How does one find a doctor?

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

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How does one who has no primary care physician find a doctor when a very specific ailment comes up?

Lets say just for grins the last week or 2 you have had a sharp pain a couple inches below your appendix region (which you had removed 20 years ago so its not that)

Just throwing that hypothetical scenario out there. No real reason.

You get online and look for a doc in network only to find options like
"Family medicine"
"General practitioner"
"Internal medicine"
and the list goes on.

I don't know the difference between those terms. What is what?

I googled the equivalent of a third grade diagram of my body (I have the body of a 3rd grader) and there is not a lot going on in that area.

Seems I should locate a more specific dr.

Or are the docs that fall into the above categories likely to go "Yeah, stop lifting weights with your intestines" (I am a whole body workout kinda guy)

I am thinking of just popping into urgent care because they are more expensive which equates to better quality (like auto parts)

For real though what are the difference between the terms up there and if you have something specific, do you go to one of them or seek out a specific doctor?

It should be clear by reading this how good of care I take of myself. I am nearly 40 and never had a primary doc. First physical in 20 years was my medical in 2013. I got to get better about this stuff. I called one general doc and his next available appt. is 2 weeks away. :(

Any tips would be appreciated.
 
When I was at the same point I chose an internist who practiced primary care. Either go with the internist or a GP as your primary point of contact for health care and referrals. Make sure the check boxes are filled as far as board certification goes and maybe check to see what hospitals they have privileges.

On the question of male vs. female, well a woman's smaller fingers might not help unless they are long. The digital exam is a pain in the ass.
 
Clark1961 said:
When I was at the same point I chose an internist who practiced primary care. Either go with the internist or a GP as your primary point of contact for health care and referrals. Make sure the check boxes are filled as far as board certification goes and maybe check to see what hospitals they have privileges.

On the question of male vs. female, well a woman's smaller fingers might not help unless they are long. The digital exam is a pain in the ass.
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Oh God I am not even thinking about that yet..

Assuming so but "internist" = "internal medicine"?
 
Maybe your friend is experiencing the pain of kidney stones? Typically sharp intermitent pain that is quite uncomfortable for hours at a time..or days..or weeks.

Two stages..first is when its passing from the kidney to the bladder via the ureteres. This pain typically comes and goes and is pretty sharp. Can come and go for days..or weeks..just varies.. My friend finds this is the most uncomfortable stage that will make you want to just lay down and curl up in a ball crying like a baby.

Next stage is when it tries to go from your bladder to well..out of you. This pain typically is constant and is instantly gone one it passes w/ your urine.. This stage sucks too, and pretty much feels like someone is kicking you in the balls every couple seconds, but is a little more bearable than the first stage..in my friends opinion.

Blah blah..Not a doctor, don't know what the hell I'm talking about, find a real doctor for real advice..blah blah.
 
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Went to urgent care with shingles, doc on duty wanted a follow up a few weeks later. Me and the doc hit it off pretty well, he became my primary physician.
 
"Which Doctor" or "Witch Doctor"?

The great Carnac diagnosis this as diverticulitis ... drink a gallon of aloe juice and quit eating popcorn and strawberries ...

Sorry, doesn't help at all, does it? Picking a doc ... I just use the one my wife picked. Again, doesn't help a bit, does it?
 
:D.....:redface:Get Mrs 6PC to play doctor with ya.......

AS for your question...... Find a walk in clinic. Fast ... kinda inexpensive..:yes:
 
jesse said:
Maybe your friend is experiencing the pain of kidney stones? Typically sharp intermitent pain that is quite uncomfortable for hours at a time..or days..or weeks.

Two stages..first is when its passing from the kidney to the bladder via the ureteres. This pain typically comes and goes and is pretty sharp. Can come and go for days..or weeks..just varies.

Next stage is when it tries to go from your bladder to well..out of you. This pain typically is constant and is instantly gone one it passes w/ your urine.

Blah blah..Not a doctor, don't know what the hell I'm talking about, find a real doctor for real advice..blah blah.
Click to expand...


ugh no bueno, this sounds very similar to what I am experiencing.
 
Word of mouth works ,ask among your friends who they use,hopefully you have insurance and can use a primary care doc. Who can give you referrals. I have an Internist as my pcp .Works well. I always see my doc before the Ame.
 
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SixPapaCharlie said:
ugh no bueno, this sounds very similar to what I am experiencing.
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This picture is where you'd be getting the pain..basically the length of the ureters...then eventually everywhere downstream of your bladder.

kidney-failure-s2-illustration.jpg
 
Sent you a text with a referral to a top family doc here in Denton.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Oh God I am not even thinking about that yet..

Assuming so but "internist" = "internal medicine"?
Click to expand...

