Your Tips on How to Get Off to the Best Start with a New Specialist

@lioness 3 weeks is a long time to wait! I’m so sorry, @lioness . Was the MRI done at a medical center or hospital or a free-standing MRI center? If a hospital, they should have a portal where you can see everything. Check with the hospital and also call the doctor’s office for info on using the portal. I have 3 portals that I use and get results of all my tests! Works great! Good luck! Becky

Hi @lioness, I'm sorry to hear that you are not getting feedback from your doctor about your MRI. Do you use the patient portal to get test results and other health-related information?

I would think that after three weeks the MRI results should have posted to the patient portal. If they have, you can read them and then jot down questions for your doctor about anything that concerns you or that you do not understand.

How are you dealing with the pain and other symptoms?

@jolinda. Oh my, is this childish behavior still going on? Learning to be your own advocate, and giving up on the medical "Gods" is where we need to be. I am very interested in your back end Mayo experience. I remember that we were given a special # to call 7/24. They told us that no matter when, we would always speak with a member of the "team". And that is what happened.....on Sunday evening at about 9 pm with some edema showing up, we called and spoke to a physician who we had met previously. He was confident and we felt comfortable with his suggestions.

And then came the diagnosis of recurring cancer in a couple of years. So...off we went for 7 weeks of treatment in Rochester. That team was just amazing. We loved the Nurse Practitioners, the actual treatment team and our oncologist. My feeling was that during a team meeting at the beginning of the week, everyone was updated on their scheduled patient's journeys. We surmised this by the questions they asked us. We always saw a team member and it seemed to me that there was transparency and knowledgeable effort to give the best patient care. So, while there may still be work to do...Mayo has the right patient care map. My partner actually learned everyone's name and when he left he had cards of gratitude for everyone.

Six months later when we went back again, they greeted us by name. We also tried to figure out how many patients they must see in a day. It is mind-boggling. And how are they so cheery at 7:30 in the morning? My very best for a beautiful day. Chris

@becsbuddy When I had my xray done at the hospital it showed a fracture This is what I cant understand why did they discharge me then and not do anything at that point. This is what I'm disappointed in.

@artscaping
@auntieoakley
@gingerw
I think this is an important enough topic to be its own discussion. There are many patients who could benefit greatly from your stories. I will start it as it's own discussion.

It wasn't me that had a bone fracture! I have Chiari malformation, and a cyst on my spine. They want to cut my head open and remove a piece of my SKULL to relieve the pressure on my spinal cord. And they don t know what's causing the nerve damage on my left side! They are hoping the surgery will help! I'm scared to death! And my husband of 30 yrs dnt want me to have the surgery! Thanks for the repely

I am also having trouble.
I am very troubled by what has happened to me. I was HUGE supporter and lately they just don’t care. You would think I would be a person of study given my unique situation. Oh well. I will continue to see my regular cardiologist and do my best to fight every day. Sorry you are experiencing hardship as well. We are patients..not numbers

@auntieoakley Two years ago I was part of a county health plan. When I rebelled against the nephrologist assigned to me, I changed and went out-of-network for a new kidney dr. In turn, she discovered concerns that should have been addressed years ago, and referred me to a hematologist-oncologist [had to go out-of-network] I remember my primary telling me, "Well, I think this is all overkill. Needless bloodwork and tests" showing to me he [as a representative for the county medical plan] just didn't want to spend the money to have healthy patients. Yep, right on the spot I dressed him down, referring to past lab results, and questioning why he as my primary didn't recognize and address the trend spotted. While I get all my results in print, I am still not a medical professional to stitch them together.
My new primary in this area is happy to work with others.
Ginger

@artscaping
@auntieoakley
@gingerw
I think this is an important enough topic to be its own discussion. There are many patients who could benefit greatly from your stories. I will start it as it's own discussion.