Advice? Can't Bring Myself To Go

I haven't went for a physical in about 12 years (Had a hospital stay about 4-5 years ago so prolly would have have found any problems then with the billions of different tests that went on...but no "routine annual physical" since about 2000)

I have SEVERE anxiety issues and one of the triggers is doctors. I finally made an appt cuz I wasn't feeling well but they basically checked my vitals and did bloodwork and the DR said I had to make a seperate appt for for a physical. So I did and the soonest they could get me one is April 25.

My anxiety has been really under control finally after many bad years, but now my stomach is in knots dreading this physical. And I have 4.5 weeks of this. I hafta cancel. Not cuz of the exam itself but the 4.5 weeks of anxiety over it.

How do I get a physical without 5 weeks of mental torment leading to it??? If I could just go get it overwith I'd go right now. I just can't endure the month of nervousness as much as the 20 minutes or so of the actual exam.

Is that normal to hafta make an appt 5 weeks in advance? Like I say I haven't scheduled one in over a decade and I figured they'd get me in with a few days...didn't expect over a month wait.

My PCP knows my history of mentall illness...if I explain this to him I wonder if he'd be able to refer me to someone else or a walkin place etc?

Any ideas how to get a routine physical without a month + long wait?

Try a walk in clinic. Walk in, fill out the papers and ask for a full exam on the spot.

Walk-in clinics generally don't do full physicals but you can certainly give it a shot. It is not the least bit uncommon to wait 5-6 weeks to see a doctor for the first time. When you say that your PCP is aware of your situation, do you mean the doctor that you're going to on the 26th or someone else? Perhaps you could call back and ask them to prescribe an anti-anxiety med for just long enough to get you through. Make sure that the staff know that you have issues with medical anxiety so that if your vital signs are off kilter they don't go nuts trying to track down a cause for accelerated HR or a high BP reading.

I had a day-long evaluation recently and when they checked my BP it was 130/85. I thought the nurse was going to have a cow until I said "white coat syndrome, let's check it again later". That seemed to make everyone happy.

I won't tell you not to be nervous, your reaction is not unusual. Good luck with your physical.

A few years back I signed up for HAP health insurance. I had to wait 5 months to see the PCP I was assigned to. After waiting 5 months, when I went for my appointment, this doctor, and I use the term loosely, didn't even touch me. All he did was sit in front of a computer, and asked me questions. The BP, temp, etc., was done by the nurse.

A few months later I developed a severe sinus infection. I was not about to wait 5 months to get it treated, so I went to an urgent care clinic near my home. I was called in, and the doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics, and then said he would like to do a head-to-toe exam, since it was my first time there. At first I was so shocked that I told him "maybe some other time". Then I realized that there was no reason to refuse. He ended up giving me a complete exam, including genital, and my first ever prostate exam.

I was so impressed with his thoroughness and true concern for his patients, I decided that, when I needed to see a doctor, he would be my man.

I have been going to him every 3 months (for high blood pressure prescription). I respect him more than I have ever respected any other doctor. Incidentally, I do NOT receive complete physicals every time I go there, but he still checks a lot of things most doctors don't, such as circulation, having me remove my shoes and socks and feeling the feet.

My co-pay is a little higher than if I would see my assigned PCP, but, trust me, it is well worth it to have a doctor who pays attention and listens to you.

Good luck, my friend. And I DO understand your fear. I, too, have the same fear. But usually, after the exam is over, I ask myself what there was to be afraid of.

Hi Ladydoc,

I'm not seeing this DR for the first time, he took over as my PCP about 9-10 years ago when my previous physician left to move out of town. Is 5-6 weeks as common if you're not a first time patient? I've never scheduled a physical but when I've scheduled appts just to get a referral etc, they usually have me in there within a couple days, which is why I didn't expect this.

Yea this is who I have the appt with on the 26th, so he is very much aware of my anxiety issues.

Regarding asking for an anxiety med, I'm actually already on a fairly massive cocktail of meds. I didn't go into great detail about how bad my anxiety is but but I have a severe panic disorder, GAD, and bipolar. I'm already on xanax, buspar, lamictal, cymbalta and propanelol.

In the past this DR is great about returning calls and giving advice, even prescriptions or referrals over the phone (IE Had a bad ingrown toenail and needed a podiatrist referral and he didn't make me come in, just told him the situation over the phone and he faxed me a referral) So I'm thinking if I call him and explain what I'm writing in this thread he might possibly try and fit me in? I don't know you well but I've gathered that you work in the medical feild...do you think that would be worth trying?

Kenny it's not so much the exam itself that I fear, it's the fear of the exam if that makes sense. If I could go right now and get it done I'd go immediately. What I can't deal with is being preoccuppied with this for another 4.5 weeks. I've made huge strides recently with the anxiety issues I talked about above. Confronted alot of fears successfully etc...so thought I'd confront this one *and* be doing something responsible for my physical well being at the same time. But since I made this appt I've been right back into anxiety hell over it. It's just not worth it.

There are companies that perform executive physicals and do not provide ongoing primary care. They have immediate access and, from what I understand from friends who have used them, do comprehensive exmas and basic screening blood and radiology testing. Personally, I think you are missing half the fun though. I too am tortured by the wait for the exam but find that the anticipation ultimately makes the experience much more memorable.

I understand your anxiety over waiting weeks. I can say that here in Maine the wait was quoted as five weeks to see an internal medicine doctor with a new, group practice; it was a few days to get in to a small urgent care, one doctor practice (no wait for anything other than a physical); immediate for the large urgent care facility with nationwide offices. Any of them offer full physicals. A final option might be a practice which handles workplace physicals.

Maybe someone needs to just decide for you when you will go!!