When do you see your family practitioner?

[MCGrad2006]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Honestly I stopped going to my family doctor when I turned about 17/18. After I received my immunizations needed for college I used my pulmonologist for mostly everything. The only thing I would even consider using a family doctor for is broken bones or allergies. Anything else I go to my CF team. Heck, even for allergies I go to my CF team because its more than just simple allergies - it has nasal involvement which in-turn for me creates lung involvement. </end quote>
<br />
<br />Same thing for me. I never see my primar care doctor. My CF center is about an hour away but usually if I am sick I call and they just give me a prescription. I see them every three months, no matter what. I dont even usually need to actually see them when I am sick, since they know what I culture.
<br />
<br />Good luck getting things squared away! I am assuming this means everything worked out and you got the job? (I had not seen an update since you told about the interview). I am sure things will go smoothly and you will figure it all out! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Giggles]

I usually use my CF doc for everything that I can but it works for me cause I have known them FOREVER so I pretty much say here is what I need and they call it in. I do have a local doc for weird things that are not CF related who is super close to the home but I rarely see him maybe once a year. And then I do have seperate Gyno. But I do milk my CF doc for most everything cause it is just easier. But when I do leave his practice and go to another clinic I will get another general doc. I think it is good to have a general doc cause not all stuff is CF related etc.

Jennifer 38 with CF and CFRD

 

[Giggles]

I usually use my CF doc for everything that I can but it works for me cause I have known them FOREVER so I pretty much say here is what I need and they call it in. I do have a local doc for weird things that are not CF related who is super close to the home but I rarely see him maybe once a year. And then I do have seperate Gyno. But I do milk my CF doc for most everything cause it is just easier. But when I do leave his practice and go to another clinic I will get another general doc. I think it is good to have a general doc cause not all stuff is CF related etc.

Jennifer 38 with CF and CFRD

 

[Giggles]

I usually use my CF doc for everything that I can but it works for me cause I have known them FOREVER so I pretty much say here is what I need and they call it in. I do have a local doc for weird things that are not CF related who is super close to the home but I rarely see him maybe once a year. And then I do have seperate Gyno. But I do milk my CF doc for most everything cause it is just easier. But when I do leave his practice and go to another clinic I will get another general doc. I think it is good to have a general doc cause not all stuff is CF related etc.
<br />
<br />Jennifer 38 with CF and CFRD

 

[Lance2020x]

I've pretty much always considered ANY sickness (flu, cold, especially sinus infections and the like) to be CF related. My insurance always required me to have a Primary Care Physician, but I don't remember EVER even meeting them... Plus my insurance only covers CF specific medical treatments. It doesn't help that my CF Clinic is two hours away, but they are incredibly helpful and call in anything I need, and have always very highly trusted MY opinions of what my body needs, because I've always taken very good care of myself/been tuned into my body.

 

[Lance2020x]

I've pretty much always considered ANY sickness (flu, cold, especially sinus infections and the like) to be CF related. My insurance always required me to have a Primary Care Physician, but I don't remember EVER even meeting them... Plus my insurance only covers CF specific medical treatments. It doesn't help that my CF Clinic is two hours away, but they are incredibly helpful and call in anything I need, and have always very highly trusted MY opinions of what my body needs, because I've always taken very good care of myself/been tuned into my body.

 

[Lance2020x]

I've pretty much always considered ANY sickness (flu, cold, especially sinus infections and the like) to be CF related. My insurance always required me to have a Primary Care Physician, but I don't remember EVER even meeting them... Plus my insurance only covers CF specific medical treatments. It doesn't help that my CF Clinic is two hours away, but they are incredibly helpful and call in anything I need, and have always very highly trusted MY opinions of what my body needs, because I've always taken very good care of myself/been tuned into my body.

 

[Seana30]

Thank you all so much for the advice! We are going to set up her appointment with her primary care provider in order to get the referral we need to get her over to Dell Children's CF clinic. I am so excited that she will finally be getting the proper medical care she needs and deserves!!

Thank you again for all of the advice!!

