Re: 6 things your dr isn't telling you:To Fr Cill

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks so much for sending this article it was very

informitive. I need a new rhumatologist but i've been puting off

finding one I hate breaking in a new doc but i didnt like the old one

and my health insurance is no longer. i'm doing fair the hours at

work eased off for a while but i'm on the schedule for 6 days the

first two weeks of june. plus my regular weekends and i'm on the

schedule of memorial day as well. keep me in your prayers the next

few weeks will be trying at best. I had to hold down the fort 3 weeks

ago there was a outbreak of stoumach flu and Porter Place was put in

quaritine that was fun NOT. but i made it through without getting

sick and for Mothers day Dan and bought me a new cell phone.

hopefully we will get to go to texas sometime in july to visit My

parents Dad is falling alot and mom broak two ribs choughing i worry

so about them. not much more to tell for now sorry i havent been on

lately I have just been so tired I check my email and get off.

hugs and Love to you all Love Cill.....

> Arthritis Today: Zipped Lips -- 6 Things Your Doctor Isn't Telling

You

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> No news isn't good news when it comes to these six

issues. Here's what your doctor may keep mum about -- and what you

can do to get the care you need.

>

> Also of Interest

>

> Be a Smarter Patient

>

> New Guidelines for Overweight Patients

>

> It's probably happened to you at least once: You head

out to the parking lot after your doctor's appointment, unlock your

car door and suddenly remember something you wanted to ask your

doctor. You mentally calculate the time until your next appointment --

can you wait that long? Should you call? While you're pondering in

the parking lot, your doctor may be having the same experience in his

office hallway. Maybe there was something he meant to tell you. Maybe

there's a question he forgot to ask. Maybe one of your comments has

suddenly clicked in his mind.

>

> Surprised? You shouldn't be. A new study shows that

doctors may forget, decide to forgo or just don't know to do much of

what patients need in a typical visit. The study, published last fall

in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that doctors in the

United States take only half the recommended steps in treating

patients with arthritis and other common conditions, including

diabetes and lower back pain. In some cases, especially when it comes

to conditions involving chronic pain, doctors take barely 10 percent

of the recommended steps.

>

> What's missing? Sometimes it's actual treatments, tests

doctors might have ordered or medications they might have prescribed.

Most often, though, it's things that go unsaid -- lifestyle

counseling, information about risk factors and other subtler points.

In some cases, time is an issue and doctors usually focus on acute

concerns -- the pain or infection for which you made the appointment -

- leaving only a few minutes each visit for preventive care. So,

doctors may pick and choose preventive care measures based on time

and need and stay silent about the rest. Doctors may also avoid

potentially sensitive but risk-related issues, such as age and

weight, unless patients bring them up first. And doctors may rely on

their patients to address subjective concerns, like depression and

pain, rather than probe their patients for them.

>

> " Doctors are oriented toward doing rather than toward

teaching, " says Isadore Rosenfeld, MD, professor of medicine at

Cornell University School of Medical Sciences, N.Y., explaining that

it's now more cost-effective for a doctor to give a patient a shot to

temporarily stop the pain of an inflamed knee than to spend time

counseling that patient on the diet and exercise strategies that

could help long-term.

>

> At best, this snapshot of doctor office interactions is

disconcerting; at worst, it's frightening. You can worry or fume over

the possibility you're receiving substandard care, or you can do

something about it. Speak up. It's not enough anymore to show up for

your appointments and trust your doctor to take care of the rest.

It's your job to stay informed about your condition and to ask your

doctor about anything you don't understand. Think of your doctor's

appointment as a business meeting - go in prepared so you'll come out

with the information you need. The American College of Rheumatology

Web site (www.rheumatology.org) lists treatment guidelines for

rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), lupus and other

arthritis-related conditions, so you can bring your own checklist

into appointments.

>

> We scanned studies and reports and spoke with some of

the top experts in the field to find out what your doctor might not

be saying. " Patients need to make every minute of their appointment

count, " says Dr. Rosenfeld. " Sit down with your doctor, and

say, 'Before we go on, let me tell you what I'm worried about.' "

Here's what you may not hear -- and why it matters:

>

> 1 " Your weight, your eating habits and even how

much sleep you get can impact your health. "

>

> 2 " Your state of mind matters. "

>

> 3 " You need to know what to expect in the future. "

>

> 4 " Your medications may interact with each other. "

>

> 5 " Getting a second opinion can make a big

difference. "

>

> 6 " Chronic pain is not a fact of life because you

have arthritis. "

>

>

>

>

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