Resource share! How to prep and make the most of a provider visit.

Last week a friend was discussing a few new distressing health issues that have started plaguing her recently in her forties and was reaching out to her primary care doctor for some guidance. Next week I am meeting with a Menopause specialist who is actually in my insurance system (can you believe it?!) to discuss Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. I'll be sharing more on that soon, but for now wanted to share some quick tips that may help your next health visit to be a productive one.

Meeting with a (Menopause Savvy) Provider:

How to prep and make the most of your visit

To begin, try to ensure you have an appointment with the right practitioner.  While it’s impossible to know in advance if a new provider will be the best fit for you, taking time to dig a little bit before locking into an appointment can potentially save you time, money and aggravation. Ask around, check social media and websites. Dr. Mary Claire Haver encourages you to contact the office directly and ask some key questions in advance such as how often the practitioner prescribes BHRT- Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (be wary if it’s 100 percent of the time yes or no as it’s not appropriate for everyone).  This is also a time to clarify insurance, payment information and any other outstanding questions you may have such as required referrals.

Ideally you will not feel rushed at your appointment and have enough time to talk through all your concerns, however, even for initial visits only a finite amount of time is scheduled.  You may want to consider bringing a trusted support person with you for another set of eyes and ears to help share and obtain information.

To make the most of appointment time I generally write out the following:

-Primary and secondary concerns for visit.  Prioritize what is bothering you the most (ex. lack of sleep, brain fog).  Photo documentation can be very helpful here as the coarse skin and breakouts or clumps of hair loss from two weeks ago may not be visible at the time of your visit.

-Brief medical history highlighting any significant past diagnosis and treatments.

-Lab requests (Dr. Mariza encourages you to take a screenshot of the comprehensive lab list included here for you to have a baseline understanding of your important biomarkers at this stage).  For those who love data- bring any recent lab work you have had completed with attention brought to values not in optimal ranges.

-What you have tried doing to help alleviate concerns and are currently still implementing including diet and lifestyle modifications as well as current supplements and any medications.

-Any other information that may be helpful- work and home environments, family history, gene variants if you have been tested etc.

-It is okay to have an idea or two about preferred treatment options and express it.

Earlier in my marriage I used to play this futile game where I would see if my husband could read my mind and anticipate needs to act on like check and change a baby diaper, set up a romantic date or fix a household item on the to do list.  These experiments always ended horribly with disappointment and frustration. So why would I expect a healthcare provider who I meet much less frequently to be clairvoyant and create a comprehensive treatment plan without adequate input from me?  Communication is vital when establishing and maintaining a partnership with a practitioner.

*Contact me if you would like Dr. Mariza's file that breaks down the importance of these labs. Happy to send and if this was helpful for you, then please pass along to other women in your life who may benefit. Anything I should add or adjust? Let me know. Remember, you are your best healthcare advocate. Be well.