please advise

[coffeelover]

Hello my fellow Weggies! Because I am going to see a Weg specialist for the first time next week, I am hoping you all can give me advice on the best questions to ask during my appointment. Just a reminder, my form of the disease is airway and nasal problems.
I am hand delivering all my past medical (from 4 different sites...eehh gad! I doctored alot!)

I want to go to this appt and get as much out of it as I can so please advise me what questions to ask.

Thanks in advance.

Having my Monday coffee break...want to join me?
coffeelover

[Sangye]

Hi Lisa,
Here's a post I did about general questions for docs.

Bring a list of all your symptoms, questions and concerns you have. Even if your symptoms are easy to remember, write them down.

Visits to my Wegs specialists are very different from non-Wegs docs. The Wegs docs explain everything about what's going on, what to do, etc.... I rarely even need to ask a question. And I am Queen of the Question.

But just in case, these are good questions for you to ask:

1) Does the exam reveal any worsening of the nasal/airways since your last ENT exam?

2) Is he concerned that new areas are now involved? (ie, more than airway, nasal)

2) Does the dr feel your Wegs is active?

3) Which doc(s) does he recommend that you see at Mayo? Who should be overseeing your care?

4) Are there any tests/procedures he'd like to order or to have another doc order?

[snooz23]

Also there is a good list of questions to ask on the vasculitis foundation website. I used that to make out my list of questions for one of my visits to cleveland clinic.

[Doug]

Happy Thanksgiving, Lisa Coffeelover! You, Dennis, and the dogs gave me a big boost this year, and I can only hope you have a safe, healthier, and joyous Thanksgiving!plus100 (Louie the cat is cool around dogs. "Bring 'em on," he tells me, "Bring 'em on.")

[moyan]

I used to collect spoons, but for 1 ½ years now I have changed that for doctors! The collection is growing all the time.

[katwoman]

I used to collect spoons, but for 1 ½ years now I have changed that for doctors! The collection is growing all the time.

Loved your comment Moyan...I know what you mean I get very confused with what doctor does what... and to make matters worse I have a Rheumy and an ENT that are both 'Dr Prowse' (spelt same way and not related) - aaaarrrhh my memory already is a shocker

[Doug]

My pulmonologist said, "You don't want to do that!" when I told him- almost word for word what you said above!- but truth is, you see so many doctors as as a weggie, you have no choice but to collect them. A scorecard would be nice, though. I've asked doctors for business cards, once I became aware of the problem of keeping them straight in my mind, and that works well enough. In addition, you have information that's handy (specialty, work phone, hospital with which they are associated, etc.) when you are talking with other doctors who may need more detail about your condition than you can pull out of your bean!

[coffeelover]

the difficult part is keeping your meds list and doc list updated!

[Sangye]

Thanks Lisa-- that reminds me to update my wallet card! (current conditions, meds, doctor numbers, risk factors, etc...)

[Doug]

It's endless! But the better organized you are the less time each doctor has to spend filling in blanks or waiting for you to call the information in. It's worth the time to show these ladies and gentlemen that courtesy to the degree one can. (So much for preaching. Now I have to go update my information, too. Once I stopped having so many doctor appointments, I, erm, sort of let this information get out-dated!)