Ped. Well Visit Q?

[WeLoveLilo05]

If your child is not scheduled to have any vaccines do you do your regular yearly ped well visit? If you don't does your ped. hunt you down?

 

[Mermaid02]

If your child is not scheduled to have any vaccines do you do your regular yearly ped well visit? If you don't does your ped. hunt you down?

I always keep yearly visits- good idea to just keep an eye on things. If you miss 3 yearly visits in a row our docs can discharge you- they feel well visits are VERY important.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

If your child is not scheduled to have any vaccines do you do your regular yearly ped well visit? If you don't does your ped. hunt you down?

I did for my girls when they were younger because they had health issues and they were covered by insurance. If they had not been covered, not sure if I would have.

Anyway they are older and basically only get a physical if necessary.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I absolutely take them. Its important just to get things checked out IMOP.

We just got a letter from our insurance that there will now be no co-pays for well visits for the kids or DH and myself.

 

[fairestoneofall]

i still take mine (ages 9 and 6). but my Ped doesn't hunt me down if we're late. this year, we were a few months late because there was just too much going on when they should've gone.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

We do vaccines a little differently, so my kids have never had a well visit where they did not get shots. My oldest is only 3, though.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

No and No.

What's to say you didn't seek out a new physician in the interm?

My kids don't go to the doctor unless they are sick.

 

[Mermaid02]

No and No.

What's to say you didn't seek out a new physician in the interm?

My kids don't go to the doctor unless they are sick.

Usually they would know that because you would call to have your child's records transferred.

 

[minkydog]

My kids are older, 17 & 15, so I don't have to take them quite as often now. But I still get them in there for well-checks at least every 2 years. Lucky for us, my kids are very healthy. They almost never get sick anymore (well, I say that... DD17 has white spots on her tonsils today and will be seeing the doctor this afternoon.) The kids are just grateful to be up-to-date on their immunizations--no more shots until 21

 

[Diegosmom]

We always go when we are "suppose" to. But I like to have a good relationship with the Ped. This way if an emergency happens they always swease me in, or most times will give me a call in RX without coming in (when we know for sure what it is). So going once a year when I have scheduled in advance saves me from having to re-arrange to get a sick kid into the doctor. And we had some blood issues when DS was first born (never figured out what was wrong but they "fixed" themself) so I like to get blood work done once a year too...just to be safe.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I asked b/c DD was having issues this past summer. I told the story many times here on the DIS so if you heard it I'm sorry lol.

DD has always had issues with constipation our ped recommended seeing a GI so we did. In those 2 months she was on miralax and changed her diet and everything seemed fine so he weened her off of it (as per his instructions).

The next 6 months maybe it started again so back on miralax we went. When things seemed normal we weened her off again. In May (right before memorial day) DD went to school for her screening, it was her first time in a school setting. She seemed to enjoy it. We made a big deal about it, took her out to lunch after, praised her etc. About 2 weeks later she stopped eating, drinking and then (b/c shes not eating or drinking) no poop. But she DID poop prior to not eating or drinking. For whatever reason she stopped. I called peds office and got (from nurse or receptionist) "its probably viral and there's nothing we could do for that, just make sure she drinks". I knew it wasn't viral, Next day, no progress. I call again with concern, got the same thing with "if your that concerned you could take her to the hospital" so we did since they really didn't care to see us. She was moderately dehydrated and had to be put on IV fluids for 24 hours. They gave her enema and she went to the bathroom but not all that much. I had a team of doctors asking me a million questions about our home life as they were all baffled b/c her urine came back OK and her blood test came back OK too. Also had x-ray of her brain and stomach. Her brain, all was ok (thank God) and her stomach showed gas. She lost some weight b/c of not eating and drinking. Left the hospital and made an appointment with another GI. Also had tests done for celiac's disease and cystic fibrosis in the following weeks, all neg.

She was doing ok with the new GI doc (met with him many times over the summer to see her progress) until the end of Aug, right before our Disney trip she was burping uncontrollably! Took her to GI and he gave her prevacid and said she was good to go to Disney. While at Disney things got worse, took her an hour to eat nuggets, wasn't eating much of anything but mickey bars and then she started doing a twitching thing as she ate but ONLY as she ate. When we got back from Disney she got sick so that Mon. we were @ ped office and she was put on antibiotics for bronchitis and we were told to see GI about her burping and twitching. Our ped wasn't concerned about the twitching b/c he said kids sometimes develop little nervous tic (eye blinking etc) but if it continued in a month he'd bring her back in. So on Wed we were @ GI he said she needed to see a neurologist over he tics. Friday we were @ a neurologist. She did initial testing and she said everything looked ok but wanted to do an MRI of the brain anyway and set it up for 3 weeks later.
That Tuesday (after all these doctor visits) DD started school for the 1st time. First 2 days were awful! She cried and kicked and screamed and I told the school what was going on with her, gave them the heads up with all the medical stuff, etc. By the end of the week she was off to school with no problems, eating well again and by the end of the next week the tics were completely gone. It was like I had my daughter back! Watched her closely and decided I didn't want the MRI done. I called and canceled the MRI, We were supposed to go for MRI on a Friday, the very next day(Sat) I got a letter in the mail from insurance company saying the MRI would not be done at X hospital but @ Y hospital. Well....great, when would I have known this if we followed through with the MRI, when we checked in? THEN later on the week the insurance co. totally denied coverage for the MRI stating "tics and not a sufficient reason to schedule an MRI". Just seemed like a lot going on.

