My anxiety with seeing a new neurologist tomorrow

Until this past January, I didn’t have health insurance for three years. Now that I have coverage again, I’m going to be seeing a new neurologist. It took me about a month to get my records from my two previous neurologists. Last week, I faxed the records to the new neurologist and then they called me to make an appointment. Luckily, they had an opening. In reading through the records, I haven’t seen a neurologist since June 2010. It has been almost four years and all that my neurologist has done in that time was refill my medication.

Today, I will try to type up some concerns that I have about my cognition. I think that I will be asking the new doctor about whether he feels that I should have a new pet scan done. I had one done in 2005, but I know that they have changed and are now much more accurate in diagnosing dementia. In 2005, I was told that my pet scan resembled an Alzheimer's patient, but a second opinion left me with a diagnosis of MCI which is Mild Cognitive Impairment. It will be interesting to hear what this new neurologist will have to say about what he thinks I’m dealing with and how he thinks I’m doing.

I’m not really afraid to go to this appointment, but I hoping that this new neurologist will really listen to me and take my concerns seriously and not just dismiss them and say that he feels that I’m doing well. When that happens, I can feel angry, sad, frustrated and lots of other words that right now I can't really think of.

I look forward to this appointment but I’m not looking for a doctor to tell me that I don’t have a memory impairment. I’m long past the denial phase! I’m looking for a doctor to listen to me and be there to help me on this journey. My previous neurologist didn't even need me to make appointments to see him. He would tell me that he thought that I was doing well and he didn't need to see me unless I thought that I was having a lot of problems. Perhaps, I wouldn't be the best person to figure that out! I'm hoping that this new neurologist will want to see me either every six months or once a year. It will be nice to have a neurologist who I can talk to and check in with.