When was the last time you saw a doctor?

1999 for me.

Knock on wood. Can't afford to get sick.

I wonder how much the bill will be - 3 x-rays involved, etc. etc.

*sigh*

Nurse Practitioner in 2007 gave me stitches in a cut on my forehead.

Prior to 2005, it was 1996 I think.

My assigned doctor's office couldn't get me an appointment until the fifth of never, and told me to go to the ER because my insurance would cover it but would not cover me going to a regular doctor not my own. :eyes:

co-pay is 8 times more for ER and they make more money also, so I am very suspicious as to why they sent me there for a non-emergency

Physical therapy on my knee "failed" so she ordered an MRI. I see the ortho next week. I have a torn meniscus. Crap. I do have insurance but it was a pain finding an ortho who takes our plan. I had to wait an extra week because I couldn't be gone during finals.

I have a chronic condition though. Nothing life threatening, just requiring medication for blood pressure. I do feel a little over-doctored though. He schedules me every 4 months.

I was fortunate enough to find one who practices holistic medicine (blending alternative therapies with conventional medicine). Due to his efforts several of my chronic problems have been solved with simple common sense low-cost measures. Plus he doesn't want to do expensive tests every time he sees me. If there were more like him the system would save significantly on health care costs and people would be healthier. I've never been happier with a doctor and I've been through a bunch of them in the past who practiced conventional costly medicine.

:hi:

if a doctor showed up in my bathroom while I was shaving. That must have been weird.

:rofl:

Mandated renewal for DOT physical. Paid for out-of-pocket as my HMO doesn't 'do' work-related physicals.

Had the old gall bladder ripped out by the roots.. My uncle would have saved his in a jar, instead I got cool mini camera laproscopic shots of my insides.. My liver actually looked good enough to eat while I was still under the influence of the morphine..

I'd handed the morphine drip button to my four year old and told him every time he pushed it an Angel got their wings.. Bills? Who cares! Whoopee! :)

i can't afford to get sick either. the only reason i get to see my psych is through county services.

Before that, February 2004, except for two eye exams, because my lens prescription tends to change rapidly.

Kidney stones :hurts: :scared:

Starting tomorrow I'll be seeing my OB once a week for the next month or until the baby is born. My son went to two different doctors (pediatrician and psychologist) last week. Last time my husband went was a month ago when he got strep throat. We have HMO health insurance.

the emergency room or job physical. I was injured playing football and got a kidney infection in 1981. I've had a couple emergency room visits with no doctor follow-ups and I've had several physicals as a metal construction worker.

Like most people, I also cannot afford to get seriously ill. I've had the flu several times and other ailments that could have used a doctor but I never could afford to go. I'm lucky to be alive considering I contracted the Beijing Flu in 1997/98 and actually felt like I was going to die.

Went to my GP for an eye problem. He sent me for blood tests, and I'm seeing an eye specialist this Wednesday.

My "plan" covers all appointments and treatment, which is what I have come to expect as a Canadian.

I really feel for your folks in the U.S. I hope you get universal health care as soon as possible.

- B

:hi:

You can throw $5,000 at doctors and get nothing in return!

Haven't seen a doctor since then.

But, I did have a lung infection that wouldn't go away last year.

Having just lost a friend to pneumonia, I sucked it up and went to a 'Doc in the Box' where a Nurse Practitioner examined me and prescribed meds.

(Only reason I saw that cardiologist 20 years ago was because I had insurance back then.)

I am two weeks over due for my missed appointment.

Before that was 1994 for a torn cornea.

--besides not prescribing a shitload of bogus pills that sooner or later end up as the subject of class-action lawsuits (after the doctors got their kickbacks, of course), they are also very affordable, and they actually spend time getting to know me and thoroughly checking me out.

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money isn't an issue

This is Canada

No insurance, but hell, I was dying. Turned out to be a good thing. He was great. Still, if I had my choice, I'd never go see a doctor. I hate them and dentists. Nothing personal.

I should go for a 'female' exam sometime soon. Long overdue for one.

I'll go for outpatient surgery on a shoulder June 4.

