5/7/19 - 5/8/19: Phone Calls

This time I didn't hesitate to call my PCP. I told them about my second lump, and asked how I would go about making use of that Breast Center referral. They gave me a phone number for the Breast Center, a department of the affiliated hospital network. Once I had an appointment, I would have to call the hospital's referral line to get a referral for the particular provider I would be seeing.

I called the Breast Center. They said I could make an appointment with one of their nurse practitioners (NP), but because I could feel a new lump, they would want a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound for the new lump first. Since those test results are available immediately, once I had that appointment set up, I could make the NP appointment for any time afterwards, even on the same day if possible. Helpfully, this person also informed me that there was a satellite Breast Center location closer to my hometown, so I wouldn't have to drive into the city. 

I called my PCP to ask them to submit orders to my Breast Imaging location for another diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. They said they would call me when the orders are in, which they did later that afternoon. 

The next morning, I called the Breast Imaging location. My 3-month follow-up ultrasound for my 1st lump was just a couple weeks away, so we decided to move that appointment earlier, and combine it with the procedures for my 2nd lump. I was told that I actually would not need a diagnostic mammogram, because a mammogram had already been performed on that breast within the last 3 months.

Then, I called the Breast Center located near me and made an appointment with an NP. I made sure to ask for the NP's "NPI number", which I would need for the referral.

Finally, I called the affiliated hospital's referral line to set up the referral for my NP appointment.