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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner if you think you have a kidney stone. Small kidney stones can be treated by your family doctor. But if you have a large kidney stone and experience severe pain or kidney problems, your doctor may refer you to a doctor who treats problems in the urinary tract (urologist).
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared. 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, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
- Write down your symptoms, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to absorb all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your appointment. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For kidney stones, some basic questions include:
- Do I have a kidney stone?
- What size is my kidney stone?
- Where is my kidney stone located in my urinary tract?
- What type of kidney stone do I have?
- Will I need medication to treat my kidney stone?
- Will I need surgery or another procedure to treat my kidney stone?
- What is the chance that I will develop another kidney stone?
- How can I prevent kidney stones in the future?
- 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? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What Web sites do you recommend?
- What will determine whether I should plan for a follow-up visit?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment any time that you don't understand something.
- Worcester EM, et al. Nephrolithiasis. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2008;35:369.
- Kidney stones in adults. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/stonesadults/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 5, 2010.
- Diet for kidney stone prevention. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/kidneystonediet/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 5, 2010.
- Watkins RW. Urolithiasis (kidney and bladder stones). In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elxevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/177428112-2/0/1494/0.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2010.
- Kidney stones. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Jan. 6, 2010.
- Humphreys MR (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Jan. 8, 2010.
- Anderson CF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 7, 2010.
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