How to Prepare For A Doctor Visit
by Neil S. Siskind, Esq.
When you see your doctor you need to be equipped with information. The Internet is invaluable for this purpose. You should start by listing your symptoms and searching the Internet based on your symptoms. For example you may want to search "foot pain only at night". Start your search broadly, such as "foot pain" which may bring you to websites of doctors or therapists dealing in foot pain. You can learn more about the possible issues that may be affecting you. If you are not really getting the information you need, you may then want to search more specifically by adding "at night "or "when I sleep". The best results may not be the top results. You may have to dig further to websites where everyday people, rather than medical people, discuss their symptoms-and maybe how the problem was resolved.
Once you have a good understanding of how to describe your problem, speak to your internal medicine doctor or general practitioner. If your doctor can't resolve the issue, he or she will attempt to guide you to a specialist to handle the problem. Such specialist may be able to help you. You should be ready to specifically describe your symptoms including the type of pain or discomfort, time of day you experience the problem and any activities that ignite or influence it. But don't self diagnose or tell the doctor all the things you think it could be. On the other hand, if you feel very strongly about a diagnosis based on diligent homework, feel free to mention it. Just don't run down a list of diagnoses. That is your doctor's job. He knows what to be looking for.
When you visit your doctor, speak slowly, descriptively and dress nicely. Be clean. Remember, your doctor is a person and you want to convince him or her that you are a serious person with a serious problem and you have come to the office in a manner where you expect to be inspected closely. Everyone likes to examine a clean person rather than a dirty one.
If your specialist does not find a problem, it may mean that a different kind of doctor should be consulted. For example, to return to the foot pain example, foot pain can be a bone or tendon issue, a blood circulation issue or a neurological issue, among other possibilities .So when you do your own research or speak to your doctors, keep your mind open to the different possibilities, as the human body is very complex.
The Siskind Law Firm wants our clients to get proper, accurate examinations and we guide our clients toward collecting the medical advice they need for their health and their case.
Remember, when you visit your doctor, be well- researched, well-spoken, open minded, patient and clean.
