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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 immediately to an infectious diseases specialist.
Here's information to help you prepare for your appointment.
What you can do
- 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, especially recent activities, such as hunting or gardening or travel to tick-infested areas.
- Take a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements you're taking.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Preparing a list of questions for your doctor will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important. For tularemia, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What is likely causing my symptoms or condition?
- Other than the most likely cause, what are other possible causes for my symptoms or condition?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- What is the best course of action?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach you're suggesting?
- I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
Don't hesitate to ask other questions during your appointment at any time.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, including:
- When did you begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have you been hunting, gardening or traveling to tick-heavy areas recently?
- Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about tularemia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/tularemia/faq.asp. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
- Nigrovic LE, et al. Tularemia. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;22:489.
- Everett. ED. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of tularemia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
- Everett ED. Microbiology, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of tularemia, http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
- Eisen RJ, et al. Ecoepidemiology of tularemia in the Southcentral United States. American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. 2008;78:586.
- Tularemia: Surveillance reported cases by state. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tularemia/Surveillance/Tul_CasesbyState.html. Accessed March 2, 2010.
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