I still have some thoughts about what's going on.' You are the expert on your experience, and no one but you can describe your area of expertise: your body. When you get a chance, say, 'I'd really like to go back to my story. We have no idea which detail is going to be useful until we hear them all. Sanders: If your doctor interrupts before you are through, indicate to her you're not done. O : What happens if your doctor doesn't take the time to listen? If something strange happens to you once, okay, everybody has one freak occurrence. Another important question: 'Has anything like this ever happened to you before?' Patients often overlook this. As I was giving her the results, she said, 'Oh, I think this might be dengue fever because I was just in Puerto Rico visiting relatives and everybody in the neighborhood had dengue and felt just like this.' Sure enough, that's what she had. But 48 hours later, all the tests (Lyme disease, various other bacteria, salmonella, etc.) were negative. I took a good history and did a thorough physical exam. I had a patient with fever, low blood pressure, sore throat, and maybe diarrhea. Sanders: Actually, the first question is one that I find doctors rarely ask, though they should: 'Do you have any idea what this is?' Patients usually do have a sense of what is ailing them. Use this info, and then be prepared to answer the questions that doctors ask. You tell them about the pain you're feeling-what makes it worse, what makes it better, how it affects your life. You share it with your friends, your mother, your spouse.

Sanders: You're telling your story even before you call a physician. So it’s no surprise that she has become one of the leading voices in the field of medical sleuthing, writing the. O : How do I know what to tell my doctor? Two things Lisa Sanders, MD, loves are a good mystery and a compelling story. In her new book, Every Patient Tells a Story, Sanders uses puzzling medical cases to illustrate how narrative can help you help your doctor.

That's no surprise given the inspiration for the series-the New York Times column 'Diagnosis,' by Lisa Sanders, MD. While they obsess over emergencies, surgeries, and affairs of the heart, House is all about the subtle art of diagnosis. Gregory House, MD, the main character of the Fox TV show House, isn't like other TV doctors.

Dr lisa sanders new york times