Do your research on the physician:
(their background, other medical staff, research projects)
It is important to know who you are meeting. A relationship is being built between you and your medical staff. It is up to you to determine boundaries and expectations. It is also important to remember that doctors are human! As silly as this sounds, they are not perfect.
Document:
Bring with you a list of your symptoms - even mentioning the smallest thing can be helpful!
List the things you have already tried - think about what gives you pain relief!
List of medications - vitamins, medications you take as needed, supplements, etc.
Questions that you have before going into the appointment.
Take pictures or videos of things that do not constantly happen so you have a reference just incase they do not happen at your appointment.
When you walk into an appointment, it is normal to forget important details to your medical journey. By having these things with you, it allows you to focus on what the doctor is saying while ensuring that you cover everything that you were hoping to cover in one appointment.
Ask a trusted person to accompany you to the appointment:
This allows for a second set of ears to be at your appointment. My mom always made sure that all of our questions were covered and that she could take notes so we could look back on things at a later time.
