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

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, Nov 2, 2018

I'm looking for your best tips.
Starting a relationship with a new specialist can be daunting. You want to get off to a good start and ensure that you establish mutual respect and are able to develop trust. You want to know you're in good hands. What is their expertise and experience? What research are they doing? Will they listen and consider your input?

How do you get off to the best start with a new provider? What suggestions would you tell a friend who is going to see a new doctor?

+++UPDATE+++
Your tips in action: Tips shared in the discussion below made this video. It's great advice: For patients by patients.
https://youtu.be/Bw-RrEKTt60

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Visiting Mayo Clinic Support Group.

migizii | @migizii | Aug 26, 2019
In reply to @lioness "@hopeful33250 Yes I have a portal and checked it frequently lately with no results on it" + (show)
@lioness

@hopeful33250 Yes I have a portal and checked it frequently lately with no results on it

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When there is “news the facility feels the doctor needs to give the patient-being me” I have found my test results never show up on the portals until after they have notified me. If results are normal, they are posted in a timely manner. I’m guessing it maybe most medical facilities policies......I have since concluded it means I’m getting bad news whenever my test results don’t show up after a few days.....although I do get a more thorough answer and it’s usually not as bad as I imagined......so really, in most cases, I don’t understand their premise for keeping the results from us. Our journeys are challenging...take care💞

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Aug 26, 2019
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@lioness I'm sorry to hear about your fracture. I'm hoping you can get the help you..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@lioness I'm sorry to hear about your fracture. I'm hoping you can get the help you need. I don't know if this information will help with your decisions, but I found an article about complications of cement used for spinal fractures. God bless. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4479719/

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@jenniferhunter Thanks for the information Jennifer . The Dr. told me the Khyphoplasty as the last suggestion so I took that he wasn't in favor or it. When in 05 I fractured the L2 they wanted to put cement in I talked it over with a lot of people and decided against it for lots of reasons , then when I came here a friend had it and it and it did break of I was so glad I didn't have it . I'm doing what my chiropractor told me about ice,heat and tens unit my back does feel better and I think is healing on its own. I have scheduled an appointment with my pain Dr. He will have the results also. Thanks for your concern

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Aug 26, 2019
In reply to @resawaller "It wasn't me that had a bone fracture! I have Chiari malformation, and a cyst on..." + (show)
@resawaller

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

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@resawaller I'm sorry to hear about your worry and it is . I'm the one that just found out I have a fracture . Once they release the pressure and remove the cyst your nerve damage should be corrected I would think. I would be scared also but if you have faith and trust in your Dr. that is half the battle. How old are you Since you,ve been married for 30yrs I'm thinking in your 50,s Look at the positive if its gone then you,ll be back to your old self. Good luck with what ever you decide.

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1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Aug 26, 2019
In reply to @gingerw "@auntieoakley Two years ago I was part of a county health plan. When I rebelled against..." + (show)
@gingerw

@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

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@gingerw I think my PCP is a real “company man” trying to refer me to doctors who are also owned by the same hospital, but when I say I have a different doctor not part of that, he is fine with that too. I sort of have a “love-hate” relationship with him.
I am not sure when he orders a test if he is just being very diligent or if he is just trying to make more money for the hospitals.
JK

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JK | @contentandwell | Aug 26, 2019
In reply to @resawaller "It wasn't me that had a bone fracture! I have Chiari malformation, and a cyst on..." + (show)
@resawaller

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

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@resawaller That does sound very scary! Definitely something that deserves a lot of thought and research.
JK

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Mentor
Chris, Volunteer Mentor | @auntieoakley | Aug 26, 2019
In reply to @lioness "@jenniferhunter Thanks for the information Jennifer . The Dr. told me the Khyphoplasty as the last..." + (show)
@lioness

@jenniferhunter Thanks for the information Jennifer . The Dr. told me the Khyphoplasty as the last suggestion so I took that he wasn't in favor or it. When in 05 I fractured the L2 they wanted to put cement in I talked it over with a lot of people and decided against it for lots of reasons , then when I came here a friend had it and it and it did break of I was so glad I didn't have it . I'm doing what my chiropractor told me about ice,heat and tens unit my back does feel better and I think is healing on its own. I have scheduled an appointment with my pain Dr. He will have the results also. Thanks for your concern

Jump to this post

I am sure every case is different but the Mayo doctors advised my husband against it. The explanation was that it would fuse on its own in time, but the cement would then rub against the next vertebrae, and bone against cement is a losing battle for the bone. This could end up being a domino effect of broken vertebrae.

