| Preparation for your |
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Give your OWN story from scratch
- Not what doctors / other people have interpreted it as being. |
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If you
are going to write things down
-
Write down your thoughts in point form - (dont write a book) and expand on these as a prompt for yourself. |
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Avoid the "Oh I forgot
to tell you" syndrome - Just as you’re about to leave the consulting room. |
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Make a FULL list of your medications
including natural therapies- This is fundamental and VERY important. It should include all prescription medications as well as over - the - counter (OTC) medications |
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Bring ALL your X-rays
scans -
Even if you think they would be irrelevant. Leave it to the doc to decide what he wants to see. |
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Make a priority list of your
problems -
Try to ensure that your Doctor has understood all the problems as they affect you as a patient. |
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Dont get too bogged down in
fine detail -
But give your doctor an idea of trends of change of your problem. Onset Precipitating factors Duration Progression over the time Impact on daily life and function. |
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Ask Questions -
Dont be scared to ask questions - there is NO such thing as a stupid question... |
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Ask your doc if he has literature
to review on the problem - It is always good to educate yourself regarding the problem |
|
| 1 | Age / sex and general medical background |
| 2 | Are the symptoms worse in the morning. |
| 3 | Is there morning stiffness. |
| 4 | How long does that stiffness last in the morning. |
| 5 | Is there active swelling visible now ? , or are the joints just "feeling" swollen. |
| 6 | What are the joints involved. |
| 7 | Are there any skin rashes especially psoriasis, or sun sensitivity. |
| 8 | Is there any history of mouth / genital ulcers. |
| 9 | Is there any history of bowel disturbance - especially diarrhoea / blood in the stools / mucus in the stools. |
| 10 | Is there any history of eye problems. |
| 11 | What aggravates the symptoms / any history of trauma |
| 12 | Is there a family history of arthritis. |
| 13 | What is the sleep pattern like. |
| 14 | What is the impact on daily life. |
Thats a start
and from
Copyright
drdoc on-line
Cape Town
South Africa
June 2000
Updated 2011