I guess that it depends on why we see doctors. It can become a habit. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering why I was in the office - it's important for me, because I can't depend on my memory, that I write in my phone notes what I want to talk about. I imagine that doctors are busy enough that they don't have time to have frivolous appointments with patients.

If anything, we might choose to have any follow up visit scheduled further out, or have a Telehealth visit. I like it when I can stay home and talk with one of my doctors virtually. It saves time and fuel, and if there's not a compelling reason for driving to an in person visit, I've found phone visits can accomplish just as much. Covid changed a lot of things, some things better than others, for sure, right?

Doctors are gifts to us.

Jim

I can't think of a better way to manage one's aging than the way you have done it to date, and that includes accepting new conditions and events and dealing with them constructively...like seeking medical advice or intervention when you have no better solutions.

As the late Jim Morrison famously said, 'Nobody gets out of here alive.' We're all going to have a tail-end journey, some at 45, some at 65, and some like my dad wondering when it's all going to end at 94. What that tail-end experience deroules (as the French say, unfolds or rolls to) is largely up to fate, the good will of others, and one's motivation to stay on top.

Personally I'd tend towards a more middle path. You can use a PCP or even a good nurse practitioner to help you oversee all the appointments. Which ones are truly useful? Can you trim some down? Maybe evaluate all of it and prioritize. I always tell doctors I'm a minimalist--less is more. This has helped. Even my dentist was happy to tell me what she thought was necessary and what could be optional. Do you have a friend or family member who could be a buddy in this?