I hear this again and again. My clients are having medical procedures or surgery and they are so eager to get it over with and have the appointment scheduled that they do not ask about what to expect post -procedure. (I, too, have experienced this personally.) Consider the woman who had her appendix removed and did not know how often to take her pain medication. Or, the man who wanted to return to his exercise schedule but wasn’t sure when to do that. He was miserable missing his exercise routine because that was and continues to be his major source of stress relief. How about the woman whose leg swelled up after getting her varicose veins treated and was unable to reach her doctor after hours. And there was no doctor on call. The after-hours calls were going to a man in New York City who had no connection to this medical practice.
What all of these people have in common is that they did not have a clear understanding of what to expect after their medical procedures. And, of course, this ambiguity led/leads to anxiety, which is a tough coupling when paired with healing.
I have put together a bit of a guide for what you should ask your doctor prior to your procedure. Having this list of questions ready should help you with a less anxiety-filled recovery.
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Recovery: Ask how long you should expect to be home and off from work. Ask about when and how frequently you should take your pain medicine. Find out what you should expect in terms of the level of fatigue you’ll experience, although this may vary from person to person. Find out what reactions are to be expected. Ask how much pain is considered to be within the normal range. Ask about reactions such as inflammation, constipation, and itchiness. Research the procedure and Facebook groups that exist about this procedure, and gather your questions. You are undergoing a trauma/change, and you are allowed and entitled to know what to expect. Do go to the doctor prepared with a list of questions. Your doctor may or may not initiate a discussion of expectations, so this is your job.
2. Contact: Ask who you can contact if you have questions after the procedure. Should you call the doctor’s nurse? Should you leave a message for the doctor? If you leave a message on the portal, how soon should you expect a response? These are critical questions that we need to get answers to so we don’t end up scared and in the emergency room in the middle of the night. That is certainly the last place that anyone wants to be for several hours in the middle of the night, right?
3. Financial Responsibilities: This is an extremely important area that often gets overlooked. You will likely get some sort of bill post procedure. Find out who in the office you should speak to if you get unexpected bills. This can be a major source of stress, and it helps if you have this information at your fingertips. When you are recovering, you are unlikely to have the bandwidth to start seeking out those who can help you with payment issues.
