question about looking for a new doctor

[ravena_kade]

Back in June I had a Deep. I have since found that my Doctor has left the country. No one from the medical center has gotten back to me about follow ups to see if the procedure did what it was supposed to do. I don't know what my next step is. I assume a PAP is needed but my insurance usually only pays for 1 PAP a year and it must be after the

Comments

[archangelbeth]

If the doctors that are accepting patients are in a general practice, then they should be capable of at least semi-routine care of vaginas, menopausal or not, and be able to refer you to specialists (which can usually make insurance cough up something, or at least put it on the deductible). I'd at least start calling them up and saying that you need to know if your LEEP worked, but your doctor has gone AWOL.

I'd say, try to get a new doctor, and then have them request your medical records. If they can't get the medical center to cough up your records, you tromp down there personally and say, "I have changed doctors. Give me my medical records." They may try to charge you for photocopying them; I do not know for sure, but you may be able to say, "NOPE! I want the originals! You copy them for your files if you want, but no one's gotten back to me after my LEEP and no one sent the files to my new doctor, so I'm gonna sneakernet the originals over. No copying needed!"

At the least, if you can manage to plant yourself in the waiting room, and be polite and rooted to the ground, they may give you your records just to get rid of you. (Like, are they gonna call the cops? Okay, if the cops are total jerks and you might be in danger, that could be a problem, but if you have the privilege or can bring a friend to explain that you're just waiting for your medical records, which you have a legal right to, and you are not doing anything but waiting for them... IF the cops showed in the first place, they would probably be going, "...medical staff, why are you not giving this person the medical documents that they have a legal right to have?")

If you can't find any other doctors, you might have to try a Planned Parenthood; if you explain the situation, they should be able to provide some advice, though their ability to give discounts will depend on how well-funded the local PPs are. (They might also be able to help suggest ways to get your records, so you can get to a better practice than that one.)

Good luck!