Seana

 

[Seana30]

Thank you all so much for the advice! We are going to set up her appointment with her primary care provider in order to get the referral we need to get her over to Dell Children's CF clinic. I am so excited that she will finally be getting the proper medical care she needs and deserves!!

Thank you again for all of the advice!!

Seana

 

[Seana30]

Thank you all so much for the advice! We are going to set up her appointment with her primary care provider in order to get the referral we need to get her over to Dell Children's CF clinic. I am so excited that she will finally be getting the proper medical care she needs and deserves!!
<br />
<br />Thank you again for all of the advice!!
<br />
<br />Seana

 

[theLostMiler]

Thought I would chime in also. I grew up in a small town and had not a lot of cf involvement. I had an emergency guy there but a regular ped who must have known about Cf somewhat in a city 2.5 hours away until 14-ish. I started seeing an ped cf doctor then, who would fly in from the Bay area of CA once a month. I still had relatively mild CF symptoms and rarely saw her (not to her happiness either). Once I got to junior/senior year of high school I think quarterly appointments, unless I was feeling sicker. I never really got too sick back then. Then came college, and she suggested my first tune up in S.F so I went and started mingling w/ the adult cf center there, 4+ hours away. Eventually I switched to them, but since they are in a different state I needed a NV doctor. I wanted a regular pulmonolgist since there were no adult CF docs here and even that would get hairy. The pulmonolgist works with my S.F. docs so I only see them maybe 2 times a year unless getting hospitalized (I choose to be there, but also my local pulm doesnt have hospital privledges). I really love the relationship. My local pulm does a lot of primary care stuff which he has voiced is a bit hard haha, he wants me to see a referred primary care doctor for things like gyno stuff, vitamin levels, etc.. I have a hard time doing that, b/c to me, CF is related to EVERYTHING in my body...

My parents have a hard time w/ the money as far as paying for hospitals in CA so we did look at the center opening up where I live now (the college town 2.5 hours away from my original), I havent been pleased w/ them so all that is on the back burner for now, I feel like my case is so difficult and unique I am afraid to transfer.

Anyways the main point is. I see a pulmonologist who deals with like 3 cf'ers and is super knowledgeable but KNOWS to leave the major abx decisions to my CA team. He does my bone scans, vitamin levels, some sinus stuff, o2 stuff (b/c its more accurate than being at sea level) etc. I consider him part of my entire CF team b/c he relays everything back to CA and some opinons/ideas to them but doesnt actually think he should tell me what to do. Mind you, I keep in constant (every two weeks if not once a week) contact with the nurse/care coordinator for my CF team about mucus production, fevers (ongoing w/ me for the most part), weight etc... so I tell them when I want to come in to the hospital and/or do home IVs.

If you're lucky you do get to have that relationship with the doctors where you can describe things and they listen, you have a "plan" and if it doesnt work, most parties agree its time to head in for rest and treatments.

Sorry SO long, seriously, I tend to ramble, and I have a very hard time getting whats in my mind out on "paper" haha. Even at 22, I am not a good speaker or writer.

 

[theLostMiler]

Thought I would chime in also. I grew up in a small town and had not a lot of cf involvement. I had an emergency guy there but a regular ped who must have known about Cf somewhat in a city 2.5 hours away until 14-ish. I started seeing an ped cf doctor then, who would fly in from the Bay area of CA once a month. I still had relatively mild CF symptoms and rarely saw her (not to her happiness either). Once I got to junior/senior year of high school I think quarterly appointments, unless I was feeling sicker. I never really got too sick back then. Then came college, and she suggested my first tune up in S.F so I went and started mingling w/ the adult cf center there, 4+ hours away. Eventually I switched to them, but since they are in a different state I needed a NV doctor. I wanted a regular pulmonolgist since there were no adult CF docs here and even that would get hairy. The pulmonolgist works with my S.F. docs so I only see them maybe 2 times a year unless getting hospitalized (I choose to be there, but also my local pulm doesnt have hospital privledges). I really love the relationship. My local pulm does a lot of primary care stuff which he has voiced is a bit hard haha, he wants me to see a referred primary care doctor for things like gyno stuff, vitamin levels, etc.. I have a hard time doing that, b/c to me, CF is related to EVERYTHING in my body...

