Bouncing Back from Back Surgery

Your annual checkup with your family doctor is an ideal opportunity to learn a lot about your health — but only if you take the right approach. Unless you're seeing your family doctor several other times throughout the year, the annual checkup is typically your only chance to have your doctor assess your health, share his or her findings, and give you some things to work on in the year ahead. Taking an active interest in your health is paramount during this visit, so here are some simple ways that you can learn more about your health.

Ask About Things You Don't Understand

Some family doctors have a habit of talking quickly, and may cover a number of different health-related topics in just a few sentences. It's easy to get overwhelmed by this conversation, nod your head, and then leave the doctor's office without retaining much of what was discussed. The simple way to avoid this risk is to ask for plenty of clarification during the conversation. Don't be afraid to interject to have your doctor explain what a certain medical term means, or to have the doctor repeat a concept if you didn't understand it the first time. You may also wish to take a note pad and a pen so that you can jot down notes while the doctor speaks.

Ask For Some Follow-Up Emails

If your family doctor's clinic has computers in each examination room, it's common for your doctor to bring up different images, research papers, and fact sheets as he or she explains details about your health. There's absolutely nothing wrong with asking for one or more of these sites or studies to be emailed to you. In many cases, the doctor will be able to load his or her email on the computer as you speak, and then forward the relevant websites to you so that you can go through them at home.

Take A Family Member

Perhaps you have trouble understanding certain concepts or maybe you're too shy to ask the family doctor to repeat himself or herself. If this is the case, it's a good idea to ask a family member to attend the checkup with you. He or she doesn't have to physically be present during the examination, but a nurse can call your family member in at the conclusion of the examination but before the doctor talks about your health with you. This person can be valuable for taking notes, asking questions, and getting an understanding of your health.

For more information, contact companies like Rural Health Services Consortium Inc.