Waited 11 months for Second Opinion Vent

I'd be interested in knowing the cost of the consultation.

hungrybirder, I'd take the consultation even if I were not sure of which doctor I would choose to receive treatment from. Tabatabai's practice is focused on the bones, and she may well be in possession of helpful information. Most of her reviews reflect high satisfaction But, your perfectly fine Endo may be informed that you have "changed" practices. I wouldn't discuss the matter with the present endocrinologist in fear of offending the perfectly good.
I'd feel exactly the way you do about the cancelled appointment, but I'd keep it to myself. They should have told you 11 months ago. You have only one person to protect here, yourself.

@gently Thank you for your reasonable response. Yes, it makes sense to see if she will see me in a reasonable amount of time. Of course her next available for a new patient might be another 11 months which isn’t great timing for an almost 80 year old. My perfectly fine and well regarded endo ( my husband’s cardiologist sends his parents to her) is/was aware of the appointment as it shows up on my records and messaged me that all my records would be available, to which I answered that I was only looking for a second opinion and actually have a March visit with her scheduled. My main concern is the -4 in my forearm and what drug builds bone there. I’ve been drug free since a Reclast infusion in late 2023 so an anabolic might be helpful. Again thank you for your reasoned response.

@hungrybirder
So sorry this happened to you! I understand your frustration and I struggle understanding why Houston a city with amazing health care does not have more Endocronologist that specialize in bone health.
My story: February 2025 I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Tabatabai, her only opening was February 2026. Due to a cancellation I was able to see her December 2025. Unlike you I was seeing a rheumatologist that I felt was not as knowledgeable regarding Prolia as she could/should have been. I fractured after dental work “holiday”. Was not given the important information regarding relay. I’ve been on Prolia 6.5 years and have never had a broken bone, I am 72 and considered healthy. In the 10 months before my appointment I read everything I could including Dr. Lamy’s research, joined this site, watched videos and You Tubes regarding bone health. I was very frustrated (and scared) that this had happened to me.
Dr. Tabatabai is personable, understood my desire to relay off of Prolia and most of all understood and supported all the research I have followed. I am currently relaying off of Prolia she is monitoring my bone health with recommended blood work. I will have Reclast infusion eventually. I finally feel like I am talking with and being treated by a doctor who understands bone health. As “gently” writes, and I have learned, we have to be proactive and protect ourselves. Good luck!

Thank you for your kind and informative reply. It is amazing that Houston should be a dead zone for osteoporosis care. I am unhappy that a long standing appointment was cancelled with no notice. Unsure that going forward she is a doctor I really want to deal with.

sending copies of your records does not automatically cause you to change doctors. it is just for a 2nd or even 3rd opinion on how to proceed. I hope all goes well and you find her helpful. if you do please share.

@gently I think these issues should be shared and not kept to yourself. Others need to know what goes on out there. I am in Australia hope you enjoyed your holiday.

laura1961, theoretically I disagree with myself. But practically, when I see a physician, I just want the best care they can offer.
While I don't actually advise anyone to adopt my behavior, I could offer a thought about what happened here. Someone in a back office neglected to inform the patient of a new office policy. Nothing can remedy the inconvenience.
I don't want to waste one second of my appointment in matters extraneous to my health. Health often requires intense pursuit, focus, and persistence.
Australia is really on top with the research. I've been enjoying your Ego Seeman (what a name).
I return your kind wishes for enjoyment. And I appreciate your genuinely higher moral ground.

@hungrybirder
So sorry to read this. The doctor's office was negligent and should have expressed a deep apology for not calling to reschedule your appointment, and for the error of canceling it without notification. The office should have given you the impression that your care is important and at the very least offered you the next available cancellation. If you're willing to give them a second chance, then go ahead and reschedule, and if you see the doctor, inform them of this incident and your opinion about it. But I wouldn't rely on this office for a second opinion. I have three osteoporosis docs, an endocrinologist, a rheumatologist and Dr. Keith McCormick, all three experts in osteoporisis. I continue to follow with all of them regarding treatment and management.

By the way, my forearm was also -4.9, and then increased to -5.1. It seems that DXA scans cannot accurately read cortical bone, but the scores should be consistent. It is known that Tymlos can help spine but may do so at the expense of the forearm. I did Evenity for a year and my forearm score still got worse. Now that may be because of some genetic stuff that I have. But generally speaking, doctors don't like to scan the forearm because they don't know how it interpret it. Their focus is on spine and hips. I have exercises that strengthen the muscles of the wrist and forearm and training to fold over and roll if I fall (vs reach out with my hands).

If you see this doctor, I would be interested to know what she says about DXA forearm scores and best treatment. Good luck!

@roisin11
Thank you for your comments. I waited until I got in the right frame of mind to call again. This time a different person got the call and she was a bit more sympathetic and possibly helpful. She had no idea why the appointment was cancelled but noted that there was no comment in the file that they tried to contact me which she indicated was not acceptable. She was sending a message to the doc's PA and told me they have 48 hours to respond to me. Right. If I didn't hear anything to call her back and the issue would be escalated. Whatever that means She did believe seeing another endocrinologist might be the problem and I pointed out that I was seeking advice on my bones not on my pre diabetic status or the synthetic levothyroxine I was trying to replace which are also addressed by endocrinologists.
So we'll see but I don't plan to see her more than once if they get me in but that might take another 11 months. In the meantime I have a lovely endocrinologist who just happens to have a mother with osteoporosis so she is probably relatively up to date on treatment options.
Sorry your forearm didn't improve. I've taken some falls in the last year, including one last month tripping in an airport, where I landed on hands and knees; the knees got the worst of it. I do a plank routine almost every morning and frequently wonder if my arm will snap. So far, so good but I'm also small boned so never had great forearms. I'll keep you posted on what the Hospital System thinks of what happened as I'm recording my calls with them.
Good luck!