Author Topic: Pre-treatment's symptoms are sometimes scary.  (Read 4237 times)

antoinette

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 83
Pre-treatment's symptoms are sometimes scary.
« on: March 04, 2005, 11:02:45 am »
Telling how weird I felt, how badly I heard, how dizzy and confused I had become, was the worse  before diagnostic of my AN.
 I knew that something was increansingly wrong but telling people who knew me as strong and active was always bringing an expression of disbelief as if I was looking for attention. And this is not something I ever needed.
When final I had an appointment with a neurologist, I prepared a page where I listed my symptoms and rated the frequency in one column, the pain evaluation from 1 to 10 in another column and what I believed it came from in a third column
The visit didn't bring anything, but, on leaving, the neurologist was hanging on to that page and obviously not eager to give it back.
When i said,"do you want to keep it? It immediatly made it vanished in his pocket. It was already folded, not by me.
I will list my past symptoms next time, if you wish to read this. But I know that specialist wished to keep it.

Raydean

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 510
Re: Pre-treatment's symptoms are sometimes scary.
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2005, 05:50:37 am »
Antoinette

This is an excellent idea.  We followed your example when our youngest daughter was having health issues that were neurological in nature.  Prior to the neurological exam we wrote up a list of symptoms, how severe and how they impacted her daily life.  I also added recent family medical history.  Based on this a MRI was ordered immediately.   
It didn't show a AN, or MS (both are within our family) as i thought it might.  It did show a brain related medical issue.  I have no doubts that the written list shortened greatly the referral time and helped the doctor to see the issues and how important (and concerned )  the situation was.

To add to your suggest.  Write down your question for the doctor as you think of them.  Prior to the appointment list your questions bt priority, starting with the most important and ending with the least important.  This way you'll have the answers to the really big stuff and lessor questions could be answered later or by phone or fax.

best to all
Raydean
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.