IC Help: Doctor Appointment Tips

The day of your interstitial cystitis consultation…

You’ve waited months to see an IC specialist. (That you found only after seeing multiple other health care providers who couldn’t help you with your bladder symptoms.) Understandably you want to make the most out of your limited time together. So how can you best prepare for it? Here are a few doctor appointment tips to maximize the time with your specialist:

1. Know your medical history.
   Your medical history is essential not only to confirming that you have interstitial cystitis, but to help with your treatment. There are many common medical conditions that can mimic the symptoms of IC. Knowing that you have these conditions can be of great help to direct treatment when you think you are having worsening of your IC symptoms. For instance, patients who have interstitial cystitis and endometriosis or vulvodynia often can’t tell which is causing their bladder symptoms. If your doctor doesn’t know of these diagnoses, they might continue recommending treatments for IC rather than addressing other conditions.
2. Bring copies of old medical records.
   If you’re like most people with interstitial cystitis, you’ve probably had bladder symptoms for a while and have had a battery of tests. Although IC is a diagnosis of exclusion, I still see a fair number of people with the diagnosis of IC who actually also have other conditions. For example, a common one is recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI), so it’s important to bring copies of any prior urinary tests. And the same goes for reports of any procedures or surgeries you might have had. By providing your doctor with a thorough medical history, you can avoid repeating the same information and tests that ultimately saves you time (and money!).
3. Discuss what helps (and what aggravates) your symptoms.
   Trying to remember what things help or aggravate your bladder symptoms can be hard. This is where a diary that can track your symptoms can be helpful. Be detailed, including not only what you ate and drank, but what your mood and stress level were when you have a flare. In my experience, patients are not particularly motivated to pull out a piece of paper and pen during flares to write down what might have triggered it. And even if some things were recorded, it might not be as thorough as possible. But taking the effort to do so can be incredibly helpful!
   

In conclusion:

By taking these doctor appointment tips as proactive steps, you’re not just preparing for an appointment; you’re taking control of your health journey. An informed patient is an empowered patient. This preparation allows your IC specialist to truly partner with you, focusing on effective solutions rather than repeating past efforts. Maximizing your consultation means getting closer to the relief you deserve! So you can spend less time managing symptoms and more time living fully.

“And I said to my body softly, ‘I want to be your friend.’ It took a long breath and replied, ‘I have been waiting my whole life for this.’”

— Nayyirah Waheed