So here we are in March. DD has seen Ped in mid Sept for a scheduled vaccination (not true well visit as we spread out the vaccines) that we decided to get a Titers for instead as she had a bad reaction to the 1st vaccine. She is eating well, pooping well, and we just saw GI doc in Feb who was happy with her progress. No facial tics, just back to normal. I called our ped. office about 2 weeks ago b/c DD needed an epipen refill as hers was about to expire, they refilled it and the office said she needed a well visit and I said I'd schedule it next month before I could even finish my sentence the lady hung up on me

I came home last night and there was a message on my machine to call the office back I assume its about the well visit. I am just so tired of seeing DRs and it bothers me that they didn't care to see her when they thought it was "viral" in the summer but now they are looking for us.

 

[golfgal]

Once our kids were past the vaccine stage they didn't go in for an annual physical. They were at the dr maybe once/year for an illness and that was enough for a normally healthy child. They had required physicals for entering middle school and then every 3 years after that for sports. They will get one when they go off to college again.

They do have annual visits to their allergy dr.

 

[mom2grace]

We go, mine are almost 10 & 7. I go mostly for the urine dip, it makes me feel better that we are checking up on everything. Also, I can ALWAYS get in the day that I call, I don't know if our regular participation in well-checks give us priority or not. I've never thought about it until this thread.

When DD was born (until 2), our insurance did not cover immunizations so we did those at the health department with our ped's blessing. Now, the well-checks and all immunizations, urine dip, etc are covered 100% by our insurance.

 

[mom2grace]

Also, ours require a well-check/physical in the past 12 months to fill out forms for sports, camp, etc.

 

[ccgirl]

If your child is not scheduled to have any vaccines do you do your regular yearly ped well visit? If you don't does your ped. hunt you down?

Doesn't hunt me down but sends a reminder postcard and phone call. Most schools require a yearly visit on file anyway.

 

[dis-happy]

I've delayed my youngest ds' well visit for about 6 months now (planned it that way due to other dr. visits---a little like the OP's scenario, in contact with a GI and other tests being done as well). Last week the ped's office called with a reminder for his well check. No big deal. I had been planning to make it anyway so I called and made it. However, I love my ped and the office and can get in anytime I want/need.

If I had been in your shoes last summer I would stated my desire to make an appt. and not been put off. The receptionist can't dx a child over the phone and even if the nurse had said "there's a virus going around why don't you wait?" I would have said I feel better to have her seen, let's go ahead make an appt., thank you. If that's not possible (barring a major epidemic outbreak that has the office overrun) I'd be finding another ped.

Also, the GI isn't charting and watching your child the same way a ped is. It's beneficial to keep your regular well visits as well, vaccines needed or not. Also, I have labs that my child has done cc'd to the ped as well as the specialist---that way my ped is seeing the BIG picture of all that is going on with the specialists, and I find that helpful as well. Again, I love my ped though.

The MRI issue: I'd be back in contact with the neurologist to find out whether they still want it done or not. They can contact the insurance company to push it through if necessary.

 

[beattyfamily]

I still schedule annual check ups for me and my kids whether they are due for shots or not. If it's covered, I figure, why not?

I like being able to tell her about their year and any issues and her telling me how they're doing. Sometimes she catches things that I would't even notice or consider.

OP, sorry to hear about all the issues your daughter's had.

 

[DopeyDame]

If I had been in your shoes last summer I would stated my desire to make an appt. and not been put off. The receptionist can't dx a child over the phone and even if the nurse had said "there's a virus going around why don't you wait?" I would have said I feel better to have her seen, let's go ahead make an appt., thank you. If that's not possible (barring a major epidemic outbreak that has the office overrun) I'd be finding another ped.

QUOTE]

There's no reason the receptionist should be telling you not to bring a kid in. Always trust your mommy gut - if you're overreacting, that's OK - there's no harm in getting a kid checked out if you're concerned. I'd definitely be changing peds at this point.

 

[JVL1018]

My kids are 9 and 11 and have never missed a well visit.
Alos, they were both born in the fall, so when we go in the fall for their well visits, it's timed perfectly for their yearly flu shot.
But even if they didn't get that, I would still take them in each year.

 

[kirstenb1]

I always have them go in for annuals. Just peace of mind to have them checked out. Also, I never know if our kids are going to want to do a summer camp or program, and they require them. You get charged if you want a copy of their physical later on after the appt.