Info Desk [Paperwork, ordering, wait times, procedures, booklets, prescriptions...]

I didn't even have to order anything, I just showed up with my prescription in hand.

That sounds wonderful. Which hospital did you end up visiting?

I need some urgent intel—how long is the typical wait for an X-ray of the lumbar spine in Chicago?

Amanda Howard84 said:I really need some quick advice—how long is the wait usually for a spinal X-ray at a hospital in Chicago?

If you head to the medical center on West Madison, it’s usually just a five to ten-minute wait. You don't even need an appointment; you can just show up and get in line immediately.

restlesstiger102 said:That’s awesome. Which hospital did you end up going to?

Merkur. Honestly, just give them another call to double-check, but they told me to show up on specific days of my cycle. Not sure if it works the same way for thyroid stuff, though.

Yes, I am fully aware that I shouldn't be ordering these things. It is something I truly need to take care of, yet I simply cannot seem to get around to it... I’m still quite uncertain about the specific protocol regarding kidney health, though I am planning to head over to Mayo Clinic to sort everything out eventually.

Anyone know how long these referrals actually last? I’ve got one for a physiatrist follow-up—labeled "A"—from back on September 5th. My appointment isn't until December 1st because, uh, I got some bad info and totally missed my window to book it. Not that it matters, but I'm wondering if this thing is still good or if I have to go through the whole hassle of getting a new one. Thanks! 🙂

They’ve started ordering thyroid hormone tests over at Mayo Clinic😢 Does anyone actually know where the wait times are shortest?

Jessica Gray11 said:Does anyone know how long a referral actually lasts? (In my case, it's for a physiatrist visit, code A). I’ve had it since September 5th, 2014, but I don't have an appointment until December 1st because I got bad info and didn't book it early enough... Not that it matters, but I just want to know if this referral is still good or if I need a new one. Thanks for any help! 🙂

The referral is fine.

Here’s the real reason why these waiting lists just keep getting longer... it's because they're forcing orthopedic surgeons to work like they're working at a local tire shop!!!

http://prntscr.com/56jxev

Let me try tackling this one more time:

I am not entirely sure if this is the right place for this kind of question. If I am off base, please point me toward the correct section:

I visited my doctor regarding some stomach issues. He noted a preliminary diagnosis of SIC, Gastropathy, etc., though I suspect it’s just an initial assessment. He ordered several blood tests. The paperwork lists: EMA (IgA), CBC, Fe, and serum ferritin. (I assume these are all standard blood panels.)

I went to my primary care physician to get the referral, then scheduled the appointment electronically at Cedars-Sinai to have the blood work done. I received the following response from them:

To whom it may concern,
Attached is the order for the first available appointment for the EMA test. s
We will be utilizing a screening method
(positive/negative) rather than what was specifically requested on the referral order. With the other referral provided, you can also have your ferritin test completed during the same appointment.
The remaining tests
must be performed at your local clinic.

My question is this: given the diagnosis the doctor is investigating, does it matter that they aren't performing that specific "screening method" they mentioned? Should I proceed with the appointment as scheduled, or should I find a facility that performs the exact testing specified in the original referral?

coastaltiger7 said:The link works.

Thanks! 🙂

Hi there, so I have a quick question for you all. I'm looking for some guidance on where I should go in the city to get my thyroid levels, sex hormones, and DHEA-S checked out. From what I've gathered through a bit of Googling, DHEA-S is an adrenal hormone, right? Since everything is listed on a single requisition from my doctor, I'm assuming it would make the most sense to have it all handled at one facility rather than running around to different labs. If anyone has any recommendations or knows which local clinics handle these specific panels efficiently, I’d truly appreciate the help. Thanks so much! 🙂

I need some help here if anyone knows the deal. My dad has an appointment scheduled at Mayo Clinic with his ophthalmologist—he’s been seeing this specialist for a while following eye surgery. He has a D1 referral and the follow-up is set for early December.

