New Doctor.

[blondbeauty]

Now that I was used to my weird Dr., I will have my next appointment with a new one...I went today to have my blood drawn at the hospital (only 20 minutes wait!) and then to have my appointment with my Dr. scheduled. The nurse said he was completely booked till the end of February and offered me the possibility of having an appointment with a new Dr. by the end of Jan. I agreed...I hope I like him....and if I am undetectable I will try to convince him to have my follow ups every 4 or 6 months...

[poet]

Good luck with your new doctor.  I made the mistake myself today of looking at the list of hiv providers via NYU versus the 1 choice here on the Cape.   I am with you on spreading out the time between appointments, having shocked some of the practice associates when they saw the 4 months allowed.  Best, Win

[Ihavehope]

Srry to hear that. Maybe the new one is better.

[blondbeauty]

I can still go back to the old Dr. anytime. I had a nightmare (as always before a blood draw): I had a new Dr. that took me off treatment because he thought I started meds too early...
This is something I would not be able to handle. I sometimes think of when is my Dr. going to retire and what am I going to do...
At the beginning I didn't like him at all and now I feel quite the opposite. I have realized I trust him completely. On my last visit (when my viral load dropped from 80.200 copies to 1.160) he saw me in the corridor in front of the waiting room, recognized me ( he has thousands of patients) and told me the good news (he had my numbers in his head!), before my turn, to make me feel better while I waited. I think that really touched me.

[Robert]

If you're comfortable with your numbers and you like your Dr, then why not just wait until the end of Feb?  I had to do that last month.  I had my blood drawn middle of NOv for my appointment 2 weeks later.  Something came up and I had to reschedule.  The first appointment available for my Dr was not until after Christmas.  No problem.  I waited. I already knew my blood results (she mailed them to me) and when we saw each other after Christmas, our meeting was nice and cordial and non-eventful.

robert

[blondbeauty]

Good advise Robert, but it is a huge public hospital in which I nothing more than a file number. The only way to get the results is going to an appointment. They donīt mail results and they donīt send e-mails or make phone calls. Your files are only in the office the day of your appointment. After the appointment they send them back to a store room somewhere else so they are not available.
But yes! I could have waited. Maybe next time...
It is not a real problem. I was just sharing my thoughts...

[bravebuddharich]

Good luck with your new doctor! 4 to 6 months between visits? I'm panicking because my doctor told me I should make my appt. for 3 months' time - of course I'm head over heels deeply in love with my doctor and I am used to seeing him at least once a month, usually twice, but...

I have a strange question, strange because I've been poz for 20 or 21 years, yet I am ignorant: what are those percentages after cd4 counts? My last cd4 count was 500, with my viral load undetectable - what would a percentage afterwards indicate? The increase in the count? (it had been 53 in mid-January of last year). Why don't I know anything about this? (feeling ignorant!)

Rich from Boston

[blondbeauty]

Rich,
You can find that in the lessons section but it is something very easy to explain. The t4 cells or cd4 are a subkind of lymphocytes.
When my Dr. does the paper work for the lab he writes:"lymphocytes subpopulations"
The lab then measures the amount of every different class of lymphocytes from the total count of lymphocytes.
If the total count of lymphocytes is 2.000 and the 25% of them are cd4, then your total count of cd4 is 500.
In my case they print the percentage before the total count. Like this: cd4: 25%=503
The percentage seems to be a more reliable way of assessing how is you immune system doing because it fluctuates much less than the total count.

[Blixer]

Good luck with the new doctor. I understand wanting to get the results.  Once you get to undetectable it is a great feeling.  You should be there this time.  It is amazing what the meds do to the virus.  It does sound like you had a great doctor in the old one too.  I'm lucky in that with the trials unit they call or email me as soon as the results come in.  I like that!  And I think there will always be a bit of wondering when you go for the blood draw.  I can understand your nightmare too.  Best of luck and keep us posted as I'm sure you will.