[Bay Area] Quickest specialist consultation for urgent health issue?

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Sep 30, 2021 8 Comments

We generally go to PAMF for specialist consultation. Typically it takes 2-4 months to wait for a consultation, which is okay for non-urgent issue. And then it takes 1-2 months waiting for procedural investigations, like an endoscopy. Why it’s so screwed up, as back in my country (not a developed one anyway) we could do it in a few weeks to 2 months max.

Currently I’m having some GI symptoms — it looks like complex issues including severe loss of appetite, difficulty in swallowing (can’t eat bread, cake etc. that get stuck), and other common symptoms like frequent acid reflux (GERD), abdominal fullness etc.

Please help suggest quickest way to consult with a GI specialist in Bay Area. AFAIK our current insurance is good with PAMF, Stanford, and El Camino system (excluding Kaiser I guess). Thanks for the help and suggestions!

#medical #health

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  • Uber
    Wmfj76

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    Wmfj76
    @OP, did you end up getting help?
    Apr 21 3
    • Uber
      Wmfj76

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      Wmfj76
      Did you get your upper endoscopy done?
      Apr 21
    • Google
      !blind!

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      OP
      Yes. One specialist did it last year. He took some biopsies. He suggested gastritis, as I feel stomach burn if not eating for a long break, for example. The other was acid reflux. Basically I was treated with first omeprazole 40 mg (prescription only) + 20 mg a day, and later 20 + 20. Then a few months I was feeling quite normal. Then started having it several weeks back, and started consulting with a new doctor who I reached 3-4 months before the consultation. Too horrific waiting!
      Apr 21
  • Cisco
    GtkT70

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    GtkT70
    Just keep looking up specialists and contacting them directly. Most top doctors will have long waits, but sometimes you get lucky. Set appointments for the future and ask to be put on their waitlists in case another patient cancels.
    Sep 30, 2021 1
    • Google
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      OP
      I’ve already scheduled one with PAMF. That doctor has pretty low rating, still ~2 months waiting. Was looking for alternative that could be quickest (okay to spend consulting out of network, BTW); then I’d cancel the current one.
      Sep 30, 2021
  • New
    rwVk57

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    rwVk57
    the hospitals are refusing consultation .. the most I could get was an appointment with a nurse after a month .. not sure if it’s covid or health care system is itself screwed up ..
    Sep 30, 2021 1