Specialists

One of the many things that is frustrating when living with a chronic illness is that though you may start with one specialist, you soon find that you have many -ologists. In fact, you may have one for each body system: neurologist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, dermatologist, ophthalmologist, endocrinologist, urologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist, immunologist, hematologist... and the list goes on... and on.... and on... Where as other people collect cars, or coins, we collect medical specialists. 

The problem with acquiring these specialists, as it really isn't a choice as to whether we see them or not, is that when you first need to see them, and this is usually because you have a problem your primary care doctor or one of you other -ologists can't treat, is that you may have to wait up to six months to get an appointment with this specialist. The receptionist scheduling new patient appointments doesn't particularly care if you are dying, well not really, but maybe it is rather urgent that you see the doctor/specialist, the soonest appointment that the doctor has is six months out. You may try pleading your case, telling the receptionist how important it is that you see the doctor urgently, but they are likely to not hear you. They have heard many such stories, maybe even several times today. They are only the receptionist and cannot and will not make exceptions to the doctor's busy schedule. The soonest appointment is in six months, would you like it? Well of course you'll take the appointment, not that you know what exactly you'll be doing in six months, other than obviously seeing this specialist. Then you will kindly ask them to put you on the cancellation list just in case something comes up sooner. In which case, if it does, you will completely rearrange your schedule and anything planned to see the doctor. You may even have to fight with said receptionist because a referral may be necessary to even schedule an appointment, and though your doctor faxed over the referral, their office seems unable to find it. 

Sadly, often times the easiest way to see the specialist is to go to the ER or get admitted to the hospital in which the doctor is associated with. You may not see the exact specialist, but you can get a "follow-up" appointment after you are discharged, made by the doctors in the hospital or social worker. This appointment will most likely be for a week or two weeks after you have been discharged. If you go into the hospital and say that you are a patient of Dr. _____, you may get lucky and actually see Dr. ______, in which case, you most certainly will get a follow-up appointment. Follow-up appointments are much easier to get and you are seen much sooner than new patient visits.