Working With Your Doctor

Now that we've sent you to look at the guidelines, we must strongly state that such documents are written about the "average" patient. With so many individual variables, they are no substitute for good medical judgment. And that makes your choice of doctor -- and your relationship with that doctor -- of paramount importance. Ideally, you will want to choose a doctor who is very experienced in treating HIV disease and who takes the time to keep up to date on all the latest information. It is a simple fact that a doctor who has many HIV positive patients and much experience in dealing with their problems -- and who keeps up to date on the latest therapy breakthroughs -- will be better able to treat you than someone with little experience in the area. Studies have clearly shown that doctors' levels of experience affect their patients' chances for survival. Feel free to interview any doctor you're considering and ask all the questions that are important to you. You definitely want a doctor with whom you feel comfortable and are able to talk freely, and one who will answer your questions respectfully.

After you find the doctor who seems to be the best choice, remember to keep the communications lines open. Here are some suggestions for working with your doctor:

Advertisement
• Always write down questions as they occur to you and bring them with you to your medical appointments.

• Never think that any question is stupid. If there is something you don't understand, you should ask. If part of your confusion stems from the fact that the doctor has slipped into Med-Speak, then by all means ask her or him to spell things out in layperson's terms. At each point, if something confuses you, say that you don't understand and ask for clarification.

• At any time when recommendations are made for this or that therapy, ask for clear explanations of why it's being recommended, exactly what it will entail, what any possible side effects might be, and so on. This will almost certainly work best if you can ask for all this in a way that leaves the doctor feeling that you are just politely asking for full information on anything that's being recommended to you, rather than being hostile.

• Because the amount of information may sometimes seem overwhelming, bringing a tape recorder along may be useful. Most doctors don't object to that and you may find that they'll be even more thorough if you're taping the conversation. Or, you may want to bring along a family member, partner or friend.