I get to see my doctors a lot. Good thing I made my husband go out and get a regular job in 2001. His medical insurance has paid for two knee surgeries, a hysterectomy, and a whole bunch of other stuff. I think he's been in on his insurance three times.

...um....yeah...1982.

If, however, you include the fact that I'm a caregiver and take the 84 year old woman to the hospital every couple of months I would have to adjust my previous statement downward.

I suppose there isn't really a distinction in the question that was asked though.

Q3JR4
Meh...

I only go to the doctor if I have a specific problem that doesn't resolve itself with over-the-counter medications and/or time. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often.

She said I had a badly deteriorated hip joint and needed surgery. Unfortunately, I have no diamond mine in the backyard and no Picassos to sell, so I'll continue to hobble around in pain. My mobility is on the line with healthcare reform.

Had to have a physical for a job. It was not much of a physical.

I have excellent health care benefits through my employer. I just do not like doctors.

Thankfully, I have been fairly healthy since. The last time I caught the flu was December 1999, from my father, when I was visiting for Christmas.

But I am scared about the fact that I don't have a "Doctor." I don't have a General Practitioner, and for all I know, my medical history is in limbo. I'm not even sure if I have a medical history, or a file, or anything.

ON EDIT:

Nothing against doctors, by the way. I had a fantastic doctor when I lived in Los Angeles. From approximately 1990 to 2000 I actually DID have a regular doctor, and he was amazing.

I had a nasty red streak going up my foot from a small wound I picked up on vacation in Hawaii. I had to go to Emergency when I flew home and the pain and infection got unbearable. With no health insurance my 3 hour stay with a prescription was $1000. They said it was MRSA though, so I'm glad I went. I also got a free lecture from the doctor and how important it was to see a doctor on a regular basis. I explained that half-time adjunct professors like myself don't get health benefits and he got a little embarrassed.

Fortunately the hospital had a discount program that reduced the bill by 50% if paid in 30 days. I was only $500 out of pocket.

Other than that I never go. I would probably never get accepted onto health insurance if anything was ever detected in any of those free tests for things, so I don't go to those either.

I had "health insurance", but could not afford my co-pays.

I know that I'm very lucky to hve any insurance at all. Good luck to you.

Had to get a female problem checked out that needs surgery. Doc said it will be $2000 in her office. Also have to see the doc for chronic stuff -- high blood pressure, low thyroid meds and allergy meds. Also have a kidney stone I got diagnosed in Dec, after six months of gawdawful pains in the gut, occurring once a month. Don't have money to get the kidney stone whacked.

back when I was still on my dad's insurance.

Dentist was 2002 when Ih ad my wisdom teeth pulled right before I turned 22 (when the insurance cut off)

A waste of time it was too. Three hours after my appointment time, a perfunctory examination, and three new prescriptions I didn't really need to try out.

at DU.

This gets to the heart of the matter.

I'm going to keep kicking this thread for as long as I can recall to do so. This is a brilliant question that reveals much about how we live now in this nation.

And he turned out to be a total quack. But the insurance I had at the time covered the visit.

However, it's been 8 years since I've been to a dentist and 6 years since I've had a pap smear--and even though I'm of "that age," I've never had a mammogram. The last insurance I had only lasted a year (the length of my employment contract) and the bass-ackward state in which I was living at the time refused to accept my insurance because my parent company was "out of state" and the insurance card was issued in that state. Even though it was s BC/BS national plan! No one else in the company had any problems in any other state. Just me, in Mississippi. x(

when I needed to--maybe 8 months ago? We have excellent health insurance (BCBS Federal) because
hubby worked for the VA for many years and it was included in his retirement benefits.

I will never ignore my health, getting on in years especially. I intend to stay strong and healthy. Being old and sickly is not acceptable if I can prevent it!

It was my "annual indignity" at the gynecologist. Got laid off not long after that. Spent about a year and a half on temp insurance. It had high deductibles, and I decided that it wasn't worth it to keep paying for it. And, forget going for any sort of check-up. The few temp jobs I have had in between did not offer insurance. Heck of a time to start going through "the change". Fortunately, I haven't needed a doctor, and I hope it stays that way, or I'm f...ed.

