Author Topic: How many doctors (Read 5677 times)

Assurbanipal · « **on:** August 23, 2008, 06:24:03 pm »

Just curious about how many different doctors people were seeing -- sometimes its hard to keep up all the different appointments.

Also note, please count multiple visits to the same doctor as one (e.g. quarterly visits to the ID doc would count as one doctor)

edited to clarify poll and instructions:
The poll is segregated by whether or not you have AIDS -- for this purpose please use the US CDC definition (including the "if ever diagnosed with AIDS, always counted as AIDS"). I've tried to make that clear in the poll by specifying "Ever diagnosed with AIDS" vs "HIV + but not diagnosed with AIDS".

Doctors would include other medical professionals with "doctor" credentials (e.g. dentists and therapists) but no "nurse credentials.

Thanks
Assurbanipal

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #1 on:** August 23, 2008, 06:33:54 pm »

How are we defining "AIDS" here? Currently <200 cd4 or <200 cd4 at any time during infection?

Winiroo · « **Reply #2 on:** August 23, 2008, 06:40:26 pm »

I've discussed this with someone recently he was of the opinion that his previous AIDS diagnosis was null because his tcells had bounced back to a reasonably high level.

I am of the opinion that once you have been given an AIDS diagnosis it does not revert back to HIV just because your tcell count has gone up.

I'm curious how others feel about this.
Maybe I should start my own thread. I hope I'm not hikacking yours Assurbanipal. Let me know.

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2008, 06:45:54 pm »

Well, I *legally* would define myself as having AIDS, and certainly I don't run away from the label. But my numbers were only very briefly in that zone and only marginally and my cd4s have been +1000 for 2 years solid.

I don't find it a very clear definition, especially for this poll. I also thought we had a similar thread on this same issue last month, though not in poll form.

minismom · « **Reply #4 on:** August 23, 2008, 06:59:37 pm »

Philly, you and I had this conversation in Mexico (while sitting in Starbucks). Mini was diagnosed as a "potential AIDS baby", then an AIDS baby because when she was tested at 6wks old, her T-cells were around 154. But, they eventually bounced up to about 500, then hovered between 300 - 500 (she was tested every 2wks) until she was nearly 2. Her t-cells have been 1000+ for about 3yrs and she's been u/d for 6yrs. Now, her current records/reports state that she is an HIV+ female child..yadda, yadda, yadda. So, honestly, we just refer to her as HIV+, and that's how she refers to herself. I think at this point it's a matter of semantics. Honestly, for her sake, HIV+ sounds less "scarey" to people than AIDS, so we go with it.

OK, back to the poll. I'm thinking I answered this already, but what the heck. At this moment in time, she sees her dentist 2x/yr, her eye specialist 2x/yr, her PID 2x/yr, and her lipid doc 2x/yr. She sees her PT several times a year. At the height of things, she had 13 docs and 4 therapists (OT, PT, speech, and developmental).

Mum

Winiroo · « **Reply #5 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:05:37 pm »

Yeah, I seem to remember you typing about how many doctors Mini sees.

My tcells are currently below 200 but have been up to 600 -700 range then low again at 3 tcells then high again around 450ish. I guess I am a self made yo yo.

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #6 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:08:23 pm »

Are we counting dentists and therapists here?

BlueMoon · « **Reply #7 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:16:38 pm »

As I understand it, an AIDS diagnosis is forever.

As for the previous thread I believe it was how often one sees a doctor, not how many different doctors one sees.

So then, since I first tested positive in October, I've been treated first by an ID specialist and since then seen a GP. I've also had a colonscopy and been examined by an opthmalogist. That's four there, and I've also seen my dentist although not for anything HIV-related. The GP specializes in HIV patients so for now I'm letting him treat me for that. Hopefully there won't be any more doctors for awhile.

No one has actually used the A-word with me yet even though I've twice had a CD4 count under 200.

Edited to add last sentence.

Assurbanipal · « **Reply #8 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:19:58 pm »

Sorry -- dinner and paperwork intervened there.

1) Let's use the US CDC definition (including those under 200 CD4 even with no OI and once diagnosed with AIDS always counted as having AIDS)
2) Please count "doctors" as those with MD level credentials which would include dentists and therapists but not nurse practitioners.