Yup, internist is specialised on the function of the stuff inside the meatsack, not so much on the sack, structure, or cap.
 
I have these wonderful things called friends, who assisted me in finding a GP. I also have a spouse, who assisted me in finding another GP when the first one left.
 
No specialist I know would have ever seen me without a referral from my GP and GP-ordered imaging. The obvious place to start is with a GP. I have a couple that I trust. One also happens to be my AME.
 
Quick note - if it really IS a kidney stone the FAA will be curious about it at your next medical. They will be interested to know what steps you are taking to prevent recurrence, and those steps vary depending on what kind of stone it is. You have to pee into a funnel with a screen to catch it so a lab can check it out. They will also want an x-ray of your kidneys that show you don't have any more hiding. A urologist will handle that for you, but typically insurance companies want you to see a PCP first. IF it's a kidney stone.
 
B, I just emailed you. You should go where I go, but see my doctor's husband.

Here's his bio: I am married with three children. I enjoy aviation, history and family time. Dr. Santiago takes appointments on Tuesdays, Wednesday afternoons, and on Fridays.

If you are talking planes, maybe you won't notice him putting fingers in uncomfortable places. :dunno:
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I am thinking of just popping into urgent care because they are more expensive which equates to better quality (like auto parts)
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That's what I would do if I were you. I think this is the future of medical care. IMO it has been way more efficient service than going to my family doctor.

btw. My wife went to one with a sinus cold. doc prescribed some meds and she was billed $200 by her insurance company. ($2500 deductible) . I got the same damn cold a week later and went there. I didn't have insurance at the time and had to pay $40 at the office and that was the end of it. (I got's my Obama care now tho!) It may be cheaper if you don't have insurance.
 
Mrs. SixPapaCharlie said:
B, I just emailed you. You should go where I go, but see my doctor's husband.

Here's his bio: I am married with three children. I enjoy aviation, history and family time. Dr. Santiago takes appointments on Tuesdays, Wednesday afternoons, and on Fridays.

If you are talking planes, maybe you won't notice him putting fingers in uncomfortable places. :dunno:
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Or maybe I will request it.
 
Clark1961 said:
Yup, internist is specialised on the function of the stuff inside the meatsack, not so much on the sack, structure, or cap.
Click to expand...

I'm not gonna lie, I was nervous at first when I read the phrase: "inside the meatsack"
 
Find your own doctor!! Ahhhahhahaaaaaaaa! We're all being punked again. Jeez, that's a good one. Provide all your financial, and personal information here http://obamacare-guide.org/texas/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=texas+-+new and a doctor will be assigned to you comrade.

You need an internist. Ask around, or call a few and tell them you are looking for a new internal med dr and see if it's a fit. Took me three tries to find one. Make inquires, go to their office if you can and have a chat with the MD. If it's a big practice, you'll need to make an initial appointment. Ask a lot, a lot, a lot of questions about how they CODE THINGS, and if you have any input on how they CODE THINGS(may make a huge diff when you mention you have a PPL).

Now, on to what you have. I'm rolling the dice on gall bladder. Google 'lap choli surgery'. Confirm my diagnosis by eating a big plate of animal fat, like you would find on a slab of prime rib. Get all the fat and gristle you can inside you, and don't chew it very well. Wait about 2 hours and if your guts hurt like the dickens, you've got a dead gall bladder.

You will need; a few small sharp knives, bottle of N2 with a reg and a hose, a borescope, few good stout bendi-straws, high intensity light, half gallon of pepper vodka, and a Mighty-Vac brake bleeder. Proceed as follows,,,, :D
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I'm not gonna lie, I was nervous at first when I read the phrase: "inside the meatsack"
Click to expand...

I wasn't nervous typing it if that is any comfort.

These doctor types seem just a bit preternaturally focused on the goings-on with the stuff inside. Best to be prepared for penetrations and palpitations of various sorts. And when you visit them with a pain they all like to gather around to poke and prod. I think their goal is to maximize their sadistic pleasures until you intervene and command all such activities be halted. They must live in constant anticipation of the patient who is masochistically inclined.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
How does one who has no primary care physician find a doctor when a very specific ailment comes up?

Lets say just for grins the last week or 2 you have had a sharp pain a couple inches below your appendix region (which you had removed 20 years ago so its not that)
Click to expand...

My friend had that. May he rest in peace...

Rich






PS: I think Eren has the right idea.
 
So what's the right course of action if a pilot has kidney stones? Just tough it out because the doctor won't do anything for you anyhow, other than screw up your medical.....? ;)
 
I'll tell you what, my old AME was big on giving the rectal exam. The last time I got a medical with him, he seemed to take just a little bit too much pleasure afterwards, like he was ready to smoke a cigarette or something. This time I went with a chick, they mostly don't like to do that. I didn't get my meat prodded or my tailpipe stuffed.

