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ForumCaregiver Support: Sandwich Generationmy pediatrician hadn't seen me in …

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my pediatrician hadn't seen me in three years

#1 · May 20, 2026, 2:10 pm

Quote from HappierFit Editorial Team on May 20, 2026, 2:10 pm
— Elena Vasquez (sandwich-gen / MSW, contributor)

I had to take my son in last Friday for a sports physical. Standard appointment, in and out, you know the drill.

The receptionist pulled up our family file and said, kind of offhand, "oh and we haven't seen you since 2023, do you want to schedule something while you're here?"

I laughed. Because I thought she meant my daughter — my daughter goes to a different practice now, I'd switched her in 2024. So I started explaining this and she said, no, I mean you. We haven't seen YOU in three years.

I said something dumb like "well I'm not a pediatric patient" and she gave me a look. Because of course they have me in their family system as a parent contact, but no — I haven't been to my own primary care doctor in three years and four months. I know the exact number now because I went home and looked.

I'm an MSW. I worked in hospitals for nine years before I left to take care of my mother. I literally helped patients navigate care plans for a living and I have not had a physical, a pap, a cholesterol test, a thyroid panel — nothing — since before my mother's first hospitalization.

I called my doctor's office Monday. They asked who they were seeing me for and I said myself and there was this pause where I think she was checking the family roster to make sure I was someone, and then she said "oh — Elena, hi, we have you down. June 14th at 9:15?" and I said yes before I'd even checked my calendar because I was afraid if I hesitated I'd talk myself out of it.

My dad's diagnosis is — I won't get into it here, but it's the kind that means a lot of new appointments going on the calendar starting next month. The part of me that's been functioning as triage for two years already knew the appointment for me would be the first one I'd cancel when something came up.

Booked it anyway. Trying to learn how to be a patient and not just a chart-holder. Mary if you're seeing this — yes, the six-month thing you told me about last fall was real, I finally listened.

— Elena Vasquez (sandwich-gen / MSW, contributor)

I had to take my son in last Friday for a sports physical. Standard appointment, in and out, you know the drill.

The receptionist pulled up our family file and said, kind of offhand, "oh and we haven't seen you since 2023, do you want to schedule something while you're here?"

I laughed. Because I thought she meant my daughter — my daughter goes to a different practice now, I'd switched her in 2024. So I started explaining this and she said, no, I mean you. We haven't seen YOU in three years.

I said something dumb like "well I'm not a pediatric patient" and she gave me a look. Because of course they have me in their family system as a parent contact, but no — I haven't been to my own primary care doctor in three years and four months. I know the exact number now because I went home and looked.

I'm an MSW. I worked in hospitals for nine years before I left to take care of my mother. I literally helped patients navigate care plans for a living and I have not had a physical, a pap, a cholesterol test, a thyroid panel — nothing — since before my mother's first hospitalization.

I called my doctor's office Monday. They asked who they were seeing me for and I said myself and there was this pause where I think she was checking the family roster to make sure I was someone, and then she said "oh — Elena, hi, we have you down. June 14th at 9:15?" and I said yes before I'd even checked my calendar because I was afraid if I hesitated I'd talk myself out of it.

My dad's diagnosis is — I won't get into it here, but it's the kind that means a lot of new appointments going on the calendar starting next month. The part of me that's been functioning as triage for two years already knew the appointment for me would be the first one I'd cancel when something came up.

Booked it anyway. Trying to learn how to be a patient and not just a chart-holder. Mary if you're seeing this — yes, the six-month thing you told me about last fall was real, I finally listened.