Monday, September 12, 2022

Unicorn Hunting


A full 15 minutes on the phone listening to music and recorded apologies about the wait and one more time hope crashed and burned.

          My Guy’s primary care doctor died several weeks ago. He only found out two weeks after the fact because he happened to call in for a prescription. The obit didn’t reach the newspaper for another two weeks. Makes me wonder if the remaining office workers were ever going to contact any of the patients.

          Since the doc didn’t have anyone else in the practice with him, My Guy is left high and dry. (I switched over to my own PCP many years ago) We are in a doctor wasteland here. I’d heard rumblings of this last year with friends who were trying to get their hands on a dermatologist and were given one-year-distant appointments, but now it’s come to roost at our house.

          We do have some tentative possibilities lined up for March, but in the meantime his many prescriptions will run out in a month. CVS cancels all prescriptions once a doctor goes to that great examining room in the sky. The only remaining option looks like My Guy sitting in a hospital emergency room hoping someone will renew his meds.

 

11 comments:

  1. This is a frightening situation. I guess he can't get into your doctor's practice? I hope you find a solution fast.

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    1. Nope. He checked with the practice and later I asked separately.

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  2. Wow. Just Wow. Good luck on something opening up.

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  3. I think the hospital is your best chance for now and also contact the staff at the practice and see if they are recommending new doctors to get scripts from. Possibly the hospital could also suggest a few doctors. Would your own PCP take him on?

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    1. This doctor - who I've heard died of cancer - made no provisions for his patients. He was in a practice alone, and when My Guy went physically to the office he was told they had no recommendations to offer.

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  4. Aaaargh. That is dreadful. I do hope that a new doctor can be found. Our dermatologist has a 12 month + waiting list. Which is why himself has had one skin cancer surgically removed recently and it currently rubbing a chemo therapy cream into his head which is removing dozens (literally) of other smaller ones.

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    1. Dermatology delays are scary, too. Melanoma is real and can be fatal.

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  5. We lost our PCP unexpectedly when she moved to Canada. But fortunately we got a new young doctor who we will meet in October.

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  6. How awful. We are in a bit of desert with specialists. As I wrote I got my new physician who was back after a hiatus for two years due to drug problems!! But I am willing to give him a chance.

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  7. Oh no. What a nightmare. I'm surprised that doctor didn't plan better or move his patient records (and thus his patients) on to another practice.

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  8. It is a Canadian problem in general and in particular for some regions. Our town is growing rapidly, but several doctors have retired. Hopefully, many who have settled here still have doctors in nearby Ottawa.

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