I received many emails in reference to my recent blog post regarding advocating for results and there were many requests for a list of what to bring before visiting a healthcare professional. Guru?! Who Knew! has you covered. This is my checklist to assist your provider in getting to the bottom of things:
Initial Complaint
Review you ailment. When did you first notice it? What were your activities that day? What did you eat? What parts of your body did to feel side effects? These are questions that will greatly aide, many times, in finding the origin to build a case towards finding proper diagnosis.
Symptom Jot
Write down all the symptoms you identify both big and small. Stools, aches, discoloration, etc. Think about everything. Many times, one symptom can be the determining factor that changes the path towards a particular diagnosis. Everything symptom counts when you're not feeling like yourself!
Medication Log
If you've decided to take medication prior to seeing a doctor, be sure to log what it was and how much you took. This can help avoid overdose and can help in choosing a treatment that accurately picks up the charge without dangerously overlapping your previously medication.
Fever Tracking
Fevers are often times an indicator of illness. Your body is working overtime to try and repair you at the very sight of an intruder. Take note of the duration of fevers, temperatures and pain medication used to relieve them. Log how soon your fever returned and how many days you experienced this symptom.
Bring a specimen
Ewwwww, I know, but you'll thank me. Trust me, the healthcare professional has seen worse, ha, ha!! Pooh, discharge, mucus and anything else you have that ejects itself from your body during this time is ALL helpful. Story time: when my daughter was a newborn, I get seeing a brown chunky substance coming up after feeding. When I initially brought this up to the pediatrician, they assured me it was dried milk or even pieces of skin from ducts on my breast. UGH, right. I wasn't buying it and decided to bag it up and bring it right in! Turns out, it was dried blood (as I thought) and it was coming from the lining of her esophagus due to acid reflux (inherited from dad German)!! Following bring in the sample, we were able to promptly get help that was needed. Moral of the story: Bring it ALL!
This checklist gets you one step closer to proper diagnosis and treatment! Remember, Don't be afraid to advocate for you and your family!
Note: I am not a healthcare professional. These are solely my opinions and are not a substitute for proper care from a healthcare profesional. Always consult your physician.