Doctor Appointment

[lightalltheway]

Hello,

Due this darkened days with the pandemic, i have been a victim of restriction of movement and the freedom to move. Hence, i have missed my yearly routine check-up for few months now. Expected few more months to be able to reach my clinic.

I don't know how much longer should i wait until i will be able to see my doctor again, i would appreciate if somebody passed through the same and share his experience in terms of skipping and/ or being unable to access his routine check-up for a prolong period of time. Any risk? any advice?

on a side note, i am adherent to my ART, i feel generally well, just like any normal day.

Light all the way

[nethan1621]

As long as you are taking your medicine still you are lucky and healthy. Pandemic worst nightmare is runout medicine Supply but as long as there is no issue with ArV supply, just be patient per while for a blood test. Without blood test best thing you are doing is adhered to medicine means blood test is second thing you can do later… depending on where you live , even dr can email blood form and go to a laboratory… if its not the way in your place, just take your medicine and live a life… when I diagnosed my first aim was to find enough ARv supply without discrepancies in pandemic and once im secure with ARV other tests can be done as per situation in the pandemic 😷

[lightalltheway]

Nethan,

Many thanks for your post. Actually what you said makes absolute sense beside that there is nothing i can do at the time being. I am fully adherent, i have my medication, and i dont have any health issues thank god.

I hope other participants can share their experiences on this topic. And i wish if they faced the same, their lab works were perfect.

Thank you again
Prince

[leatherman]

in terms of skipping and/ or being unable to access his routine check-up for a prolong period of time. Any risk? any advice?

think of it this way: what are you expecting from your routine check-up?

have you remained adherent to your meds? have you had any other medical issues? If your answers are yes and no, then your check-up was going to do little except run blood tests. if you have stayed adherent, then your results would probably be similar to the last time they were checked. HIV meds don't just fail, so there's no reason to think that this routine check-up would be any different from last time.

here in America, our Ryan White program (which helps provide medications and healthcare for people living with HIV, especially those with limited or no resources for healthcare) requires 3-4 physician visits a year. Not for any medical reason (because when staying adherent without any other health issue, a person's health simply won't change very much in a 3-4 month time span); but because data has shown that 3-4 visits a year helps keep people (in general) mindful about their treatment and so they remain adherent to their meds. another reason to see a physician that often is to keep prescriptions for HIV meds current.

but to be a bit crass, in America where healthcare is big business, while multiple physician visits, lab work, and renewed prescriptions each year does ensure patients are well monitored for any health issues, it also means that everyone makes money too. Of course the cost of patients NOT staying in regular care and staying adherent can be astronomical in medical costs and lives. The cost of requiring regular visits then is money well spent.

[lightalltheway]

think of it this way: what are you expecting from your routine check-up?

have you remained adherent to your meds? have you had any other medical issues? If your answers are yes and no, then your check-up was going to do little except run blood tests. if you have stayed adherent, then your results would probably be similar to the last time they were checked. HIV meds don't just fail, so there's no reason to think that this routine check-up would be any different from last time.

here in America, our Ryan White program (which helps provide medications and healthcare for people living with HIV, especially those with limited or no resources for healthcare) requires 3-4 physician visits a year. Not for any medical reason (because when staying adherent without any other health issue, a person's health simply won't change very much in a 3-4 month time span); but because data has shown that 3-4 visits a year helps keep people (in general) mindful about their treatment and so they remain adherent to their meds. another reason to see a physician that often is to keep prescriptions for HIV meds current.

but to be a bit crass, in America where healthcare is big business, while multiple physician visits, lab work, and renewed prescriptions each year does ensure patients are well monitored for any health issues, it also means that everyone makes money too. Of course the cost of patients NOT staying in regular care and staying adherent can be astronomical in medical costs and lives. The cost of requiring regular visits then is money well spent.

Your words always bring me comfort. Thanks a million my friend for being always a source of positivity. After reading your lines, i am not worried at all. I am adherent, no health issues, and no signs of anything 'touch wood'.

Many thanks again
Prince