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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred to an endocrinologist. Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including past illnesses and operations, major stresses or recent life changes, and any medical problems that run in your family.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins and supplements, that you're taking.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For acanthosis nigricans, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What is likely causing my symptoms or condition?
- Are there other possible causes for my symptoms or condition?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
- What is the best course of action?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
- Should I see a specialist?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment whenever you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing acanthosis nigricans?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- Has anyone in your immediate family experienced acanthosis nigricans?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your acanthosis nigricans?
- What, if anything, makes your acanthosis nigricans worse?
- DeWitt CA, et al. Cutaneous manifestations of internal malignant disease: Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2961164. Accessed Jan. 10, 2010.
- Goldstein BG, et al. Metabolic and inherited diseases affecting the skin. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2010.
- Cutaneous manifestations of internal disease. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00035-3--s0160&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00035-3--s0180&uniq=178031830&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=938193257#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00035-3--st0155%3Bfrom%3Dcontent%3Bisbn%3D978-0-7234-3541-9%3Btype%3DbookPage. Accessed Jan.10, 2010.
- Reynolds RV. Cutaneous manifestations of internal malignancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2010.
- Acanthosis nigricans. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/acanthosis_nigrica.html. Accessed Jan. 10, 2010
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