You have been referred to a specialist and have made an appointment. Before your scheduled visit make arrangements for you records, including radiology reports, to be sent to your neurosurgeon and plan to have copies of CT and MRI images available for review. Plan to attend your visit with a family member or friend, this support person can help you take notes and remember instructions. Your specialist may have health history forms that will need to be filled out for your visit. When possible, have the office e-mail or send you the forms so they can be filled out ahead of time. An accurate history of the duration of you symptoms, the aggravating and alleviating factors, and previous treatments will help your surgeon determine your plan. If surgery is to be scheduled, your surgeon will need to know all of the medications you are taking, including over the counter and herbal medications, as some of these may need to be stopped prior to a surgery or procedure to prevent increased bleeding and interactions with anesthesia.