Mental Health – Page 10 – All Things Endometriosis (and more!)

Regular doctor visits for well over two decades has taught me a few things on how best to prepare for a doctor's appointment. I thought I would share that with you here. How to Prepare for a Doctor's Appointment for Endometriosis 1. Chart Your Symptoms Whether it's nausea, dizziness, fever, pain etc, make a note of how it makes you feel, including the intensity, the timings, how often it happens, what you feel triggers it. Charting your pain level on a scale of 1 to 10 at various times of the day is a great way for the doctor to understand if there is a pattern to your symptoms. Also, I believe it's important to be descriptive when explaining the type of pain you feel and areas of pain too. For example, I once described to my doctor that I felt as if I was walking on sharp nails - that sort of pain intensity was making it tough for me to stand for longer than a few seconds. The pain was definitely well over 10/10. The same goes for fever - taking readings of your body temperature at various times of the day helps to see whether a pattern is emerging. Writing down what you eat helps the doctor to understand if your eating habits are in line, whether a particular food could be a trigger, whether you are receiving required nutrients and so much more. Your physical activity should be noted too. I feel it's imperative for a doctor to know how debilitating your condition can be for you. It's good to add a comparison here. For example - before my symptoms came about, I could go to work, do household chores, socialise and go for an hours walk a day but now I struggle to get out of bed in the morning and make it through a shower. This sort of comparison is a great indicator of the changes you're experiencing not just with pain, but with your routine and how it's affecting your overall quality of life. One underrated point - be open to discussing with your doctor how your health issues are troubling you mentally - it could be affecting your judgement call or even your behaviour towards others. Relevant Read: My Diet for Endometriosis & Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Natural Pain Relief - My Journey Is My Pain Real or Imagined? How to Get Rid of Self-Doubt When Having a Chronic Illness 2. Note Your Overall Medical History in Brief For example: 1995 - Age 11 - Onset of periods, heavy bleeding and a lot of pain 1996 - Age 12 - Diagnosed with PCOS & endometriosis 2002 - Age 18 - Laparoscopy surgery to diagnose endometriosis Such a timeline will be beneficial for all your medical appointments regardless of what medical concerns you are going for. 3. Know Your Family's Medical History I know what medical conditions were and are prevalent in my grandparents, immediate and extended family. I have this written up in a few lines in case I go blank when I am asked by the doctor. 4. List Questions to Ask Your Doctor No matter how random or weird the questions may feel to you, write them down and ask. No question related to your health is silly. These are the standard questions I list to ask my doctor - Why am I feeling my symptoms? - Is the condition curable? - If yes, how long will it take? - If not, what can be done to reduce the intensity of the symptoms? - If prescribed medical tests - what are the tests for? - How do I prepare for these tests? - If given medicines - what is each medicine for? - What are the side-effects? - Do I need to change anything in my diet? - Is my condition infectious? - How should I expect this condition to progress? - If I feel worse off, what can I do about it? - When do I see you again for a follow-up? - List any additional concerns relevant to your issue that you wish to ask. 5. Organise Your File If you don't have the originals then ask for copies of all your reports and doctors notes. When I lived in London, my GP received all my reports and doctors notes from the hospitals. As a patient I didn't get anything sent to me. I had nothing to read over. I requested my GP for all notes and reports. A copy was made and given to me. When I moved here, to Mumbai, I had my entire medical history with me. Therefore, keep your medical file organised and in chronological order so it's easy for your doctor to go through. You may have noticed, everything spoken of here is about being organised because it helps you to remain clear when you are in your appointment. Doctors possibly have 15 minutes to give you and if your case is complex then you will get longer but I always believe that those 15 minutes need to be used wisely - if you are going to struggle to remember things, or not have your papers in order, then you're not really using your time wisely. You are your own advocate so keeping things in order allows you to focus on what's necessary - so be your best possible advocate. If you happen to be doing all of the above for someone else, then it's even more crucial that you are organised and understand what a loved one is going through. Read Here: How Much Does Laparoscopic Endometriosis Excision Surgery Cost? Living in Mumbai With a Disability [Including London & NYC] Connecting Endometriosis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome 6. Dress Sensibly Wear loose or accessible clothing. It's best to be practical when visiting the doctor. If you have endometriosis like me, then you may have an endovaginal ultrasound - for this it would be highly impractical to turn up in a jumpsuit! When I am struggling with pain, I can't think of putting myself through anything that requires extra effort - sometimes, pulling up my trousers adds to my fatigue, so I prefer to dress according to my appointment and my strength that day. 7. Don't Be Late! Reaching at least 15 minutes prior to your appointment allows you to fulfil any payment or form filling formalities. But, don't expect the doctor to see you on time. Every patient requires time so it's very natural that there are others like you who may need longer than expected, so yep patience is expected. Recently, I had to wait three hours to see my endometriosis surgeon - hunger was bound to strike, but since I was carrying a small snack, I managed to breeze through the wait. So, it might be worth carrying some nuts or a small snack like I did. If you get bored easily then take a book or download your favourite show and watch that - but expect some lateness. Relevant Read: Can Endometriosis Kill You? Tips: Dating Someone with a Chronic Illness (like Endometriosis) How to be During a Doctor's Appointment - Don't be afraid - the doctor is there to help you. - Explain everything mentioned in points 1 to 4. - Be honest, don't downplay your symptoms because you feel sheepish about it. - Feel free to make notes as and when the doctor answers your questions. - If you do not understand anything, please do not be afraid to ask the doctor to clarify. In my experience, some doctors do get annoyed by this but remember how important this is for you and how you must leave the doctor's office feeling like you have had your questions answered - that sense of satisfaction is priceless. - If you feel your doctor is rushing in their answers, it's absolutely fine to go over what the doctor is saying. I usually let my doctor know that I'm repeating all the information she/he has given me because I don't want to misunderstand anything. - If in case, you do forget to ask something, ask your doctor in the appointment itself whether you can call later if there is a new query. Psst... I've always felt very uncomfortable to call up doctors but I have been in situations where it has been necessary and despite my discomfort, it's proved to save me from additional pains and stresses. Relevant Read: Yoga for Period Pain & Endometriosis - Does It Work? My Night-Time Routine While Having a Chronic Illness What to do After a Doctor's Appointment - Get your follow-up appointment scheduled as per the doctor's instructions - Schedule any required tests - Get your prescribed medicines - File your doctor's notes - Keep charting your symptoms - you don't want to write these in a last minute rush before your next appointment. Make this a habit as it's also a great way to track progress. And finally... pat yourself on the back for getting through a doctor's appointment. They can be draining. For me, getting through each appointment feels like a huge achievement. So far that's all I can think of. If I do think of something else, I will update this post and if you feel you wish to add your suggestions, please comment below. Also, if you would like to understand how I chart my periods (and why it's so important), and how to make the most of online doctor appointments then check these new blog posts out: Why & How I Keep Track of My Periods | Endometriosis | PCOS What It's Like: Doctor's Appointment Over Video Call [like Skype] Thank you for reading and have a good appointment! :) If you're a social media person, then you can follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or YouTube. I have a podcast too. You can check them out here along with their transcripts or if you don't wanna read them then they're available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts too. ~~~~~ Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I am a patient and have created this platform to share my experiences. This is all purely informative and in no way am I providing medical advice. Please consult a medical professional.