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

Ugh, honestly, having them book me for a consultation first just to schedule the actual procedure in the city is totally redundant... I’ve already done the initial checkup and walked away with two referrals in hand—one to get that mole removed and another for the pathology report.
So, yeah... I guess I can just sit tight and wait for an email response on Monday.

It’s unnecessary, but that's just how it is. Even the surgeon wants to see what the next move should be.
Yeah, I guess you'll hear back from them on Monday.

So, I finally got an email back today that said:
'DEAR SIR/MADAM, IF YOU WANT TO SPECIALIZE IN SURGERY, SIGN UP WITH THE SURGERY DEPARTMENT, AND FOR PATHOLOGY, SIGN UP WITH THE PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT. BEST REGARDS.'

Wait... what does that even mean? Does this imply I actually have to trek all the way down there in person??

I honestly have no clue. I’ve always just used one specific referral, had an excision, plus my PhD, and I only ever booked appointments directly with the surgeon.

Does anyone know where I can go to get an MRI or an MRA using my red insurance referral?

Kate Williams68 said:Where can I get an MRI or MRA done using a standard insurance referral...

Wherever works best for you...

Hey
Does anyone know how long it usually takes to get results back from occupational medicine?
I need a clearance for my university program to work in areas with ionizing radiation, and if I understand correctly, that involves several different tests (bloodwork, urine, etc.).

Of course, I only realized this at the absolute last minute,😵 so I’m running pretty tight on time..

restlessangler said:Wherever works best for you.

So, I'm based out of Karlovac, and they actually told me to reach out to the Vura clinic. As for the folks over in Sisk, I haven't heard a single peep from them in over a week... Honestly, everything is just spinning in circles right now 155 miles around Chicago

Kate Williams68 said:They reached out from Karlovac—well, they told me to contact the Vura clinic there—but I haven't heard a peep from anyone in Soka since over a week ago... Honestly, it’s all starting to make my head spin 155 miles coming from the area near Chicago

Man, I swear, I have no clue about the hospital in St. Louis...

Just head over to this site and see where you might be able to ask...

coastaltiger7 said:Honestly, I have no clue... I always just grabbed a referral, did the excision plus PhD thing, and stuck strictly to surgeons.

Just wanted to give a quick heads-up... went in today, waited a little bit, and they finished the excision. Turns out you can get this sorted incredibly fast over in a place like Des Moines. 👍

I’m wondering how long it’s considered "polite" to wait for a call from a private clinic.
Basically, almost six months ago, I scheduled an MRI at Mayo Clinic.
Then, just a day before my appointment, they called to tell me not to come in because their machine was down—they said someone from a private clinic would reach out within a week to reschedule.
Well, a week passed, so I sent them an email asking when I could expect that call... since a week had already gone by. They replied saying they’d referred me over to a private facility downtown and that someone would be in touch. When? Honestly, I have no clue... It’s going to be incredibly awkward starting next week, because several people in my department are heading out on vacation, which means I won't be able to swap shifts. I don't even want to think about what happens if I tell them I can't make a certain day—I don't want them thinking I'm just pushing it off for another month or more.

Would it be too pushy if I emailed the private clinic directly to ask when they plan on calling me? I'm honestly losing my mind waiting... :-/

Who cares if it feels a bit intrusive? They’re there for your sake, not yours. After all, they're being funded by the government—which is just another way of saying they're being funded by you...

amberpanther25 said:Just wanted to give an update—I went in today, waited a little bit, and they finished the excision. If you're looking to get this done fast, maybe try a clinic in a place like Indianapolis. 👍

Nice! Now I know where I'm heading next time :-D

Hi
Does anyone know where I can get a TSH/thyroid test done the fastest? I’m looking at state labs in a major city like Chicago or NYC—basically, who can squeeze me in before this week is over???
Thanks

Give Jankomir a shot.

Quick question—does anyone know which private clinics or imaging centers around here handle lower extremity MRIs using insurance referrals?

Angela Wood75 said:Hey there!
Does anyone know where I can get my TSH (thyroid levels) checked out super fast in the city? Like, at one of those big state labs? I’m really hoping they can squeeze me in sometime this week. Is that even possible??
Thanks!

I actually got my TSH tested over at the clinic in Newark. My doctor emailed my referral on Monday, and I was already in for the blood draw by Tuesday. Honestly, your best bet is probably just giving them a quick call to see if they have any last-minute openings!

Hey everyone, please feel free to move this thread if there's a better spot for it. So, I need to send a chair sample over to a lab in the UK for testing. I tried calling UPS (they actually suggested either UPS or FedEx), but the folks at UPS were completely clueless when I asked if they could handle shipping human samples or not. Here is the specific guidance I got from the lab:

"The method you use to return the parcel to the UK is entirely up to you. In our experience, FedEx and UPS tend to be the most reliable couriers. However, we recommend checking with them before you pay for the test, as certain countries have specific regulations regarding the shipment of human samples. It might be helpful to clarify that the package is classified as a Biological Substance Category B (UN3373) and that all packaging meets compliance standards."

Does anyone have any advice on the best way to get this sample sent out? 🤷

pls help!

I know people who have used FedEx to ship tissue samples on slides in little boxes for PhD research without any issues, and they got them right back from a hospital in the States using the exact same route.

Angela Wright said:I know a few people who have sent tissue samples on glass slides in specialized PhD analysis kits via FedEx without any drama at all, and they had them sent right back from hospitals in the States through that same route without a single hitch.

Thank you so much!👍 So, I finally got the confirmation from the folks over at FedEx this morning... though honestly, dealing with the UPS crew was a bit of a comedy of errors. It was pure chaos; one guy is acting like it’s absolutely no big deal and we're all set, while the other is looking at me like I've asked for a favor from the President, questioning if they actually have to store it for us. Just typical back-and-forth nonsense.🤣Honestly, I can’t even deal anymore... that’s three of them this morning alone! Seriously, I'm done. I’m just going to stick with FedEx from now on.👍