My parents have a hard time w/ the money as far as paying for hospitals in CA so we did look at the center opening up where I live now (the college town 2.5 hours away from my original), I havent been pleased w/ them so all that is on the back burner for now, I feel like my case is so difficult and unique I am afraid to transfer.

Anyways the main point is. I see a pulmonologist who deals with like 3 cf'ers and is super knowledgeable but KNOWS to leave the major abx decisions to my CA team. He does my bone scans, vitamin levels, some sinus stuff, o2 stuff (b/c its more accurate than being at sea level) etc. I consider him part of my entire CF team b/c he relays everything back to CA and some opinons/ideas to them but doesnt actually think he should tell me what to do. Mind you, I keep in constant (every two weeks if not once a week) contact with the nurse/care coordinator for my CF team about mucus production, fevers (ongoing w/ me for the most part), weight etc... so I tell them when I want to come in to the hospital and/or do home IVs.

If you're lucky you do get to have that relationship with the doctors where you can describe things and they listen, you have a "plan" and if it doesnt work, most parties agree its time to head in for rest and treatments.

Sorry SO long, seriously, I tend to ramble, and I have a very hard time getting whats in my mind out on "paper" haha. Even at 22, I am not a good speaker or writer.

 

[theLostMiler]

Thought I would chime in also. I grew up in a small town and had not a lot of cf involvement. I had an emergency guy there but a regular ped who must have known about Cf somewhat in a city 2.5 hours away until 14-ish. I started seeing an ped cf doctor then, who would fly in from the Bay area of CA once a month. I still had relatively mild CF symptoms and rarely saw her (not to her happiness either). Once I got to junior/senior year of high school I think quarterly appointments, unless I was feeling sicker. I never really got too sick back then. Then came college, and she suggested my first tune up in S.F so I went and started mingling w/ the adult cf center there, 4+ hours away. Eventually I switched to them, but since they are in a different state I needed a NV doctor. I wanted a regular pulmonolgist since there were no adult CF docs here and even that would get hairy. The pulmonolgist works with my S.F. docs so I only see them maybe 2 times a year unless getting hospitalized (I choose to be there, but also my local pulm doesnt have hospital privledges). I really love the relationship. My local pulm does a lot of primary care stuff which he has voiced is a bit hard haha, he wants me to see a referred primary care doctor for things like gyno stuff, vitamin levels, etc.. I have a hard time doing that, b/c to me, CF is related to EVERYTHING in my body...
<br />
<br />My parents have a hard time w/ the money as far as paying for hospitals in CA so we did look at the center opening up where I live now (the college town 2.5 hours away from my original), I havent been pleased w/ them so all that is on the back burner for now, I feel like my case is so difficult and unique I am afraid to transfer.
<br />
<br />Anyways the main point is. I see a pulmonologist who deals with like 3 cf'ers and is super knowledgeable but KNOWS to leave the major abx decisions to my CA team. He does my bone scans, vitamin levels, some sinus stuff, o2 stuff (b/c its more accurate than being at sea level) etc. I consider him part of my entire CF team b/c he relays everything back to CA and some opinons/ideas to them but doesnt actually think he should tell me what to do. Mind you, I keep in constant (every two weeks if not once a week) contact with the nurse/care coordinator for my CF team about mucus production, fevers (ongoing w/ me for the most part), weight etc... so I tell them when I want to come in to the hospital and/or do home IVs.
<br />
<br />If you're lucky you do get to have that relationship with the doctors where you can describe things and they listen, you have a "plan" and if it doesnt work, most parties agree its time to head in for rest and treatments.
<br />
<br />Sorry SO long, seriously, I tend to ramble, and I have a very hard time getting whats in my mind out on "paper" haha. Even at 22, I am not a good speaker or writer.