Professional Patient

-
Professional Patient
Written By: Jill Sheets



I am a professional patient.  No... I am not a doctor, but a person that has had a lot of doctor appointments.  At times it seems like I live at my doctor's office.  I walk in, and they know me by name.  Whether this is a good thing or not, I still have not figured out.  It is hard to have to go to all these appointments, but there are things that people can do to make theirs run a little smoother.

When setting up your appointment, if possible, get the first appointment of the day.  When you get the first appointment of the day, it is less likely that your doctor will be behind.  By doing this, it will also cut down on your wait time, especially when you have to go back to work or school when you are finished.

The next thing you should do is write down any questions or concerns that you have.  That way you do not have to sit there and try to remember what you need to ask.  It is also good at this time to write down any medicines that you may be taking.  Do not forget to include anything that you are taking that is over the counter.  Do not think that anything you are taking will not count because it could.  The doctor will need to know what medicines you are taking if they if they have to prescribe you a new one, they can make sure there will not be any interactions with what you are taking.  Do not forget to take this list with you.  I find it better to put it in a notebook that way I can write down any information that they doctor gives me.  I do not rely on my memory.  I am doing well enough if I remember where I put the notebook after my appointment. Luckily, there are some doctor's offices that already have the list of medications you are on.
 
When you are talking to the doctor, do not be afraid to ask questions.  I used to be, and I found out that I had no clue what was going on and I had no idea what the medicine was for that they put me on.  Also, there are times when people (in general) will use work terms that the average person on the street may not understand.  Don't be afraid to tell your doctor that you do not understand, and if you are taking notes -- feel free to ask them how to spell it.  Some doctors have been known to go ahead and spell it for me. Not only is it better for you, but better for the physician. 

This brings me to the last thing I would like to cover.  I have been told by my doctors to "feel free look it up.  It is spelled..."  Do it.  This is your health.  Take some initiative and find out what is going on.  The one advice that I have to give is to be careful.  There are some websites that are not reliable -- so be careful.  Also, there is a chance if you type in a medical word that you could get a site that only a doctor would understand.  Find the sites that you can understand.

Get in charge of your health.  If you do not do it, no one will.  If there is something wrong, let the doctor know.  They cannot read your mind, even though I have expected mine too.  Write them a letter if you think they are not listening.



© 2016 JMS

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper

-
Image
Review: The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper By Jill Sheets Summery came from  http://www.fionaingram.com/ "Continuing the adventure that ended in Britain just a short while ago, cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair, with their friend Kim Maleka, are now hunting for the third Stone of Power, one of seven mysterious stones lost centuries ago. The third stone might be located in an ancient city, hidden in the depths of the Mexican jungle. When their small plane crashes in the jungle, Adam, Justin, Kim, and James are rescued by an uncontacted tribe. James, who is wounded, must stay behind as the kids, with only a young boy, Tukum, as their guide, make their way through the dense and dangerous jungle to find the city. Riding makeshift rafts on a crocodile-infested river and evading predators are just part of this hazardous task. Of course, their old adversary Dr. Khalid is close behind as the kids press on in search of the lost city of stone gods. But he is not the...
Read more

Chit Chatting with Neill McKee

-
Image
 Chit Chatting with Neill McKee Interview by: Jill Sheets J: Tell us about yourself. N: I guess you could call me a world wanderer from Canada. I was never happy staying in one place, beginning in my early years, as I have described in Kid on the Go! Memoir of My Childhood and Youth. I was a mischievous child and a rebel in my youth, but I began to think differently in senior high school with the help of my English teacher and other mentors. I was rather lost in my university days—didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, until I saw a poster to apply to become a volunteer teacher overseas, much like the Peace Corps in the US, but with no compulsion to escape the draft for the Vietnam War. At the end of the memoir, in 1968, I head off to the exotic island of Borneo in Southeast Asia to teach secondary school, an experienced that changed my life. My award-winning memoir, Finding Myself in Borneo: Sojourns in Sabah, tells readers how it all happened—a maturing experience. It also...
Read more

"Adriana" Review

-
Image
 "Adriana" Review Review by: Jill Sheets I was excited to get the book "Adriana," by Leslie Hachtel and I could not wait to start to read it.  It was worth the wait. I loved this book. I was hooked by the second page. "Adriana" is a descriptive book and a fast read. I quickly fell in love with the characters, especially the main ones. It was not hard to root for them.  I like that the chapters were mainly short, especially with someone with a short attention span. If you like romance books, this one would be a good one for you.
Read more