HOW TO GETYOUR BEST OUT OFYOUR APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR GYNECOLOGIST
Dr Steven R. Goldstein MD is an Obgyn in Manhattan in private practice for over 30 years. A tenured Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU School of Medicine, Dr Goldstein believes individualized patient care is what every patient deserves. He continues to be the only physician that patients see when they visit his practice. Dr Goldstein shares how women can get their best out of their visit with their gynecologist.
I recommend you visit your Ob-gyn twice a year. The most basic step in a thorough exam happens before you even make an appointment. Keep a good menstrual calendar. When a patient tells me that she’s “not that regular”, it tells me very little. I can tell a lot from a good calendar. Record when you start to bleed and how many days you bleed. Add details about the lightness or heaviness of the flow if it has seemed unusual.
It's ideal if you can bring in the dates for the past year to your appointment. If you are suffering from symptoms, you may want to chart those also. I can save you time and money of a fishing expedition if you can show your
doctor when symptoms such as sleeplessness, anxiety, or forgetfulness are occurring in relation to your menstrual cycle.
THOSE LONG QUESTIONNAIRES AT YOUR APPOINTMENT
Dr Goldstein, a Gynecologist in Manhattan, had this to say about those long questionnaires to fill out at your appointment.
The questionnaires you are often handed when you to medical appointments are becoming longer and longer. Managed care has created a necessity for these longer forms, as the doctor tries to get as much information as possible before he or she sees you face to face.
The trouble is, these forms often seem invasive. There are women who are leery about putting things down in writing, especially when it comes to sensitive questions sex or other aspects of their personal history. It’s one thing to answer in writing the question “Has anyone had heart disease in your immediate family?” and hand it back to a stranger; it’s another to answer questions asking if you have had a sexually transmitted disease or unprotected sex with more than one partner.
The all-or-nothing yes/no answers on these questionnaires can be difficult. The patient reads “do you take any prescription drugs?” and the pen stops. She thinks “Well, I felt jittery all week and I took half of a Xanax out of the bottle my husband got when he hurt his back. So is this a yes or no? Should I tell about my anxiety? Will the doctor think I’m bad because I’m taking someone else’s drugs?”.
Then there are the questions about personal habits. “Do you smoke?”. You quit years ago, but you occasionally bum a couple of cigarettes when you go out for a drink after work. Is that a yes or a no?” Do you need another lecture about smoking?
These forms ask for needed information but no one is going to stop you from writing “I’d like to discuss this in person” or drawing a big question mark on the form and waiting until you meet with your doctor to answer certain questions.
You are also free to ask why you’re being asked certain questions. For example “Doctor, your questionnaire asks about the use of recreational drugs. Can you explain how that might be related to changes in a woman’s menstrual cycle?”
Just remember that when you are alone with your doctor, your health will benefit from complete disclosure. You can’t get the best medical care if you withhold the information your doctor needs to help you.
Many women worry about being honest with their doctors. So much information is available about healthy habits and diets and lifestyles. Most of us fall short of perfection. If you don’t know where your calcium is coming from because you haven’t tasted milk in a decade, you haven’t made time to get a mammogram, or you’re fifteen pounds overweight, remember that you are the health-care consumer. You are not in your doctor’s office to get a judgment about whether you have been good or bad, but how you can feel your best.
Dr Goldstein is a leading Obgyn in Manhattan, a past President of the International Menopause Society, former director of Gynecologic Ultrasound at NYU Langone Medical Center, and a past Chairman of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), New York Section.
As usual, this article does not constitute medical advice and is for information only. Consult your doctor or Gynecologist for medical advice.