We do have occasional discussions on this topic and I thought it would be interesting to see some numbers (although responses will have self selection ...)

Winiroo · « **Reply #9 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:22:13 pm »

Lets see...This year I have seen an HIV doctor, Gynocologist, GI doctor, Dentist and an emergency room doctor.

I dont think I forgot anything....

Modified because.We posted at the same time. Some of my trips to the doctor I never ever see a real doctor. Its a free clinic and a teaching hospital. You get what you get.

Assurbanipal · « **Reply #10 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:33:18 pm »

Quote from: Winiroo on August 23, 2008, 06:40:26 pm

I am of the opinion that once you have been given an AIDS diagnosis it does not revert back to HIV just because your tcell count has gone up.

I'm curious how others feel about this.
Maybe I should start my own thread. I hope I'm not hikacking yours Assurbanipal. Let me know.

Not a problem

I am a Winiroo posting fan!!

If I were technically proficient I'd add it to the poll -- but since I can't if folks want to discuss it that's fine with me.

AIDS is a powerful word, but I guess I just accepted the current CDC definition as the state of play -- and it can be helpful for Sociial Security purposes should things get worse ...

Note I fixed the counters so they are distinct too.

Assurbanipal

Winiroo · « **Reply #11 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:36:39 pm »

aaawwww thank you!

Assurbanipal · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:42:52 pm »

So for me:
GP, ID (both quarterly), pulmonologist (2x), GI, Orthopaedic surgeon (6x), anesthesiologist, nephrologist (or was that last year?) 6 or 7
Put off until this quarter -- DEXA scan, endocrinologist, dentist, dermatologist...

Still seems like a lot

Oh well, beats the alternative

allopathicholistic · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:52:53 pm »

Quote from: Assurbanipal on August 23, 2008, 07:42:52 pm

So for me:
GP, ID (both quarterly), pulmonologist (2x), GI, Orthopaedic surgeon (6x), anesthesiologist, nephrologist (or was that last year?) 6 or 7
Put off until this quarter -- DEXA scan, endocrinologist, dentist, dermatologist...

Still seems like a lot Oh well, beats the alternative

It does seem like a lot but it also seems you're the captain of your own ship and that's a good thing. I just wanna say it's good to remind people with threads like this that having more than one doctor is a choice and often a very smart one

minismom · « **Reply #14 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:54:05 pm »

Oh, crap, i forgot that Mini had a DEXA scan in February (or was it March) and an MRI. But, I'll not count those since they were pretty much a every couple of years thing and we saw her PID for the results (or was that the time she called?) And, I forgot about her ortho guy who left and went to some other state (good riddance!).

Desertguy · « **Reply #15 on:** August 24, 2008, 11:12:13 pm »

Philly I like your post!! So mine would go way up to include those

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #16 on:** August 24, 2008, 11:41:34 pm »

Quote from: Desertguy on August 24, 2008, 11:12:13 pm

Philly I like your post!! So mine would go way up to include those

Sure, but it took me 13 years on meds and injecting myself with Fuzeon to get that. Knock yourself out.

#1 mom · « **Reply #17 on:** August 25, 2008, 02:56:25 am »

Lucas sees his Pediatrician, ID, and Opthamoligist regularly. He also had 1 visit to an Audiologist. He has therapists that come to our home : Physical, Occupational & Speech therapy as well as his Early Intervention Instructor. He has also gone to see a Vision Therapist. It may seem like a lot, but his progress speaks for itself.

penguin · « **Reply #18 on:** August 25, 2008, 07:06:03 am »

i reckon i got you all beat... what do i win?

Matty the Damned · « **Reply #19 on:** August 25, 2008, 07:10:53 am »

i reckon i got you all beat... what do i win?

A warm speculum.

MtD

penguin · « **Reply #20 on:** August 25, 2008, 07:46:21 am »

platinum and engraved

minismom · « **Reply #21 on:** August 25, 2008, 08:04:27 am »

A lifetime supply of Jello

:-*Mum

Assurbanipal · « **Reply #22 on:** August 25, 2008, 07:18:14 pm »

Free tickets for you and the flightless aquatic organism of your choice to the first annual NHS "Customer Appreciation Day"!

(Thank you for posting and I hope you are feeling better now)

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Over the last 12 months how many different doctors did you see?

Author Topic: How many doctors (Read 5677 times)