
How To Get The Best
Out Of Your Doctor
by Dr Vernon Coleman and Donna Antoinette Coleman
1. Don't delay. If you have a problem which is worrying you
make an appointment straight away - and make sure that you see your doctor as
soon as possible. The longer you wait the more you'll worry and the worse things
could get.
2. Be prepared for a physical examination. Would you be happy
if a car mechanic tried to repair your car engine without lifting the bonnet?
Dress in clothes you can get in and out of quickly. Stockings may be easier than
tights. Zips are quicker than buttons. Don't wear underwear that is going to
embarrass you.
3. Don't worry about shocking or embarrassing your doctor.
There is nothing you can tell your doctor that will shock him/her. Every week
thousands of women who have `trouble down below' walk in to the surgery,
complain of a minor skin rash or a swollen vein and walk out without saying what
is really on their minds.
4. Make up your mind beforehand what you want
to tell your doctor. Write down a list of your important symptoms, complaints
and worries. Women who have not yet gone through the menopause should take along
details of their latest periods.
5. Don't be offended or startled by
questions your doctor asks. If you have a discharge your doctor will want to
know how long you've had it and what it looks like. If you have a gynaecological
or urological problem, questions about your sex life are routine.
6.
Decide beforehand what you want your doctor to do. And remember that it is part
of your doctor's job to explain things to you. If you've seen a hospital doctor
and haven't understood what he/she has said, ask your own family doctor to
interpret the medical jargon for you.
7. Your doctor will write down what
you tell him/her. It makes sense for you to write down everything that he/she
tells you - particularly if he/she is giving you advice or
instructions.
8. If at the end of the consultation you aren't happy then
ask for a second opinion. If your own doctor refuses point blank to refer you
for a second opinion then we suggest that you change doctors.
Copyright Vernon Coleman and Donna Antoinette Coleman 2005
Taken from Health Secrets Doctors Share With Their Families
by Vernon Coleman & Donna Antoinette Coleman, published by the European
Medical Journal at £12.99 and available from the bookshop on this website and
from all good bookshops everywhere.
Copyright Vernon Coleman
2005
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