Seeing a new doctor is usually a harrowing experience, and people with CFS and FMS have the added worries of 'Will they believe me?' and 'Do they know anything useful about treating my problems?'. I am looking for a new doctor at the moment, and this is a list that I compiled before I started ...
Medical questions:
- What are your primary treatment methods for PWCs?
- Do you know about the Johns Hopkins research into NMH? Are you willing to test for and treat NMH?
- Do you test for/treat food allergies and intolerances? What sort of allergy testing to do you use? Do you know about the Ainslie in-patient allergy testing unit?
- Do you use IV vitamins at all? If so, can I arrange to have them done here?
- Will you communicate with other members of my medical team, such as a psychologist, physiotherapist, osteopath, homeopath, etc?
Questions about 'technical' stuff which the secretary or receptionist can probably answer:
- What hours are you available here? What hours are you available but at other office(s)?
- Are you likely to be running late on a regular basis? (My last doctor could be expected to be at least 2 hours late by lunch time every day!)
- How far in advance do I need to make an appointment to see you?
- If I've got a problem (say a drug reaction, or a sudden crash) can I call up and speak to you, or have you call me back within a reasonable time frame?
- How much do the appointments cost? Are there discounts for pensioners (like me)?
- What are the arrangements for after-hours consultations if they become necessary?
Miscellaneous questions:
- If I read about new research or new treatments on the Internet, or in books, will you be willing to read about these and discuss them if I bring print-outs in to my appointment?
Please feel free to print out this list and take it with you when you're seeing a new doctor!
