When you get a complex medical diagnosis, you might feel overwhelmed. Your worries about your health combined with the unfamiliar medical jargon can make your early conversations with your doctor seem like a blur. You may feel like you're struggling to understand what treatment your doctor is recommending.
You'll have plenty of opportunities to meet with your medical team to ask questions before you agree to treatment. You may even be able to schedule an office visit specifically to cover questions that you need to ask before treatment starts. Your doctor or members of their staff should be willing to help you understand everything about your treatment plan. You'll feel better about your treatment if you understand what everything means in advance.
Here's a short list of questions to ask your doctor about their treatment recommendations:
- What treatments options are available? Why are you recommending one instead of the others?
- How long will the treatment take?
- Are there side effects? What are they?
- What activity restrictions will I have? Will I be able to keep working?
- What will the treatment cost? Is financial assistance available?
- What is the prognosis for me if I get this treatment?