Digital Gee

My primary care physican was going to retire at the end of the year. He'd been treating me for twenty years. I had one more appointment coming up; they called to reschedule. Seems he had a heart attack and retired early. I was so shocked!

Then I'm told that the doctor who is taking over his practice won't see anyone under 65. That means I have to find a new primary physician from scratch. I'm not a happy camper. All they could suggest was: call your bleeping insurance provider (bleeping inserted).

I better go for a long ride today -- and NOT fall off. I'm not in the best of moods....

LastPlace

Gary,

Personally I prefer an internist because of their having more training. I also look for someone in their mid thirties, but not over fifty. I want them to be aware of newer methodologies and practices. Also, finding a practice that doesn't stack up the patients like cord wood in the lobby is nice, but hard to find. Good luck.

Nermal

Grrrrr! I once had a pretty good doctor, but all the afternoon appointments were scheduled for 1:00 p.m. So, there's 25 people sitting around all afternoon waiting on their 1:00 appointment.

Ask around, Gary. I'm very big on personal reccomendations.

stapfam

Belong to a general practice of 5 or 6 doctors. Since 87 I have been dealt with by one doctor in the practice and he got me through the couple of serious problems I have had. Then last year he moved onto something more profitable. Since then I have had the fat woman doctor that told me I was overweight and need to do more exercise. Another woman doctor that found I had High Blood pressure on 3 occasions so I had to see the Nurse a week later that found nothing wrong. (Wasted time on each occasion). Then the latest was last week when I think she had the notes for a different person as she suggested a rectal examination as I was of that age where prostate problems could occur. (Had that removed 5 years ago).
Only thing I want a doctor for is to arrange for the blood tests that I have every 6 months. Even a severe case of "Man Flu" would not tempt me back through those doors. They would probably suggest that I start taking it easy as the "Need more exercise and lose weight" did not work.

Still what do you want a doctors for? We can diagnose and prescribe all the cures you want on the forum. Diagnosis could be a problem but we all know what the cure would be as we have been discussing what colour shape and spec it should be for the past year or so.

Pamestique 

Gary here's my problem - I've been going to the same GOP since I was 17. I'm now 55. So I know he's going to retire someday - he must be really old. Anyway in August I'm dx'd with cancer, have to find a surgeon get that taken care of and am then refered back to the primary for follow up care but find out he retired (finally) in September. That sucks!! I also now have to find someone as a primary. I'm old, set in my ways and have all those weird, old people complaints. I don't want to tell them all to someone new. I liked the old guy! Thankfully my orthopedic guy is still around but he's old as well. I would hate to lose him and find someone else!

So those of you in the OC area - know of any good primary care doctors that work out of either St. Joseph or Mission Hospital? I would appreciate recommendations.

jppe

Maybe you'll get a lucky as me. Mine just retired as well after being with him for over 20 years. My new doctor is a female in her early 30's. The only problem was she moved my visits out to every 6 months.....

Coyote!

Hey 'Gee. I'm in somewhat the same fix. My doc and I were young men together. I met him first time when I cycled to his office after a 30 mile ride there. Had to explain the elevated pulse after hopping directly off the bike and onto the table. Anyway, he's pulled me through active TB and depression [given a choice, I'll take the TB] and a number of other fits, fixes, and whatsits. This guy's in a practice so I hope they pick me up if I outlast him. [He's Hollywood handsome and generates ex-wives with great regularity, so I'm guessing he'll work for a while.] Anyway, my "plan" if it comes to it is to poll my friends of a certain age and similar lifestyle and see who they're seeing.

Hey 'Stap. "Man Flu"? Ye gods. . .is this something I need to look out for? Maybe something over there across the Pond? Perhaps something I SHOULD have been sensitive to before I shot my bolt?

dbg

I'd go young. They are more respectful than they used to be, I think. And you might get some cool new drugs.

scottogo

For your reference:

https://www.bookofdoctors.com/
https://www.sandiegoeldercare.com/index.cfm

stapfam

Sorry- "Man Flu" is a serious complaint and it develops from one of your close aquaintances- normally your wife or siblings. It is a developing disease and although it may have been present in your family as a cold with just a sore throat and a sniffle- By the time you have given them the aspirin and given them time to recover by taking the dog for a walk- done the washing up just a couple of times and even run down to the takeaway to give them a meal so they don't starve- it has gone. Unfortunately, with the close contact you have had with them- You have contracted the disease and it appears a few days later but in a raging form. The sniffle has turned into a stuffed nose that will not be cleared- the Throat feels as if you have been eating pineapple without peeling it and the head feels as though you have aset of drums playing away inside it.

