Tips for a Great Doctors Visit

Since breaking my back in 1998, I have been blessed with some exceptional physicians who believed in me and sincerely wanted to help me with my struggles with chronic pain.

Unfortunately, I have also encountered those who have not treated me so well. If you encounter a Doctor that does not treat you well or makes you feel uncomfortable; run, hobble, crawl, do what ever you have to do, to get as far away from the person as possible. There are plenty of great, caring physicians out there. Let’s put the other guys and gals out of business.

 
Let’s face it, even the best physicians are short on time and sometimes we get a little sensitive due to our pain, so it is important to plan ahead. I have a few tips I find helpful for me and my doctor. Hope you find them useful, as well.

1. Keep a      diary of your symptoms, pain level, activity level, and other things your      physician may have asked you to track.
2. Bring      a list of questions and concerns to each Doctors visit. Be clear and      concise. Remember, your Doctor has a limited amount of time to spend with      each patient.
3. If you      are having trouble communicating with your Doctor, bring a trusted friend      or family member to be your voice or evaluate the situation. Sometimes we      get a little short tempered when we are in pain. If your friend agrees      that the Doctor is not treating you well. Find a new Doctor.
4. Be      honest as to whether or not you are following Doctors orders. Are you      exercising, doing therapy regularly, taking your medications, etc…
5. If you      don’t understand your Doctor, ask him to clarify, if you still don’t      understand, ask again. This isn’t the time to worry about looking stupid!
6. Post      all of your important medical numbers together, including; physicians,      therapists, pharmacist, personal trainer, coach, and any other people      helping you with your condition. This is also a great place to post your      medications and latest symptoms.
7. Ask      your Doctor the three most important things you can do to improve your      condition.
8. Ask      your Doctor for his honest assessment of what you can expect over the next      week, month, year, and so on.
9. Last      but not least, keep a positive attitude at the Doctors office. I use humor      as much as possible in describing my situation. I believe that is why my      Doctors and their staff like to see me. They must get a little sick of      hearing people whine all day. They are only human. If you are blessed with      a great, caring Doctor, give him or her something to smile about when you      are there. Believe me, it will come back to you ten fold, on your roughest      days, when you can barely muster a smile or hold back the tears. They will      want to cheer you up!

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Ellen Taliaferro, MD]

Great tips. I hope that you can return to this blog and keep it up in 2008.

Your information is much needed--keeping a log and writing the questions you want to ask up front can help you have a successful visit and may even provide valuable insights to your chronic pain problems and your search for improvement.