8/3/20: The Cardiology Department Called Me

Someone from my hospital's cardiology department called and said my oncologist had put in an order for me to see a cardio-oncologist. This person was so pleasant and friendly, I wish all phone conversations with customer service and administrative assistants could go so well!

Normally, I'd have to go to the main hospital in the city, but I lucked out; the cardio-oncologist sees patients at a local satellite office once a month, and my appointment request came just in time for me to see her on Thursday at a nearby suburban site. It's not the same location as my Cancer Center, but about the same distance away in the opposite direction. 

I haven't heard from my oncologist's office. I'm guessing they won't call, and that the referral to the cardiologist basically serves as the "action taken" in response to my phone call. I do wonder... If I hadn't called them about my echocardiogram results, would they have called me? I have to assume that my oncologist saw the echocardiogram report. Maybe she wasn't worried and wouldn't have said anything, but the mere fact that I expressed concern prompted her to send me to the cardio-oncologist, since it's obviously something I want to address? Or maybe she would have called, but I just happened to call her before she got around to it? Judging from the responses I got to my posts in Facebook support groups, it sounds like seeing a cardiologist is the appropriate course of action, and it makes me think again about how important it is for me to be on top of my own medical care. 

Anyway, I didn't think of it right away, but a couple hours later I remembered to call my PCP's referral line to get a referral to the cardiologist. 

Incidentally, I also called them a couple weeks ago to renew my referral with the genetic counselor. I wasn't sure if I needed one. I don't think the phone call counted as an actual appointment, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to have the referral.