The definition of elective procedures is not black and white. Just because something can be done today, tomorrow or next week doesn’t mean it isn’t urgent and indefinitely deferrable.
Over the last couple of weeks, Dad has had a sedated bladder biopsy, and an overnight sleep study after an at-home qualitative study showed severe sleep apnea. And Charles has had a paracentesis and sedated EGD. Both sedated procedures had to go through a review at the surgery center to get approved, and presumably the paracentesis procedures were given a blanket exemption.
Unfortunately (but not the worst news), the biopsy showed a high grade non-invasive epithelial cancer in his bladder. Dad is scheduled for weekly instillations of BCG (really interesting treatment, actually) for six weeks starting late next month (they want the biopsy sites to heal first). But those are quick appointments in the doctor’s office.
On the other hand, Dad has been accepted by the neurosurgeon for further evaluation of his normal pressure hydrocephalus. While the neurosurgeon wants him to have the outpatient diagnostic spinal tap (a single outpatient large volume spinal tap, not the 3-day slow draining which requires hospitalization, because of COVID), if that demonstrates that he is a candidate for the ventriculoperitoneal shunt, he will have to wait to schedule that procedure (1-2 nights in the hospital).
We each have a paper mask (with cloth ones on the way courtesy of
Sheanie!), and I understand that each visit is a risk, but some of these just can’t be delayed. If the shunt works, Dad’s gait is likely to improve significantly, making him more mobile and less likely to fall and break a hip, to say nothing of slowing/halting/reversing his dementia.
I’m also very glad that where possible, doctors are now using TeleHealth appointments. All therapist appointments have been by computer or phone. We got the biopsy results by Zoom. The consult with the neurosurgeon was by phone (he had the previous diagnostic results in front of him). I’m hoping that this experience will mean that TeleHealth becomes standard for doctors’ appointments which don’t require hands-on contact in the future. So much less time and stress (and exposure to sick people!) to not have to go to an in-person appointment, and wait and wait ... I really like them.
So this is all a convoluted way of saying I think you can justify getting the diagnostic procedures done locally as an outpatient, and they can be approved - and can be done at facilities which are less likely to be treating COVID patients (diagnostic radiology clinic vs. hospital CT scanning, for example). I would do those things, wearing a mask, and doing everything you can to distance and not touch anything.
If I had to travel for medical treatment at this time, I would do it in our RV, where I can control our environment as much as possible.
