Health care is a two-way communication between the patient/parent and health care provider.
- Keep records
- Ask questions
- Be a broken record (if you do not understand or are not understood, keep trying)
- Be the squeaky wheel
- Be self-reliant (take charge of your health care)
- Be your child’s / your advocate
- Enlist your health care provider’s help
- Be your doctor’s partner in your health care (be knowledgeable, work together)
- Be motivated, the process may be a long one
- Trust your feelings
First Doctor Visit
A 3-ring binder works well to hold and organize information
- Referral letter from general practitioner or prior health care professional
- Medical history of patient and family
- Past medication history
- Reports from past bone marrow and cytogenetic evaluations
- CBC reports
- Other significant evaluations: such as MRIs, CT scans, Bone Density Evaluations
- Current medications
- Allergies (medication, food, tape, other)
- Question list
- Insurance information
What to Do With Lab Reports
- Keep all lab reports
- Complete Blood Counts
- Bone Marrow Reports
- X-Rays or Imaging Reports
- Physician Notes and Letters
- Order them by keeping the latest report on top