Anyone else stop going to the doctor?

I haven't seen a doctor since about 3 months after my surgery.  I'm coming up on my 1 year in a few weeks now.  I stopped having health insurance when my wife and I moved down here to FL in August since I was covered under her plan.  My job I have now I'm still a contractor, was supposed to be hired on a few months ago but the paperwork is going slow.  When I do get hired on I will have insurance again.  But to be honest, why should I see a surgeon or a doctor to check on me.  Why should I pay someone to tell me to keep up the good work.  I'm almost at goal.  I take my daily multivitamins, watch what I eat, exercise daily etc.  So why would I need to see a doctor? 

Short version....yes you'll have to pay out of pocket with new doctor.  Have not had insurance myself in over a year when all my Cobra time expired and seeing those mofos is not comped. 

Need to establish a relationship with at least a PCP to check BP and all that crap.  As to the blood work a full vitamin panel is outrageously expensive.  My first visit with my former PCP when I moved back to TX we did a "short version" with the D, B, Iron and I can't remember what all but instead of a private lab went through the county health department for about 1/10 the cost!  The expense can be curbed somewhat.  Those were my first labs in over a year.  Will take the print out when I go see my gastric in April. 

Besides that wouldn't you rather have a little bit of a relationship with a new doctor before you need him to slice you open for a bowel obstruction?   Noticed you've lost right 200 pounds - OUTFRIGGINGSTANDING!

 Not sure how I would get a bowel obstruction, if I am feeling constipated then I just have some sugar, cleans me out right quick.

Maybe once I get insurance again I will get a Primary, not until then though.

Listen, I've been on OH for years, and what I've seen is this, everyone's body reacts differently to supplimenets. I've seen people that were "religious" in taking their vits, who didn't get regular blood work (and some that did) develop neuropathy from a lack of B, one lady's organs started to shut down because she was low on B1; I've seen others develop anemia, low blood calcium, etc etc etc. The problem with malabsorbtion is that it can cause malnutrition (doesn't have to, but it can); and the problem with malnutrition or being low on a certain vit. is that you won't know until you have MAJOR problems.

My advice is to get some blood work as soon as you are able to do it. Routine labs for the RNY cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars (depending on where it's done)

Like Scott, the first thing I thought of was blood work.  I get the money and insurance thing but I would highly recommend doing that, if nothing else.

 Understandable about the blood work.  Again once I get insurance sure, but not until then.  I can't afford it out of pocket at the moment.

I went for 3 month and 6 month check ups. I was supposed to go at 1 year, but everything was so problem free that I skipped it. One of the factors was that I live 350 miles from where I had the surgery, so it was $100 in gas and a hard day's driving just to spend 10 minutes talking to the surgeons #1 assistant. Wasn't worth it.

your surgeon can call in your blood work and discuss it over the phone.

Scott

 I can understand that.  That is one of the other factors.  I had my surgery done like 2000 miles away in Wisconsin.  I'm not going to fly up there just for a checkup.

As soon as you can afford the blood work get it done, and make sure you have it done at least once a year.  There are to many things that can go wrong, and you didn't go through this to end up haveing critical problems down the road because of a malabsobtion problem that can be cought by blood work and liver function tests.

Good luck