When I call the local clinic and tell the receptionist that I would like to see a doctor for a particular problem, I am asked "Which doctor would you like to see?" So I respond, "Well that one will do". At this point the receptionist is at a loss and says "what?" or something to that effect. So I respond, "You know, the one with the beads and rattles! (the ‘witch doctor’)"
I am a layman and quite frankly do not like going to the doctor. I am busy and I do not like to wait on someone to tell me what I already know. This is frustrating. I have a great deal of experience visiting doctors for myself, with my elderly mother and a chronically ill child. So when I go (or take a family member) I want to derive the most benefit possible. Yes, there are things you can do to help.
I took my elderly mother (who never liked to be called elderly!) to see many doctors on many occasions. She hated going to the doctor worse than I. As her health was failing it became a necessary part of life. So we made the best of it and mostly did OK. She would confide with neighbors “Don’t go to see doctors you will only feel worse”.
One of my children was chronically ill with asthma. I would awaken out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night and go and check on her. She would be wheezing with a severe asthma attack and so we would go to the emergency room. The ER doctor would administer breathing treatments then steroids and a few other tricks and stand wringing her hands and pray. Two hours later we would leave and my daughter would be OK, but we knew we would be back.
There are a lot of misunderstandings about what doctors are and how they work. Doctors to my experience are by in large very dedicated and highly trained health specialists.
Doctors do not read minds and they are not gifted with special ESP talents. They only know what you tell them and what can be determined by examination. Past that they order tests and research your personal and family history.
So they ask a lot of questions and you find yourself either guessing or admitting that you can’t remember. OOPS! Garbage in and garbage out!
Here are some things that I found to be most useful for taking care of my mother:
A working with doctors kit:
- Keep a Journal Book.
- Chart all medications.
- Reactions to drugs, medications and allergens.
- Chart all diagnosis.
- Write out a personal and family history.
- Keep a miscellanious documents folder.
- Keep a test results folder.
- Keep a list of all the doctors you are presently seeing and those you have seen in the past. Include specialties, diagnosis, addresses and phone numbers.
- Other: Alcohol & tobacco use.
Try these ideas if you like and stay with what works for you.