When you go to the doctor do you..

[sunlver]

When you go to the dr, do u have to bring somebody with you? I dont mean, bringing your kids. I mean, do you feel the need to always have another adult with you?
I have heard/read that sometimes its a good idea, expecially if you get bad news to have another set of ears in the room.

I guess I am not talking about situations when somebody has cancer or some other critical condition, but just ordinary illness...(or things like cholesteral, high bloodpressure, throid issues..etc..those sort of things)

I know several people who have to have somebody with them, its as if they cant go without another adult

I prefer NOT to have anybody with me, I dont need anybody else knowing my business...If I choose to tell somebody about my drs visit, then I do. If I were to get bad news, then I want to process it first, then tell others.

So in general, are you the sort of person who needs somebody else there, or can you handle drs visits by yourself???

 

[bigbabyblues]

I can handle them by myself. However, DH usually goes with me and stays in the waiting room. We go to doctors that are an hour or so away, and that is also where the closest mall and decent restaurants are, so we make a day of it.

The only time he went in the room with me was when I was pregnant; he never missed any of those visits. He also went back when I was going for a miscarriage, but I wanted him to then.

 

[7165red]

For a general visit I go myself. Several yrs. ago I had a back problem and needed surgery. I always had my husband sit in on the visit so that if I missed anything I could check with my husband. You would be surprised when the condition is serious how much you don't hear your Dr. saying. I would recommend a family to be with you. I always made a list of everything I wanted to ask the Dr. because my mind would go to mush while sitting there. Many times after a visit I would ask my husband "what did he say". When I go for my yearly check up I go alone. I hope you are never in the need to have to have someone be with you. If seriously ill you do need a advocate.

 

[sunlver]

I can handle them by myself. However, DH usually goes with me and stays in the waiting room. We go to doctors that are an hour or so away, and that is also where the closest mall and decent restaurants are, so we make a day of it.

The only time he went in the room with me was when I was pregnant; he never missed any of those visits. He also went back when I was going for a miscarriage, but I wanted him to then.

Yes, I would agree with the pregnant visits and miscarriage visits. I have 3 kids, and have had 4 miscarriages. He went to as many visits with my healthy pregnancies as he could..with the miscarriages, he came with to each and every one..I was such a crying , depressive mess, I wasnt even in a condition to drive to those visits.

 

[sunlver]

For a general visit I go myself. Several yrs. ago I had a back problem and needed surgery. I always had my husband sit in on the visit so that if I missed anything I could check with my husband. You would be surprised when the condition is serious how much you don't hear your Dr. saying. I would recommend a family to be with you. I always made a list of everything I wanted to ask the Dr. because my mind would go to mush while sitting there. Many times after a visit I would ask my husband "what did he say". When I go for my yearly check up I go alone. I hope you are never in the need to have to have someone be with you. If seriously ill you do need a advocate.

Like I said in the orginal posts, if it is something serious, I would want another adult with me because my mind tends to wander when I hear bad news.
I guess I am thinking about this question because I need to go for an endoscopy in June, and I will need to have him there as I wont be able to drive afterwards. I was thinking when I first went to gastro doctor I went alone and it was no big deal. Then I read the list of things to do before and day of procedure and one said to make sure you have somebody there to drive you home

 

[Liberty Belle]

No. I go by myself. The only time someone has gone with me is when I couldn't drive home because of sedation and when I had herniated discs and couldn't drive. Oh, and DH went with me to our two ultrasounds, but didn't go when I was having a miscarriage (and he really should have).

 

[MushyMushy]

Nobody ever goes to the doctor with me, but it seems like everybody always wants me to go with them! I don't mind it. My 19 year old even has me go with him. Our doctor is a true family doctor, an osteopath, and he believes in treating the whole family as a unit.

 

[NotUrsula]

Office visit, no not at all, except for pregnancy ultrasounds, when DH wanted to be there.

Hospitals? Oh, yes. My family has a rule that no one is ever left alone in a hospital when they are sedated.

 

[mjkacmom]

I always go alone. I even went alone to a thoracic surgeon after a bad lung xray. I really thought it was going to be okay, and was shocked when he brought in a whole group of med students, and ordered an open lung biopsy. I could've used someone there for the 40 minute drive home!

 

[disney1990]

For anything routine, I never bring anybody with me. This year I had tests to rule out thyroid cancer (not cancerous, but had to have 1/2 removed) and then an pelvic ultrasound because I was having some serious issues (which turned out to be gall bladder). When I went for the results of these tests, my DH went with me. They say after you hear bad news, you miss about 50% of what is said -- I didn't want to take that chance.

 

[*JoGo*]

Regular appts, like prescription refill appts, I go alone. For awhile, when trying to regulate my thyroid, and when on Accutane, I was going to the dr atleast once a month for bloodwork. It would've been impossible to make an appt around my work schedule and someone else's.

Now, with my ankle, I can't drive. So my mom has been going with me to the orthopedic's every Friday. She's asked if she can go back in the room with me and I don't care, so she does. I'm 27, but the dr and nurses talk to my mom like I'm a teenager... at times talking to her rather than me, lol. I don't know if they forget how old I am, or think that she's back there to be another set of ears? I don't really care, just find it amusing.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I've never understood people who want someone else there for routine office visits but I'm fiercely independent.

DH has gone with me to my surgeon pre-op appt so he would know what to expect after the surgery and to ask any questions he had. I would bring him if I was expecting test results that might be difficult...

 

[FireDancer]

I go by myself. I go rarely and mostly for a physical here or there. The only non-routine time I ever went was to have a lump looked at and ultrasounded but I went alone then too.

 

[Cat0727]

Yes. I am a nervous wreck at the doctor and having someone with me is comforting.

 

[heatherwillmom]

I am a Primary Care Provider. For routine check-ups & medication refill visits, I prefer for an adult to come alone. The majority of times if a friend or family member comes with a patient, they do all of the talking. They either say that what the patient is telling me isn't true or they want to tell me about their problems. If there is a serious problem, it helps to have family with them. I think if you go with another adult, you should be there for support only & try to let the patient actually be the patient.

 

[binny]

depends on what Im going for. If I think its something serious I will ask DH to come along to help me sort it out or to remind me to ask questions. He also may have seen something about whatever it is Im worried about and have a different perspective on it.

So generally no, Im a big girl and can handle my own Drs appts. But there are times when I would like DH there.

 

[Piglet4Ever]

For regular appointments I go in by myself, but if it a special situation, like my kidney stone problem last yr or when I have had surgeries, I like Dh to come with me for a second pair of ears, cause I tend to freak out in those situations .

 

[Planogirl]

I almost always go alone and I really prefer to. I don't have a problem with freaking out though, not when it's about me. Now I do if it's about someone else though.

 

[dislaney]

For routine stuff I always go alone. For something serious I have brought someone else along.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

once in a while DH will drive me to the doctor's office if he doesn't have to work, but he always waits in the waiting room, he never comes in with me. i've asked him a few times if he wanted to actually come in the ROOM with me, but he just says "no it's ok i'll just wait here"

i wouldn't mind either way, for most doctor appointments. i think the only one i'd probably have an issue with is the gyno, that's kind of a "personal" appointment lol