Full Time Employment

[Epson]

I have a job now!  Full time management position, managing my healthcare.  I never thought that having Sjogren's would  consume so much time at the doctors office and hospital.  Every time I have to go to a doctors appointment half of my day is shot and Monday I see two doctors at opposite sides of town.

This in it's self should qualify people for disability, what employer would stand for this and the multiple trips to the restroom when you are at work?  With all the trips to the bathroom they might think your doing drugs.  Can't we get paid for all this work?

[Bernice]

That's the main reason I hate going, plus the keep it so cold makes me hurt more. I hate going sitting and waiting when I am hurting!

They schedule too many at the same time causing the long wait. My doctor is pretty good so he's always booked. I went once to get thyroid blood test, well by the time he got to me it was too late to get it done the lab had closed, so that was a wasted trip.

I know I need to go more often, but I really do hate going, sometimes I would rather suffer through whatever is going on at home. When I am feeling bad I do not want to be touched or bothered, just leave me alone and let me go through.

Then there's the 101 questions that you have to go through, when I am hurting just leave me alone, don't want to talk too much or have to think too much. After all most of what I go there for is repeated issues so just look at my files from the last time I was in, nothings changed, still hurting ALL over and too tired to be bothered!

After all of that I normally leave with some medicine I am too afraid to take.

[Epson]

That's the great thing about the Cleveland Clinic, once you in the system you don't have to fill out the same form 10,000 times.

[irish]

Epson, I have to add that it also takes a lot of time keeping track of all the darn paper work. Have to make sure to get copies and fax them or hand carry them to other docs. Also, the time on the phone. I get so I just want to scream. I did all this when I was a nurse and I got paid for it. Now it just ruins my day.

At our house we sometimes go in pairs!!! Hubby drops me off for my infusion where I also can have an appt with my pulmonary doc. I just push my IV pole and pump out the door to the elevator to the first floor and down the hall for that appt. My hubby can go to his oncology doc across town while I am at the infusion. Also, he can have cat scans and see pulmonary while I am having infusion as he goes to the same pulmonary that I do. I go with him with my IV pole.

Sometimes we go up the day before and have 2-3 appts, stay with son and wife and next day go to infusion. The doctors at this clinic are getting  to be friends. Nice doctors, but these trips can wear a person out. You have to be a darn healthy sick person to live through all this commotion. Irish

[eyeamdry]

I don't get to say when I go to the drs, they tell me.  I can call and make an appt if I  am ill or have concerns.  My rheumy insists on labs every 8 weeks.  She is about 80 miles away, so it's quite a roundtrip and sometimes I'm in her office for 3 hours.  I always take lunch, pop to drink, snacks etc.  My hubby goes for lunch and then comes back in case I'm out early.  In the summer, he will turn on the car radio and nap a bit in the car.  In the winter, he goes up in the office or maybe down to Lowes for a bit. 

Bernice said:

They schedule too many at the same time causing the long wait. My doctor is pretty good so he's always booked. I went once to get thyroid blood test, well by the time he got to me it was too late to get it done the lab had closed, so that was a wasted trip.

Same thing happened to me at the rheumys and it was not a matter of a few miles.  I  got a lab order to have done in my hometown.  I do the labs in my hometown when they don't fall on her scheduled appointment.  I have to see her every 3 months (some of which labs are taken) and see my GP every 3 months (he used to be able to do labs for rheumy) but no longer will.  So then I have to make a trip to a local hospital. Hmph.

But if y'sll can go to the dr when you want, consider yourself lucky.  I live in Michigan, so it's usually snowy and darn cold.  Lucy

[louise]

A lot of the time I just put up with whatever is hurting or going on. Most of the time my aches and pains seem so strange and come and go. I am embarrassed to even mention some of what is happening and the doctors never seem to have good answers or remedies .I also hate paying my $25.00 copay too hear the same old information I always hear. I would much rather suffer at home in comfort of my own bed . Instead of waiting in a doctors office around a bunch of coughing sick people.I sit there wondering what I'm going to catch from this germ fest. So you waste the day and money but pick up a new virus only too get no good answers.

[Epson]

Louise,

I too have a germ phobia about catch something at the doctors office, I won't touch anything and wash my hands as soon as my appointments over.

[Bernice]

Eye, same with me, I was talking about those times in between scheduled visits. I often have things that pop up in between.