Are medical specialists in your areas canceling appointments?

[Tap]

I fly dd21 home a few times per year to see all of her specialists. (Her husband is military and they are not in an area with a great healthcare system). She was gravely ill this fall/winter and saw some drs then but it is time to schedule her 6mth followups. We are in Washington/Oregon and 2/3 specialists I have called so far, are cancelling all appts for the next 5-6 weeks and tentatively scheduling for after that time.  One, is a hard to get into pain specialist, that manages several of my daughter's other conditions as well. DD is 2 weeks into a new medication and starting another in 3 weeks. We may be able to teleconference in an emergency. But it feels weird to have so much in motion under this doctors and to not be seen. 

The most surprising is her pulmonologist. I called to make the appt and they had to first get his approval to see her (limited appts) and then put her on the schedule but they aren't sounding that optimistic about being open in 5 weeks. If a pulmonologist won't be open....who is????  We scheduled and hope they don't cancel, she should be seen last week when she was here, but she wanted to wait.  Hope it doesn't bite her in the butt in the long run.  She has severe, complicated asthma.

Her cardiologist says they can see her in 5 weeks, but also warn they might cancel.

Her pain specialist is the only one we can teleconference with, the others are hands-on appointments. (can't really video chat a pulmonary function test or new heart murmur sound).

Are you finding this in your area as well? These doctors are all in the same city, but at different hospitals.

[Ottakee]

I think area are still on a case by case basis.  It is so hard because you are right, some things you do just need hands on, in person visits 

[prairiewindmomma]

Yup. 

[WoolC]

My upcoming dentist appointment, mammogram and ultrasound were all cancelled.  I have a pulmonologist appointment on April 1st that I may cancel if they don’t.  

[Pawz4me]

No, not so far. DH has an appointment with his oncologist tomorrow. I have an appointment tomorrow with my PA (I know-not a specialist) for a routine thyroid check. I need a blood draw for that, so it can't be done over the phone. I have an appointment with my rheumy in three weeks and will need more blood work, so that can't be done over the phone either. Neither my thyroid nor my RA are emergencies, so I would certainly understand if they needed to be postponed (as long as medications are refilled, of course).

[LoveMyBeautifulGift]

Mom is in the middle of finding a diagnosis for what is going on with her. Her primary cancelled her weekly check in/blood draws for the next three weeks and her hematology/oncology specialist called to say they are going to do a phone appointment. 

[Ottakee]

I just got a call from neurology that the appointments for my 2 girls are both on as scheduled....but limited people who come in with the patient, hand sanitizer, etc.

[Splash1]

My high risk daughter just saw her nephrologist on Friday.  Not cancelling anything from what I can tell yet.

 

[MEmama]

Our governor is asking that everyone cancel or postpone any elective, well visit and non emergency doctor appointments. DH canceled one he had coming up and I postponed a follow up visit with DS’s asthma doctor until the end of June. That visit was to talk over how his plan worked during his winter track season and to talk over any any changes he should make for outdoor track/allergy season. Since sports have been cancelled, there’s no need to take up her time right now.

[Hilltopmom]

I really wanted to go for my eye appt in 2 weeks. I Really need glasses! I bought some otc readers to get me through but my eyesight has gotten bad this year!

[appyonthebeach]

That's frustrating.  I went to a doctors appointment yesterday and another one today.  I did just get a notice from my dentist that they are cancelling appointments for the next month though.

[slackermom]

 A few have, others are just adjusting.

Thankfully my 15yo got braces off a few weeks ago. We have a temporary retainer (clear), and were supposed to go in to pick up the regular retainer (palate) this week, but we go to a dental school, and it has closed.

The physical therapy office says they plan to stay open, but we are near the end of that treatment (started this round in December) so I may cancel appts for this week and next.

Our vet is open, but only for animals. You have to leave your pet at the door, the vet will put you on speaker phone during the exam while you wait in the car, and you can pay online.

 

[ddcrook]

Some of the women in my chemo forum are worried that their chemo will be cancelled. So far nobody has been cancelled, but one woman is no longer allowed to have a guest in the infusion room. Surely they won't make us postpone chemo!

[Tanaqui]

If you need to see a pulmonologist, you're probably high risk. Therefore, unless it's urgent, you should avoid sitting in the waiting room with all those other high-risk patients and then seeing the doctor who has seen who-knows-how-many coronavirus patients already and may be contagious.

[Tap]

39 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

If you need to see a pulmonologist, you're probably high risk. Therefore, unless it's urgent, you should avoid sitting in the waiting room with all those other high-risk patients and then seeing the doctor who has seen who-knows-how-many coronavirus patients already and may be contagious.

She is in an odd spot. DD already takes over the normal dose for her daily inhaler. It isn't helping and she has been struggling for 4 weeks since she had a ....wait for it...a cold with cough and fever.   It is common for her to have asthma flares, so she is waiting to see if this is just a flare. But....one of her other doctors added a new med and we are wanting to see if it helps with her asthma. Because of that, dd isn't wanting to up her inhaler to the max, Normal patient FDA max is 4 puffs daily, dd is allowed up to 10 and is currently using 6). 

We would like to know if there is something going on with her lungs that is treatable (sometimes she needs prednisone for a flare) or if she should just keep pressing on with the inhaler. I am a bit concerned with everything going on. The pulminologist isn't going to know anything, unless he listens to her and does pulmonary function tests. 

If she were a minor, I would have taken her in when she was here. But she is 21, married and has lived on her own for a few years. I try to respect her wishes (even if I don't agree).

ETA: she has prednisone and is permitted to self dose per her pulmonologist....but we don't want her to use it without a doctor clearing her for obvious reasons right now.

Edited March 18, 2020 by Tap

[Tanaqui]

Oh, that's so worrisome to read. I certainly do hope it's nothing... I've heard scary things about prednisone + coronavirus. (But news changes so fast!)