The catch is, he also just got scheduled for rehab at a medical spa because of a separate issue and a major surgery he had this summer (unrelated to the eyes). The eye appointment falls right in the middle of his rehab stay.

That’s where we hit a wall. We asked the facility if they could provide medical transport to Mayo, and they said no. We asked if we could drive him ourselves, and they said no to that too. To make a long story short, their explanation was that as long as he’s receiving treatment at the spa under Medicare coverage, he isn't allowed to receive any other medical services via referrals at other hospitals.

Honestly, this sounds insane. I don't get why he can't just go to his scheduled appointment with his own doctor within the insurance system—even if we pay for the transport ourselves. I’m lost on how this actually works, so if anyone more experienced with this bureaucratic nightmare has advice on how to handle this, I’d appreciate it.

- Is there really no way for him to attend the exam at the hospital he was referred to?
- If that’s truly the case, can we cancel the appointment and get rescheduled for a date after his rehab is over? My concern is that we’d end up skipping a whole month of necessary check-ups, plus dealing with the holidays, and I don't think waiting that long without a follow-up is safe.

Anyway, I’m grateful for any info you can throw my way so I can start tackling this tomorrow.

Thanks!

Someone is working on building this really cool Android app https://www.facebook.com/prakticniregistarlijekova. If you have a second, maybe give it a vote over at I guess the concept is pretty solid and could actually be useful.

Just so we're clear, I don't own the page or anything, and I'm not out here self-promoting—just trying to help a friend out 😁.

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know where I can get the fastest appointment for a CT scan of my chest, abdomen, and pelvis in the greater metropolitan area? Is there a specific list of hospitals or imaging centers that have the equipment ready and take major insurance so I can start calling around for an opening?

wiredfalcon13 said:Hey there! So, I have a quick question. Does anyone know where in the city I can go to get my thyroid levels, sex hormones, and DHEA-S tested? Apparently, DHEA-S is an adrenal hormone. Since everything is listed on one single lab order, I’m assuming I should probably just get it all done at one facility. Any suggestions would be awesome, thanks! 🙂

Check out Mount Sinai or maybe a major hospital system—they usually handle centralized ordering for stuff like this perfectly.

http://www.mountsinai.org/index.php?op...=117&Itemid=85

Hey,

So my husband’s dealing with an adductor tear and some partial tearing too, plus pretty bad bruising. He needs to see an orthopedic surgeon to figure out if he actually needs physical therapy or if he's looking at surgery. His GP gave him a 15-day medical leave, but they're basically telling him he has to go back to work after that since there isn't any specialist documentation yet—even though the pain isn't going away. The earliest appointment he could find at the orthopedic clinic on Main Street is 20 days out. Does anyone know if there's anywhere else we can get him in sooner? I heard the clinic over on Oak Avenue is booked up for 2-3 months, and the one on Maple Drive won't even take these kinds of cases.

Thanks.

I need to get bloodwork done for a herpes simplex virus screening. My referral specifically mentions sending this over to "medical microbiology and parasitology."
Does anyone know where I should actually go to get this handled? Would a place like Mayo Clinic be able to process that kind of request?

Hey everyone, so I’ve been dealing with testicular cancer and just wrapped up three rounds of chemo. Luckily, there aren't any metastases anywhere, and my first follow-up went totally fine. But then things got a little weird at the second check-up—my AFP levels spiked, though they actually dropped when they retested it. Now, because of some random set of circumstances, my oncologist is insisting I get a chest CT scan just to make sure nothing is hiding in there. Personally, I’ve always been a huge advocate for getting an MRI instead, mostly because I’m worried about the radiation exposure. I guess I’m wondering if I actually have the right to demand an MRI and just go that route regardless of what she recommends? When I tried to bring up the whole thing—you know, asking about the risks of a CT and pointing out that maybe other methods or combinations of less invasive tests could work—she basically just brushed me off, saying a CT won't hurt me and there’s no reason to worry. Honestly, I don't know what to do; I think I'm just mentally exhausted from all of this...