I think most people know that when they schedule a doctor’s appointment that there is a good chance it will run late. I do try to book the first appointment of the day or the first appointment after lunch since that is usually the best chance for things to be on time. But with my work schedule now, I can’t really do that as much. So I have been booking them toward the end of the day to limit how much work I have to miss.
This time, it was for another follow-up with my dermatologist. I have had these on a pretty frequent basis this year, and it’s mainly to monitor progress with a few different issues. I have something on my foot that my doctor tried to freeze off and we are seeing how to get my autoimmune condition to be in remission or to just be less severe. For my foot, it’s a simple check-up with seeing if I need another treatment. With my autoimmune condition, it’s a bit more complicated. I’ve tried a few different medications this year, and the first choice one is something you can’t take forever. So I knew going into this appointment that I was going to have to stop that medication. And because I was doing follow-ups on two things and was going to discuss a medication plan going forward, I assumed this would be a longer appointment.
But I was so wrong. I arrived 15 minutes before my appointment to check in, and I was taken back within minutes of arriving! And I didn’t even have much of a chance to put things down before the doctor came in! Normally, I have to change into a gown, but this time I didn’t which was fine since there would have been no time to do that anyway.
And even though we were doing two different follow-ups, it was actually very simple. For my foot, it was an easy decision to do another treatment. And that only takes about a minute or two. And for my autoimmune condition, since I already knew that we were ending one medication it was just a reminder that I should stop taking it now and only continue the other medication I’ve been taking for it. He did check my skin and agreed that things were looking better, so there was no need to discuss much more than that. Over the past few appointments, we have discussed surgical options (which is still something I am considering) and what medications or other methods to try to get me into remission. But this time, the plan is simple. I’m going to stay on the one medication I’m taking for my autoimmune condition and we are going to see how it goes.
And because I have to be back for another follow-up in 6 weeks for my foot, we can reevaluate things then and if I seem to be getting worse I can figure out a new plan with my doctor. I am hopeful that I won’t get worse because the medication I’m on now was only something I started at my last appointment and I’ve had significant improvement since starting it. So I think it’s from this medication and not the one I’ve been taking for a while.
Even without having much of a game plan going forward or any changes right now, I’m happy with these next steps because I want to see what happens. I don’t love being on a ton of medications and removing one from my day is a good thing. And maybe I won’t need to add something else back in.
This was a pretty easy follow-up with minimal stuff needed. The longest part was the treatment on my foot, but fortunately, I’m used to them so I can tolerate the pain and not need breaks. And before I knew it, I was ready to leave my appointment and by some miracle, I made it home in time to work a little extra time so I didn’t miss out on any pay that day! I think that makes this appointment a total win for me!
You Might Also Like
My First Doctor Appointment In A While (or Not Everything Can Be Done Over The Phone)
Going In For A Doctor Appointment (or Making A Plan With My Dermatologist)
A Dermatologist Follow-Up (or I’m Not Always The Best Judge Of Progress)
A Super Fast Therapy Appointment (or Having Therapy On An Insanely Stressful Day)
And Another Dermatologist Check-In (or Having Changes Be Routine)
Back To Back Doctor Days (or At Least This Was A Virtual Appointment)
