Here are some suggestions for making the most of your head or neck mass appointment. 

Since symptoms, medications, and treatments change with time, an up-to-date version of this information will be useful to your physician. In particular,

Bring with you any potentially relevant healthcare information.

Unless they are coming from Christie Clinic, Bromenn, or the OSF system, please hand-carry to your appointment the following items: 

• Any prior operative or clinic notes relevant to this condition. You can get these from the medical records department of the hospital or clinic where you were seen previously.

• Any prior pathology testing from a biopsy or operation for this problem.

• Any recent imaging or x-rays. Dr. Lansford needs two parts: the images themselves, burned onto a CD, and the radiologist’s interpretation (which is usually provided on paper, but sometimes included electronically with the CD). To obtain these, you may need to go to the radiology department where the images were taken and say “I need the actual images and the radiologist’s report.”

• Bring a list of your current medications (prescription and non-prescription) and their doses. If it is easier, you could bring in your current medications.

  
  

Bring your photo I.D., your medical insurance card and be prepared for your copay.

Also, in case you have to wait, it is a good idea to bring with you something to do, such as your phone or a book. Bring a notepad and paper if you might wish to take notes. Bring a family member or friend if you wish to have another “set of ears.”