Definitely watch out as this is a serious complaint and may necessitate a few days off work to rectify. It also requires a convalescence that does require some gentle exercise and if warm enough this can be taken on the road or the trail with your newly cleaned bike that you looked at while you were at death's door.
Feel fortunate though as Man Flu only seems to attack about every 3 years or so. The other years it does occur, it is quickly cured by the wife saying "Take an aspirin and get off to work before I give you a headache you will never forget"

howsteepisit

I feel your pain. I finally found a MD here that believes that meds are the last resort, not the first. And at my initial visit he told me that he was having serious oral surgery the next day, and that he was concerned that he may have oral cancer. I have a follow-up vist next week so I'll find out his status,

bkaapcke

My former Doctor, now retired would schedule all afternoon appointments for 1;00. After I wised up, I would just show up at about 3:30. The girls at the desk were negative, until I picked up the sign in sheet and said; Look, None of the two o'clocks are here yet, so I'm not late. Never heard another word about it. bk

BluesDawg

My doctor is about 40 and he rides bikes. I plan to keep seeing him for a long time to come.

sch

DG: Wait a while, maybe 4-6mo, the new doc may find that with medicare reimbursements scheduled to ratchet down 5% in Jan, and annually to a predicted 35-40% drop in the next 9yrs or so that maybe a few youngsters in the practice were not such a bad idea.

Bud Bent

Sorry to hear that, dg. I won't even go into the prescription from hell that just took me two weeks to get refilled.

Louis

My long time dentist quit his practice in early '06 due to a brain tumor. I was his first patient when he started back in the early 70's. He was one of the most sensitive and gentle men I've ever known. He died two weeks ago.

So, like you, I'm in the looking mode and not sure where to start. Good luck Gary.

Digital Gee

Oh no! That reminds me I have a monthly renewable prescription for a blood pressure medication. I suppose this means it can't be renewed? Oh gawd.....

Hwy 40 Blue

Get somebody in their mid-late 30s. 40 max. That way he or she can see you till you die. My dentist is ancient and his hands shake -- yikes! My eye doctor is 35 and cute (looks like Anderson Cooper with brown hair) and knows all the new stuff and yet isn't a green kid. He's very good. Takes time to talk to you; they teach 'em that nowadays. I want someone who's up on the latest and greatest but has the experience and wisdom to make informed decisions about my health.

John E

Get on a PPO instead of a &*!%@$$#^ HMO, so you won't need a primary gate-keeper.

For orthopedic problems, I always go to sports medicine specialists, preferably athletes themselves.

The Weak Link

Well crap, you fellers are hurting my feelings. I'm over 50. I keep up. I'm better at a lot of stuff than the newer docs. I take Wednesday off to ride bikes. I limit the numbers in my practice so I can dawdle with patients. I'm pretty much perfect. I even take Medicare. But I'm not a generalist. Sorry.

NOS88

Remembering that all doctors "practice" medicine, I always look for someone with whom I can communicate effectively. I also like getting someone in a practice with several members, especially if one of them is a cyclist. Must confess I've got it just about perfect right now. Three physicans in the same practice, one of them rides, all three are willing to call in each other for consults with you in the room, all three error on the cautious side, ages range from mid 30s to mid 60s.

If I had to find a new one, I'd approach it in the same way as finding a good mechanic for my car. I'd ask for recommendations and ask if people could tell me specifically what it is they like and dislike about their current physician. I'd listen most closely to people who were more like me than different. HOWEVER, if there is a specific problem I'm dealing with that is serious, I'll seek out the best specialist for that area and set up an appointment to interview them with a well thought out list of questions related to my problem.

DG, what you're facing is a real pain in the arse. I wish you speedy success with it.

DnvrFox

I'll briefly relate our journey into Kaiser HMO a couple of years ago.

We had the retirement choice at age 65 to go with Kaiser Permanente (a national HMO with the best TV ads you ever saw), a local outfit called Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization, or going with "on your own" trying to find docs that would take medicare and a medicare supplement to fill in the drugs and other costs.

Since I was still teaching, we decided to switch to Kaiser as a trial before the official retirement.

So, here is what happened.

1. They changed my blood pressure medication because what I was taking was not in their formulary (it was too new and expensive for them). One month later I was in severe continuous coughing spasms as a known reaction to this newly prescribed med.