Haven't seen a dentist since then, either. I used to go every six months. Held the record at that practice for a clean bill of health. Not sure that record would hold if I could afford to go back. Been clenching my jaws and grinding my teeth due to stress. Hoping I don't lose a filling...

I never thought I'd wind up in this position. Not until election night of 2000. Then I figured it was inevitable. Sure enough. What I wouldn't give to be able to get a hold of the Cheney flunky that saw to it that my employer's funding got yanked...

I was flirting with disaster by delaying a physical, all came out well.

She sees my wife every 6 months.

five of my students had come down with strep throat. Luckily, it was just allergies.

Imagine going to a doctor, particularly one affiliated with a large hospital, for a minor reason, getting a routine blood-check, then being prescribed multiple medications because the numbers are a little high. The medications would require regular monitoring of your blood, so get ready for regular doctor visits. It's one thing after another after age 50. *sigh*

is Ibuprofen. My doc is affiliated with a large hospital but my numbers are always a little low--everything except my weight that is :-(

Paid everything out of pocket Dr charged $1200.00 took him less than one hour hospital charged $2400.00 for less than 24 hours didn`t eat any of their food sent wife to Hardees,lab charged over $500.00 for blood work.no insurance and still no insurance.

I forget which, but it's been about a decade.

hubby carried med benefits for the whole family. Laid off date is before Obama's cobra discount takes effect, so not an option.

Was paying a humongous amount of money for cobra. So, being a good American, went out and secured catastrophic coverage. $300 a month, but we are responsible for the first $4,000. At this point, might as well take $300 and burn it, but at least we are covered if anyone breaks a leg or gets cancer. $300 a month is hella lot of our monthly budget. Being unemployed, can't afford doctors for everyday situations. I told my family they have to be lying on the floor with blood coming out of their nose, eyes and ears before they see a doctor. Seriously, the upshot is that we can not afford preventive care, not to mention routine doc appointments.

So the last time for anyone in my family was somewhere in the beginning of 2008. And i think the situation is bad for my family, but I recognize that we are far, far better off than some Americans.

tick bites.
the tick bites were free, but so was the doctor (Cape Cod, MA) b/c I'm unemployed. They have the beginnings of a humane system here.

Budget cuts hit and being the newbie I was the first to be let go. I went to see a doctor and got myself a 6-month script for my anxiety medications (thankfully they're cheap in Walgreen's generics plan).

Once because I scratched my cornea so bad that I need a freaking eye patch and then the next week for my yearly physical.

I haven't been sick since, no flu this year. :)

Your bark should protect you from most bites at least as well as the average helmet, and if not, you can count on Jesus. He knows when every hickory falls, even if it doesn't make a sound.

I had insurance through a job I was about to quit. Later that year I went to a doctor in Spain too... I still owe that hospital money, come to think of it (10K pesetas for 5 stitches... which a veterinary technician friend removed once I got back to the States.).

I went to a medical school for some dental work in 2001, too. I got to be someone's final. She didn't use quite enough anaesthetic to keep me numb for the whole treatment... apparently a high tolerance to alcohol carries over to novacaine... but as long as the filling was free and the timer was running for her final... I figured I'd do her a favor and not waste her time demanding more.
I assume she passed her final.

They happened to find a tumor on my kidney. I'll be seeing a lot more doctors in the next few years.

I am blessed to have insurance but that said, I stayed in the hospital for two days and I'm sure my insurance company will have plenty of tricks up their sleeve. They usually do. I also will be faced with the some of the costs of CT scans every three months, followed by a pretty big surgery and more hospital time and followup for the next five years and of course, a new, pre-existing condition to keep me in wage and job provided insurance slavery. We aren't even going to address my fear of dying a horrible death by cancer,

I don't have it so bad compared to an uninsured person and yet, we all have it bad without universal, single payer health care.

:(

I'm a grad student, so I can go whenever I want. As long as it's not serious, it's typically not a problem (if so, costs skyrocket). My husband, on the other hand, hasn't seen one in years. The only insurance we could afford for him for a long time was catastrophic coverage, and that's worthless if you're simply ill.

Luckily, Oklahoma (yes, the home of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum) has decent state sponsored insurance. So, he has that now.