Frangibelle
07-06-22, 03:17
I'm curious if anyone has advice on how to know when it's appropriate to take your concerns to a doctor. It's become very hard for me to distinguish between something that is no big deal and something that is worthy of closer investigation. I just don't trust myself to know when a thing is doctor-worthy.
I used to go to doctors and be reassured to have a pro check me out, but at some point I had a bad doctor visit, and since then I'm afraid they'll be flippant. (I was concerned about my gallbladder for 5 years before they decided to do an ultrasound, and then told me I had to get it out within the next few months. Which I did, and that turned out just fine.)
Here's what's up now, just for an example. A week ago I had unusual poking pain in my stomach, and it went away with an antacid. The next day, I had intermittent moderate pain in my right side that came in waves every hour or so, for a few seconds at a time. Strange, but not terrible. And it was gone by the next day.
I looked at the appointments available with my doctor online. An in person visit was weeks away, but there was a telephone appointment available in a week so I took it. After a few days I started feeling silly about an appointment where she can't even examine me, and I canceled it. Since then, I'm very aware of mild discomfort in that area in the evenings. I'd feel silly telling her all about the thing that's pretty much gone away. I expect her to shrug and be done with me.
So I go back and forth, should I forget about it since it's improved? Or is the lingering feeling a thing that I should discuss with her "just in case"?
I saw another post where someone who usually avoided doctors got a full physical and was reassured to be given a clean bill of health. I sometimes wonder if that's the thing for me to do, then I can list all the minor things?
I might be rambling. I just would really love a definitive way to know when it's time to see a doctor. I need a check list or a flow chart :blush:
I used to go to doctors and be reassured to have a pro check me out, but at some point I had a bad doctor visit, and since then I'm afraid they'll be flippant. (I was concerned about my gallbladder for 5 years before they decided to do an ultrasound, and then told me I had to get it out within the next few months. Which I did, and that turned out just fine.)
Here's what's up now, just for an example. A week ago I had unusual poking pain in my stomach, and it went away with an antacid. The next day, I had intermittent moderate pain in my right side that came in waves every hour or so, for a few seconds at a time. Strange, but not terrible. And it was gone by the next day.
I looked at the appointments available with my doctor online. An in person visit was weeks away, but there was a telephone appointment available in a week so I took it. After a few days I started feeling silly about an appointment where she can't even examine me, and I canceled it. Since then, I'm very aware of mild discomfort in that area in the evenings. I'd feel silly telling her all about the thing that's pretty much gone away. I expect her to shrug and be done with me.
So I go back and forth, should I forget about it since it's improved? Or is the lingering feeling a thing that I should discuss with her "just in case"?
I saw another post where someone who usually avoided doctors got a full physical and was reassured to be given a clean bill of health. I sometimes wonder if that's the thing for me to do, then I can list all the minor things?
I might be rambling. I just would really love a definitive way to know when it's time to see a doctor. I need a check list or a flow chart :blush: