Doctor's Appointments | The Endo Hub

Going to doctor’s appointments to discuss your symptoms (whether you have been diagnosed or not) can be a stressful experience, especially if you’ve been waiting a long while. To help manage any anxiety and get the most out of your appointment, it’s a good idea to prepare beforehand.

How Can You Prepare For a Doctor’s Appointment?

Self-advocate

Self advocating includes deciding what you want out of the appointment, and planning out what points you are going to bring up. This can include the specific symptoms that are bringing you to this appointment, how the symptoms are impacting your quality of life and how long they have been affecting you for. For more information on self-advocacy, check out the Self-Advocacy page!

Make a list of your current medications

This will allow you to save time when the doctor asks what you currently take for your symptoms. It would also be helpful to make a note of any side effects you get from these medications, how they impact your quality of life and how effective you think they are at helping your symptoms. This also includes contraception.

Prepare information about your menstrual cycle

This includes the average length of your cycle, how regular (or irregular) your cycle is, details about your flow during your period and the symptoms you get. Period tracker apps such as Eve or flow are very handy for this, as it means you won’t have to memorise all that information!

Family planning information

As hormonal contraception is the first line of treatment for endometriosis, your doctor will most likely ask if you are planning on trying to get pregnant in the near future, or at all. Your answer will inform them on what treatments they can give you. For example, if you are trying to get pregnant, they will not offer you contraception. Family planning is a topic that can be heavy for some people to talk about, so it’s a good idea to think about it before your appointment.

Doctor’s appointments can feel daunting and heavy, but they don’t have to be. Finding a doctor that listens to your needs and concerns may not be easy, but it is an important step towards finding a treatment that works best for you and ultimately improve your quality of life.

Your body, your choice.

Remember, it’s your body: you are the only one who can live in it, so you should be able to have the final say on the choices that affect you and your body. A major part of self-advocacy is standing up for yourself when your needs and concerns are not being met. If you ever feel as though a clinician you interact with does not respect and listen to your concerns, please find another one who will.