohnnyGo

One Badass Dude
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
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Circled down June in my 2009 calendar. Oh wait.. I don't have a 2009 calendar yet.

Too tired to rant.

Comments?
 
You could make a bet with the office worker who made it, will a cure be found before you see a doc, just to piss them off?
 
I waited about 4 months, and the only reason I got in as soon as I did was because my blood work was a nightmare...I know someone else who was scheduled for an appointment this december, and they have been waiting since May.
 
That's too long. Can you see a different gastroenterologist and get in earlier?
Sometimes you can call around, see how long it would be to get in, and then get a referral for that particular doctor.
 
I didn't know where GoJohnny was located, well except for in the john.
I did see a tv show that about Canadians coming to the U.S. and paying cash for their appointments just so they could get in to a specialist sooner. These were cancer patients I believe. That sucks.
 
Pen, my mom has ovarian cancer. She was Dx'd on Wednesday, and everything was OUT of her body the next Friday. (there was a holiday weekend in the middle there). No, our system isn't perfect, but any public hospital (ie: any one that gets federal funding) is REQUIRED to treat any emergency that comes through their door, if they can pay or not. This is why a lot of uninsured people use the ER as a doctors office.
 
Basically, what I'm taking out of all this is that I won't be seeing a gastrolenterologist, unless it's when I'm in a hospital bed.

So no, I didn't bother to book an appointment.
 
Yeah, I would still make one. When I leave my doctor's office, I usually make a follow-up appointment whether I need it or not, just so I will have one. Then it's only a month or 6 weeks away. I usually end up needing it.
 
Wow and I was complaining yesterday that my GI was running late....again. He is always late when I go and I have to wait like an hour to see him, even with an appointment.

I think it is total CRAP that you have to wait that long. I can understand a few weeks at the most. Months only for a routine check up but if you are going to see a specialist that just seems unreasonable!

Hope you can get to see one sooner.
 
Yah, it's pretty discouranging because the point of the visit is to have an official howdy-do and a scribbled note to take pictures of my insides in order to go forward with some sort of allevation of my problems.

I'm having some major pain things happening, and while my regular doctor can load me up on what-not it's still not going to get to the bottom of things. Too many little nooks and crannies inside that can't be seen, and my pointing to parts of the belly isn't exactly as precise. What I need is Google maps for my innards.

It's just very frustrating and I don't know who to blame. The big doctor shortage in my neck of the woods doesn't help.

No wonder some folks turn to quacks or self-treatment.
 
my friend who has severe crohsn disease has to wait a year for her appointments. she rings up becasue she is ill and they say we have one in a year... what the hell are ya meant to do.. think.. "i think im going to be ill may of next year ill book an appointment" drives me mad x
 
I can only speak for the UK... but in Laura's friend's case, she could exercise her right to patient choice and get a new consultant, via her GP. My consultant has said, any change in your symptoms and give my secretary a ring, then I'll see you ASAP... he obviously realises that the longer you leave it, the worse mess he has to sort out.
Or Plan B... turn up at the local casualty dept (preferably at the hospital your doc works at) and proceed to "be ill" in front of them!
 
Babe123 said:
my friend who has severe crohsn disease has to wait a year for her appointments. she rings up becasue she is ill and they say we have one in a year... what the hell are ya meant to do.. think.. "i think im going to be ill may of next year ill book an appointment" drives me mad x

That's pretty unacceptable really. I'd look into going somewhere else if I were her.

If I have problems, I can usually get an appointment within a week.
 
Babe123 said:
my friend who has severe crohn's disease has to wait a year for her appointments. she rings up because she is ill and they say we have one in a year... what the hell are ya meant to do.. think.. "i think I'm going to be ill may of next year ill book an appointment" drives me mad x

That's terrible Babe123.
We have a similar system to the NHS, but if I need an appointment to see the consultant, I ring one of his doctors. They always fit me in.
He generally leaves spaces for walk-ins as well, but that complicates things, because the records have to be found.

If you find a good consultant, and I've had some **** (sorry:eek: ) ones, it make you life so much easier.
If your not happy, change consultants. It's actually quite easy. if you hear of a good one, you turn up in casualty feeling ill.
They run a few tests and make an appointment to see the hospital Gastro Doc.
And your in.

I've done this a few times when I wasn't happy with my treatment, I've also done it in London when I lived there, so I know it works.

Luckily, my present Doc is the best I've come across and apparently the best in the country (Ireland).
I've moved to the other side of the country, but I don't mind travelling 180miles to see him. It's worth that much to me.
 
I had to wait a year for my 1st appointment with my current GI. Here in Canada, to see a specialist you need a referral from a GP (family doctor).. and they book an appointment.. It took me a year..., but God, was it worth it.. She not only realized what was wrong (she diagnosed my disease... all the others originally got it wrong).. but she was the one who put me on LDN. She has over 2000 patients.. Can you say doctor shortage? I knew you could.. Now, my appointments with her range from once a quarter to once a month or more, all depending on my state of health.. saw her two weeks ago, see her in two more.... cause at the moment, my health ain't what it was two months ago. It all depends on the circumstances, the doctor, their workload... but I wouldn't trade my current GI to get those 12 months back.. best investment I ever made
 
Agent X20 said:
I can only speak for the UK... but in Laura's friend's case, she could exercise her right to patient choice and get a new consultant, via her GP. My consultant has said, any change in your symptoms and give my secretary a ring, then I'll see you ASAP... he obviously realises that the longer you leave it, the worse mess he has to sort out.
Or Plan B... turn up at the local casualty dept (preferably at the hospital your doc works at) and proceed to "be ill" in front of them!

yeh my gastro has said if i get any worse then i should ring his secretary and i will get an immediate appointment. which i think is very good.

my friend has to go to a different hospital. i dont know what its like there. i will do some research for her i think an other gastro's in the Crewe area
x
 
GoJohnnyGo said:
Aparently, now I'm looking at March of 2010 as my earliest consultation.
Good God - that's over a year away. That's not right. GoJ - you need to call around and bi*ch about it until you get in somewhere. March '09 would even be too far away.
Cry. Once I called and cried, and they got me in that day. What about ER? At least they might prescribe you something there.
Jeez - GoJ, good luck.
 
That sounds crazy! I have never waited more than a month to even do a follow up with my specialist. I remember calling once asking about my side effects and my doctor told me to come in the next day. Its not right to keep you waiting that long, I would call and explain that you need to be in there ASAP.
 
This is because I've requested another Gastroenterologist. Countless phone calls and three letters from my General Practitioner have not produced a definite date with the first guy.

I live in a province that is "transitioning" from a public health care system to one that is private. I am convinced that the end goal is have a public system that only attends to emergency and palliative care (and that's only because they don't want to look like they're running a concentration camp). Regional and municipal health boards have been eliminated in order to cut costs.

There's very little I can do on my own, and there are many others in the same situation. Name the afflicition -- there's long waiting lists. No wonder quacks are doing a brisk business.
 
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