Competing Doc Appointments. What to do?

August 31, 2022 10:12 AM

Hope me navigate whether to keep two possibly conflicting (in a med specialist sense) doctor appointments.

This a follow-up to my previous Ask about nerve pain. As always, YANAD, YANMD.

So, eventually, the pine doc called to set-up an appointment. The soonest they could get me in is the end of September. Ah, US healthcare.

I had niggling issues with jumping straight to a spine doc, so, while waiting for the spine doc to call, I took it upon myself to get a referral (from my PCP) to a neurology group, especially given that so many people have been mentioning restless leg syndrome.

Now, things get complicated...

Immediately (of course) following setting the spine doc appointment, the neurology doc’s office called to set an appointment. The soonest they could see me was a virtual appointment the first week of October, almost exactly a week after the spine doc’s appointment.

So now, I have a conundrum...Keep both appointments? Cancel one or the other? I’m half tempted to keep both, just to (maybe) have different opinions. The complicating issue might be that both docs might want to run similar/same tests, and my insurer might not be cool with shelling-out for a particular test twice. I dunno if that’s what would happen, it’s just what my lifetime-in-us-healthcare head thinks. FWIW, the two docs are not in the same medical network.

A wildcard issue is that I’ve developed a lower-back issue on the same side as the affected foot. I have a history of back surgery, so I’m pretty familiar with back pain. It isn’t sciatic nerve pain. This is a new thing. The tingling in my foot started over a year ago, so I kind of doubt they’re related. That said, the back issue is eerily familiar in a bad way that makes the spine doc appointment more appealing.

As you can see, this is quite the conundrum. I am kind of leaning toward keeping both appointments and maybe redirecting the spine doc’s focus to the back thing, and using the neurologist for the foot pain. Does this sound reasonable?

Note: Thanks to shoulder surgery earlier in the year, my deductible is met, so none of this is on my dime. This will all be covered by my insurance.

posted by Thorzdad to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

Best answer: Keep both and have both doctors investigate all issues. If you are paying nothing you don't have to pay US healthcare roulette, use every resource you can to get answers.
posted by jessica fletcher did it at 10:27 AM on August 31, 2022 [14 favorites]

Best answer: Keep both. Don't censor yourself with either - lay out the entire problem so they have the full picture. If they both want the same test you only need to do it once and have the results shared (which is increasingly easy these days as so many records are handled digitally).
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:35 AM on August 31, 2022 [7 favorites]

Best answer: Unless you're paying out of pocket for these appointments, I would keep both. Especially if, as it seems, both practices are so busy it's tough to get a timely appointment.

You can always have the test results sent to both doctors. Since I have so many comorbidities I end up doing that all the time.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:38 AM on August 31, 2022 [6 favorites]

Best answer: Half-tempted? Be full tempted. Keep both. It will cost you nothing but time. Maybe you will get answers. No downside.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:49 AM on August 31, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Agree that you should keep both, especially since if the first doc miraculously cures you (one can dream, right?), you would still have a week to cancel the second appointment.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 10:54 AM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: 100% keep both and be completely open about what other avenues you’re exploring at each appointment. If either of the docs order testing or you get testing done in their office, you will be able to get a copy of any results or reports from the testing to share with the other doctor- you will likely be best served if you request the copies yourself and share them yourself, vs. assuming that the offices will handle it. If either doctor gets weird about your pursuing two different specialists at the same time, that’s on them (and probably a bit of a red flag imo).
posted by MadamM at 10:55 AM on August 31, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: If these are two separate practices, be aware they might have different preferences on labs and imaging to the point that they might request repeat studies -- and maybe rightfully so, repeat scans can show new findings and different staff may position differently and equipment can vary in quality. Since these appointments are only a week apart, consider deferring any lab/imaging studies until you can reconcile orders and lab preferences. And then have both practices review results and next steps as a second opinion to each other.
posted by beaning at 10:59 AM on August 31, 2022

Response by poster: Wow. Thank you all! Keep both it is!
posted by Thorzdad at 1:27 PM on August 31, 2022

Yeah, neurologist here. Keep both, but push the neurologist office for an in-person appointment. Sensory changes require an actual, accurate neurological exam.
posted by basalganglia at 2:08 PM on August 31, 2022 [5 favorites]

Response by poster: Keep both, but push the neurologist office for an in-person appointment. Sensory changes require an actual, accurate neurological exam.

The choice I had with the neurologist was the virtual appointment on Oct. 4, or in-person in early November. That was the soonest in-person date with any of the dozen or so docs in the practice. I’m on the “cancelation” list, just in case, but I imagine so are several others.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:42 AM on September 1, 2022