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lioness | @lioness | Aug 26, 2019
In reply to @migizii "When there is “news the facility feels the doctor needs to give the patient-being me” I..." + (show)
@migizii

When there is “news the facility feels the doctor needs to give the patient-being me” I have found my test results never show up on the portals until after they have notified me. If results are normal, they are posted in a timely manner. I’m guessing it maybe most medical facilities policies......I have since concluded it means I’m getting bad news whenever my test results don’t show up after a few days.....although I do get a more thorough answer and it’s usually not as bad as I imagined......so really, in most cases, I don’t understand their premise for keeping the results from us. Our journeys are challenging...take care💞

Jump to this post

@migizil I agree with you . I don't know where my reply went but will say again. It was 5 days before the MRI went to Dr. I did make an appointment with my pain Dr. who will have the results also. Anymore its our patients that are being tried .

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resawaller | @resawaller | Aug 26, 2019
In reply to @lioness "@resawaller I'm sorry to hear about your worry and it is . I'm the one that..." + (show)
@lioness

@resawaller I'm sorry to hear about your worry and it is . I'm the one that just found out I have a fracture . Once they release the pressure and remove the cyst your nerve damage should be corrected I would think. I would be scared also but if you have faith and trust in your Dr. that is half the battle. How old are you Since you,ve been married for 30yrs I'm thinking in your 50,s Look at the positive if its gone then you,ll be back to your old self. Good luck with what ever you decide.

Jump to this post

Yes I'm 54 today! And I'm very scared to have Chiari surgery! Im looking for someone that has had the same surgery so I can ask how it went! Either encourage me or shy me or shy me away from it ! I've been sick for over 1 yr now and the nerve pain is hell so I dnt know what ealse to do! Thank you and I need prayers!

REPLY
3 replies
JK | @contentandwell | Aug 26, 2019
In reply to @lioness "@becsbuddy and all. I just had a call from a Dr. mine is on vacation. I..." + (show)
@lioness

@becsbuddy and all. I just had a call from a Dr. mine is on vacation. I now have a L4 fracture besides my L2 which was fractured . He said they ususlly treated it symptomatically or a injection of cement . I don't know what I'm going to do . When I had my L2 in 05 I refused the cement but with this fracture down so far I don't know . My MRI was at a free standing one.

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@lioness. When you refer to cement are you talking about a kyphoplasty? If so, I had that in 2004 for a fractured vertebra. It was a miracle initially but about two weeks later I was walking with high heels on and slipped, and wrenched my back to avoid a fall. I think I must have caused the cement to move or something. Even so, it was not much pain, but I do have a visible lump sticking out of my back now. When I was heavier it wasn’t really noticeable but it is now, and it hurts to sit in a hard backed chair.

If I recall correctly my fracture was L2. They just gave me some pain meds (I was in CA, this was at Cedars Sinai) but when I got home my PCP encouraged the kyphoplasty.
JK

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Aug 27, 2019
In reply to @resawaller "Yes I'm 54 today! And I'm very scared to have Chiari surgery! Im looking for someone..." + (show)
@resawaller

Yes I'm 54 today! And I'm very scared to have Chiari surgery! Im looking for someone that has had the same surgery so I can ask how it went! Either encourage me or shy me or shy me away from it ! I've been sick for over 1 yr now and the nerve pain is hell so I dnt know what ealse to do! Thank you and I need prayers!

Jump to this post

@resawaller I will keep you in my prayers . God is a great healer ,Dr,s and nurses are his hands.

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