2. I developed strange heart rhythms. I faxed a good deal of info to the primary care doc about the situation. No response. I faxed again, no response. I talked with her on the phone - "This isn't something to worry about, we'll talk about it some time." Finally someone here on the forum convinced me that I HAD to see a doc, so made an appointment with the doc. Went in and by mistake they had put the appointment on their books for the next day. So, I demanded to see someone else. 3 hours later I was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. So, I had atrial fibrillation in a big way. They told me to think of it as a "minor inconvenience, and to take a lot of drugs (which make you feel like a zombie)" and never told me of any other alternatives. I was in the cardiology ward, but never saw a cardiologist, except after I screamed lourdly that if I was in a coronary unit, I really ought to see a cardio. Well, that got me about 10 minutes of his valuable time. Anyway, I ended up on a bunch of rat poison (coumadin/warfarin) and some drugs that made fast bike riding impossible and me quite winded.

They failed to inform me of any alternative cures (of which there are several) and sent me out the door, with about 70% heart output. The alternative cures are expensive, and they didn't want to pay for them, so they don't tell you about them. It works if you don't mind being a couch potato.

3. My wife was having severe allergies, so we finally got into their "allergy clinic." She told them clearly that she has psychotic reactions to steroids, but they absoultely insisted that she needed steroids, and assured her she would have no reactions. She took the steriods and shortly afterwards started developing psychotic episodes, severe depression, anxiety and extreme nervousness. They told her they didn't do follow-up care.

About that time, I was to "officially" retire, and had the option of getting out of Kaiser. We set up appointments with another PCP, which we paid for out-of-pocket, and with a real cardiologist, and a psychiatrist for my wife.

So we left Kaiser with all the residue they left on us and started again on the road to health from our experience with Kaiser, using the Rocky Mountain HMO as our carrier. BTW, they don't require referrals, and just about every doc in town belongs.

A couple of years later, outside of Kaiser, my heart is beating as it should (I went to CA for an ablation with a famoud MD from the Cleveland Clinic) and I am off of all related meds, my wife sees the psychiatrist (the psychiatrist was all paid for privately by us) only every couple of months, and no longer sees the psychologist at all, and we are doing much better. We are looking forward to her knee replacement next month with a doc of OUR choice.

cooker

Yeah, right, talk about the doddering senile calling the doddering senile senile. Is this the 50+ forum? You've just told the entire membership we're useless.

Bud Bent

LOL..........that is kinda funny.......... old codgers on all sides recommending younger doctors. I can't believe y'all have so little faith in us 50+'ers. Many of us are as sharp as we ever were, work just as hard, have a wealth of experience to draw on, have mellowed and don't play mind games of the younger, and ........err........umm..................what was I saying?

bobkat

Well, I'm a retired Doc, and sitting here trying to think of how I would pick a doc. My feelings aren't hurt, but I have to assure you that age (within reason) should be one of the last reasons for picking or not picking a doctor.
Way back when I was younger, I remember thinking "I don't think I'd see a doc or have surgery by anyone over 50, erroniously thinking that the younger ones would be more progressive and up to date and more knowlegable, etc. Then after being in active practise for 25 years thinking "Wow, too many of those young guys (some old guys, too!) are too full of high tech stuff, using it inappropriately where lower tech stuff was much better, and overtreating people and overdoing lab, X-ray, ultasounds, etc. and creating more harm than good. Ordering a bunch of high tech stuff to impress patients to keep them coming back! With some, everybody had a diagnosis or needed surgery - they would just have to figure out which??? Some were purely greedy, others far the other way! And liability protection - well, suffice it to say that if there are two ways to equally CYA , and one pays little or nothing and the other makes you a pile of money, well, you KNOW what some would choose! Often disgusted me.......
Like The Weak Link, I think in retrospect, that I was at the absolute apex of my career from about age 50 - 60. Kept up better than the younger ones, could communicate MUCH BETTER with patients,(which was a double edged sword as it would keep me behind on my scheduling too often taking extra time trying to sit down and explain things or find out what was really the problem, etc) and could do surgical things better and even more advanced with less complications than most of my younger colleagues. Technically better at that age than when younger - ?practise makes perfect? And my judgement seemed better at that age.....Much less judgemental and arrogant than when I were younger, not that I was that bad even then. Not perfect at any time in my career irrespective of age. We're all human.
I currently see a family doc, age 45 - 50 that I had as a student rotate with me 20 or 25 years ago. Excellent well rounded guy! Also share a lot of the same interests, cycling, flying, etc. Can't beat a GOOD FP or Internist who is actually interested in you and gives a darn!
But what to advise people on what/who to look for********** Good question! I personally know pretty well all the physicians in this area but if I moved somewhere it would scare the crap out of me how to choose a new one. Also the one who might be best for YOU might be the WORST for someone else, all things being equal. I guess personal references combined with looking at their qualifications would have to do. Then a trial and error process. If it feels good, do it! Unfortuntely often your medical plan takes that choice away from you................
Oh, as far as drugs and technology - newer is NOT necessarily always better!