I say generally, but not aways. My primary doctor for a few years was a lady PA. She um, enjoyed doing that. Orion rising never phased her a bit. She would smile actually.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I'll tell you what, my old AME was big on giving the rectal exam. The last time I got a medical with him, he seemed to take just a little bit too much pleasure afterwards, like he was ready to smoke a cigarette or something. This time I went with a chick, they mostly don't like to do that. I didn't get my meat prodded or my tailpipe stuffed.

I say generally, but not aways. My primary doctor for a few years was a lady PA. She um, enjoyed doing that. Orion rising never phased her a bit. She would smile actually.
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It just got weird
 
dans2992 said:
So what's the right course of action if a pilot has kidney stones? Just tough it out because the doctor won't do anything for you anyhow, other than screw up your medical.....? ;)
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It isn't a really big deal, if you report it. At your next medical you need a report saying what you are doing to prevent a recurrence, and some kind of image (KUB X-ray seems to be preferable) that shows you don't have any more waiting to drop. Both are simple stuff for a urologist to handle. After that, it's previously reported no change.
 
If you have a specific issue you need to deal with, my method is to go to the best hospital in the area known for that issue and go out on the affected ward and ask 10 nurses, "If you had a loved one with XXX ailment, who would you send them to?" At least 8 out of 10 will recommend one person, and one or two hate them because they are *******s. I don't care if they are *******s, I care if they are good.

It's served me well on the few occasions I had the instance to seek medical care rather than get whatever the closest emergency room had to offer. :lol:
 
Actually I feel much better knowing the FAA is going to raise a stink about it.
I think it was all in my head.
 
Matthew said:
It isn't a really big deal, if you report it. At your next medical you need a report saying what you are doing to prevent a recurrence, and some kind of image (KUB X-ray seems to be preferable) that shows you don't have any more waiting to drop. Both are simple stuff for a urologist to handle. After that, it's previously reported no change.
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Actually, it can be a very huge problem if a CT scan turns up small stones that aren't coming out any time soon. You can have stones that are too small for your doctor or any specialist to be able to remove safely but ground you as far as the FAA is concerned if they are there. This has grounded many people.

X-Ray is preferred only because it typically can't see the small stones that if detected will ground you. If they're big enough for the X-Ray to see then they'll either pass or the doc can get them out.
 
jesse said:
Actually, it can be a very huge problem if a CT scan turns up small stones that aren't coming out any time soon. You can have stones that are too small for your doctor or any specialist to be able to remove safely but ground you as far as the FAA is concerned if they are there. This has grounded many people.

X-Ray is preferred only because it typically can't see the small stones that if detected will ground you. If they're big enough for the X-Ray to see then they'll either pass or the doc can get them out.
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Yeah that's why the KUB is preferred. It's the least sensitive that FAA will accept and won't show any microscopic flakes like a CT scan can show (too small to do anything about, too small to be painful if they break loose, but they will show up so FAA will flag them). If something DOES show up, you need to get it written in a way that it's "retained" or some other thing that indicates it isn't likely to break loose. It's all about sudden incapacitation, FAA doesn't like that. So if you can show you are clean, it isn't a big deal. But if not, you need to get hold of Doc Bruce and figure out how to get it written up.

If you suspect a KS and see a doc about it, and he does want to do a scan of some type, vote for the KUB over the CT. It's cheaper anyway, and will only show things that are large enough to be painful.
 
Do they do anything for kidney stones other than pain meds and telling you to drink a lot of water?
 
What does Gin do to kidney stones?
Would be kinda cool if they dissolved them or something.
 
steingar said:
I have these wonderful things called friends, who assisted me in finding a GP. I also have a spouse, who assisted me in finding another GP when the first one left.
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Now that everyone from a CFI to a IT goof has Diagnosed Bryan HEH Heh just goofing.

Bryan, Here is the Deal. A Family Physician is what used to be referred to as a GP or General Practitioner. Family medicine is now considered a specialty. Internist are very similar and frankly I'm not too sure how they differ. I'd say ask your friends who they like as a family physician but it seems Eren has given you a very good recommendation, I'm assuming you trust her.:wink2:

Now don't be a moron and go make an appointment. You should really be seeing your family doc once a year. I'm not a huge fan of Urgent Care Centers not that they don't give good care, I think they certainly can and do but its just that some seem to have a high turn over. Seeing your family doc every year helps you build a relationship, he gets to know you and can keep a trend of your labs ailments etc. which in my opinion makes for better treatment.
 
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