The Doctor Can See You in Three Months

Tips that can get you seen quicker.

My mother went to bed one evening still able to drive her car. She woke up the next morning almost completely blind.

A stroke to the optic nerve — optic neuropathy — had taken most of her vision overnight. She was 91 then. Now she’s 101*, living in an independent care apartment with severe visual impairment. She never complains. She keeps up with her neighbors. She listens carefully when she can’t see.

But here’s what keeps me up at night: I’m a retired radiologist. I spent decades inside the healthcare system. And even I find navigating her care maddeningly frustrating.

If a doctor struggles with this, how does the average person manage?

The Phone Call Nobody Wants

“The doctor can see you in three months.”