The other day I read an article in AARP magazine about a woman with a suspicious mole who could not get in to see any dermatologist in her area for months. By the time she was seen, she found that not only was the mole cancerous, but it had spread to other organs. Skin cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers, and she might have been ok if she had been seen earlier. The same day I received a letter from a specialist I've been seeing, cancelling my appointment. I had to call to reschedule. When I called, the receptionist tried to give me an appointment six weeks after my original appointment. I explained that this was unacceptable, and I firmly and politely asked her to give me an appointment closer to my original one, which after all, I had not cancelled. She said she couldn't do it. I firmly and politely told her to figure something out. She gave the phone number for the doctor's personal assistant. I called her and explained the situation. She gave me an appointment for the very same day as the original one, at a different time. Moral of the story: be polite but absolutely do not allow someone else to take charge of your health.