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Be Prepared at Doctor Appointments

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There are four ways you can be prepared at your next doctor appointment, especially when seeing a new physician.

1. Write down and bring your three most pressing questions to the appointment. Leave room to write notes and bring a copy for everyone who needs one. You can find a template for Medical Appointment Questions here.

2. List out your major medical events in chronological order. This can include your CLL diagnosis and any other important events or treatments. Bring a printed copy with you in case your physician does not have immediate access to your history. It’s also a good practice to bring with you when you travel. You can find a template Medical History Form, which can be edited here.

3. Keep track of your lab results using CLL Society’s Lab Results Tracker. Whether you have just been diagnosed with CLL and have only one or two sets of lab results or you were diagnosed years ago and have pages and pages of lab results, this document will help you organize and easily keep track of important trends in your lab reports. Download CLL Society’s Keeping Track of Lab Results template here.

4. If you are experiencing symptoms such as night sweats, weight loss, fatigue, changes in appetite, changes in bowel habits, or other gastrointestinal symptoms, it is important to relay this information to your doctor. You can track symptoms in advance of your doctor appointment using the CLL Symptoms Checklist here.