I Embark on a Frustrating Journey

I don't know where to start, so I start at the top. I want a neurologist, a good one, at a reputable instution, and I'm lucky enough to work for a top university. I apply online for an appointment, and leave a message with my primary physician telling him I need an MRI to assess a meningioma. For two days, I get no response from either.

Plan B. Phone calls. I am successful in securing a referral for an MRI, but only if I come in for an "evaluation" with my family doctor. Everyone wants a piece of the action, I guess. I speak to a referral nurse at the aforementioned university medical center, and am told I should skip the neurologist and go right to a neurosurgeon. I try not to let this scare the bejesus out of me.

The neurosurgeon's office won't make an appointment until I've had an MRI. and the radiology department is too busy to answer the phone. My primary doctor recalls reading my CT scan, doesn't recall the details (he thinks I have a 2cm hematoma) and doesn't have the scan report in my chart. He offers me some reassurance that if I have to have a brain tumor, this is the one to have, which makes me want to strangle him with his stethoscope. He does manage to get me a referral very quickly for my MRI, for which I have miraculously secured an appointment at the ungodly hour of 7 am the next morning.