Hi @cacoon6 - Welcome to Connect. It sounds as if you have got a really scary situation. You are smart to work on getting prepared so you can get the most out of your visit. I can tell you from personal experience that Mayo has a great "patient portal" that allows patients to correspond with their doctors, ask questions, etc. If I were you, I would not FAX. If you have information you want to share, I would use the portal to give the doctor an overview of the information and ask if it would be helpful to have it in advance. They are very attentive to the portal. I do not think you will leave your Mayo appointment feeling dismissed because later, if you think of something you forgot to ask, or end up having a question that arises later, you can just use the portal to ask. I always feel better if I prepare for my appointment by making a list of what I want to ask. Someone earlier suggested ending the list with this question: "Is there anything else you can think of that I need to know and I haven't asked?" Scroll through this thread and you'll find great ideas for questions. Are you preparing a list now?

If you have not read, see my list of items to prepare for appointment.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/your-tips-on-how-to-get-off-to-the-best-start-with-a-new-specialist/?pg=1#comment-240765
This web page has a phone number for help with portal:
https://profile.mayoclinic.org/help?applicationId=c77283b6-1f64-4808-a8af-7bbc3c45595b
Even after you get registered for Portal, I think you can only send messages to dr you have already seen.

Prior to appointments at Mayo, I usually get a form to fill out as preparation for appt.

If you have medical records you want to send prior to appt., contact the person who scheduled your appt and ask about sending medical records or introduction letter. If unsure who to call, try calling central appt desk at 507-538-3270 and they can transfer to right appointment desk. If you have received a hard copy confirmation of appointment, there might be phone number on that.

Good luck
Laurie

@cacoon6
It must be very frustrating for you and I can appreciate your sense of urgency. Have you given Mayo permission to gather all your medical records? Have you asked to be put on a waiting list for an earlier appointment? The one thing which you have control over is gathering up all the test results you can put your hands on, and writing up a chronological list of who you've seen and for what; what they prescribed; how you reacted to it; if it helped... that kind of thing. I'm guessing that, it would be most appreciated by whomever your appointment is with, as it will give him/her a bigger picture and in writing without having to spend valuable time questioning you, and you relying on your memory. It's a thought....

Good luck

I recently changed my lung treatment from a pulmonologist I had been seeing at Northwestern to one at University of Chicago. This is what I learned about medical records and first appointments:

1. Doctors can access your test results on line through an Epic program. If you have a number of tests wrt the relevant condition, I recommend taking a list of the test dates to save the doctor time spent scrolling through multiple test results.

2. Doctor's notes are not available online so you need to obtain them. Frankly if I had seen my former pulmonologist"s notes re my many appointments with her, I would have left her practice long ago. She wrote that most of every appointment was spent on counseling. That"s how she saw my questions re why she was ordering frequent ct scans although the radiologist reported there may be an infection but no sputum tests and whether a newer drug was better for me than the ones I was taking. Sigh.

I used to take my questions on paper but now I have a notes app on my phone. I sometimes stop in the waiting room on the way out and write the answers before I forget what s/he said.

3. While ct scan reports are available online the actual ct scan needs to be put on a disc. Specialists like to go over the actual scan and will put your disc contents into your records for future reference.

4. I hope this doesn't sound crass but doctors are only paid for the time with you. Any fax or letter will most likely be weeded out by his nurse or assistant. The doctor knows you are there because you want help with your medical condition - a condition he or she is very interested in hence the years of specialty training.

That"s all I can think of right now. Hope it helps and good luck on your appointment.

@cacoon6 You don't need to contact Mayo ahead of your appointment unless you are sending something like imaging studies. I had to do that before getting an appointment. All the staff that I have encountered at Mayo are excellent and you don't need to try to introduce yourself ahead of time to get excellent care. You can make a list of questions to ask at your appointment and list your concerns so you don't forget while you are there. I understand the fears and concern over costs. Don't worry, when you go there as a patient who is interested in getting better, they will listen and also refer you to other specialists there because it is a team approach. For now, work on getting yourself organized with your information, questions, lists of medications, where to stay, etc. That will help diffuse some of the anxiety. I went through that too of being worried about being dismissed. I needed spine surgery and had been dismissed 5 times before I came to Mayo, and my experience there was wonderful. I got the help I needed and made a great recovery. Even though you might have detailed medical knowledge, discuss with your providers in simple language. I ran up against that before I came to Mayo and a nurse didn't pay attention to real symptoms connected to my spine problem and was very defensive every time I asked a question. You don't want to come across as a patient who diagnoses themselves and challenges opinions. Instead ask questions instead of telling them why you think it is what it is. If you feel anxious, write down your feelings and why. Do that just for you. It will help you process the feelings.