Getting the Most out of Doctor Visits

[notsossweets]

NEW & FREQUENT-FLYER PATIENTS

Make a list of your most pressing concerns/symptoms

Bring photos (digitally or in print)

Bring medical records

Organize records with most recent dates first

By specialties

Labs: Highlight date collected and abnormal levels

Biopsies: Highlight date collected, biopsy type and location, and key findings

Imaging: Highlight date performed and key findings

Know your most recent lab and biopsy information

Create, print and share a timeline of symptoms and major health events, like ER visits to condense your story

Bring scale diary (digitally or in print) to help quantify your symptoms so your provider can better gage your progress, especially for a baseline or when tracking effectiveness of a new treatment

Bring your journal to help trigger your memory and go more in-depth than the scale diary for a qualitative review of your symptoms and progress

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I've following this list for the most part but not 100% in one appointment. I will be for my next appointment!

No. 7 may be overkill but for those with "feel-good amnesia," like me, it can help when/if you delve deeper into your daily life with your provider, especially for new providers or before starting new treatments.

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NEW PATIENTS

sweetssyndromeinfo.com

Use the above list plus the following items from sweetssyndromeinfo.com to help make you and your provider confirm or rule-out your diagnosis:

Symptoms Checklist

Medication Options

Algorithm from Goldman's Cecile Medicine textbook

Sweet's Syndrome & Other Neutrophilic Dermatoses

[notsossweets]

This post is also on my blog:

notsosweets.blogspot.com/20...