Electronic Medical Records and Communication with Your Doctor.

Fifteen minutes is about the most I get with my new doctor. He is an internist.  Nice, pleasant, and in a hurry.

Let’s do this test and that.   Here is what it says and here is what we will do about what it says.  Take this pill,

it might prevent diabetes.  Your count is borderline.  We usually give it to people with diabetes, but I doubt that you are

going to do the things that will prevent it.  I agree and take the prescription.   Sounds easy.  But the truth is in a couple of

weeks the pill makes me nausceous and achy.   Same thing happened with another doctor. She said just try this sample. It

really made me feel awful.  I thought it was the colonoskpy that cause the nauseous feeling so the doctor gave me something

for my stomach.  He didn’t think that was what caused my problem but tried to help. I looked up the side effects on the web and it told me that it caused nausea.  Well well.   I called the  other doctorand asked about “side effects”.  He said he didn’t study them.  I was amazed.

When I lived in New Hampshire my osteopath told me she didn’t know for sure how some pills would affect me and wanted

me to carefully notice and let her know. I liked that honesty.

Now it is time for another checkup.  How can I make this work for both me and the doctor?

For the past few years I have kept a typewritten  record on my computer which I update.  It includes all the information

about my surgeries, my illness’s, my prescriptions and my vitamins.  Also the names of all my doctors who are presently

treating me.  In this modern world there is a specialist for everything.

My rheumatologist was delighted when I handed her the paper I had typed up for her. She could read it far better than the little scribbles we usually put on the form they give us to fill in.  She sat down and read it.    In less than a minute she knew far more about me than if I had tried to explain everything.

Now I have added something. which is all the questions I have had at times when I am not at the doctors.   I know the doctor will have no time for

my life story.  He hardly knows me. Last time he finished saying “I think we will get you into pretty good shape.”  I am not sure what that means

but it sounded good.  Since then I have had test after test.  He  found my pancreas was processing slowly.   That was the glucose tolerance test. My blood pressure is a little high but okay with the pills I now take.  My cholesterol was high and so I have been taking something for that. We shall see if it has improved since the last visit.

I sat down today and wrote  and tried to explain what has been going on in my life since I last saw him.  I have had major changes this year and time is healing, but my major concern is pain.  I can’t walk more than a couple of blocks, nor stand for long. The pain comes to my lower back, my knees and I tend to hold my breath and head toward home and my heating pad.

Is there a possibility that can change? I hope so.  My diet has not been so good.  My fault.  I was used to cooking for two and making imaginative meals. Now I cook for myself.  I am careless at times.

I used to be going here and there all the time. I volunteered at the library, SCORE, mentored, secretary for the Little White Church, reading clubs.  Then I moved to Mexico in 2007 and this February  I moved in with my daughter, after the loss of my husband. Since then  I have been quiet.  That is as it should be but now I realize I need to move more.  On my last visit the doctor cut down my thyroid medicine after checking on the test (which never seems to be right about thyroid) and I got slower and my long lost appetite returned.  Can’t burn much if I don’t move a little more. We need to talk.

I have written all the things that concern me,, even about the snippy nurse  who I tried to explain to about the thyroid.  I wonder how to put my medical records out electronically, and if he does use email, as I hope he does.   I will hand this to him when he comes into the room and hope he pays attention.  We need to have this at our fingertips at all times, like the living wills we need to make before it is too late.

I think we all need to recognize the doctors are sort of in a bind and for the most part cannot take time to get to know new patients. We have to make it as easy as possible to know as much as they can so they can treat us properly.  They do need to listen to us.  We are in this together and there are many ways to make life better for the patient and in turn the doctor too.

I hope if there are any suggestions, people will share them with me.

I choose to believe the doctor wants to cooperate with the patient.  I choose to believe we all need to be responsible for ourselves. The doctors have the education and the tools but we own the body.  If it doesn’t feel good don’t do it.  Don’t believe the doctor is always right. He or she might know a lot but we have to work together to keep ourselves in the best shape we can.