When diagnosed with Advanced Prostate Cancer one common piece of advice we all receive is to get the best possible doctor to help us with our treatment. Treatment is complex and a physician on the “cutting edge” of research will better help you to obtain your health goals.
Some of us are fortunate enough to live in or near a major metropolitan area where there are a number of “expert†doctors available to us. However, many of us are unable to have access to an expert that is located in close proximity. When you are faced with this problem, you must proceed with extra caution.
You must ask yourself what will happen if you become very sick while being away from home. Are you prepared to be hospitalized away from your family and friends? What about insurance, will you have a problem getting coverage? Will your medications be covered?
Of course you must find a local doctor who is willing to follow the direction of your distant expert. You will need this local support if you become ill while at home and to administer and monitor any on going treatment prescribed by your distant expert.
If you do decide to travel to an expert you must always carry all of your important papers. Your complete medical history, your durable power of attorney for health care, advance directive and your insurance policy information and your long-term care policy if you have.
Joel Nowak MA, MSW
Sage advice, Joel.
iHealth.com
PCREF.org (Smart Chart)
…are two ways to have all our medical info on the web and accessible via anyone we designate with SECURE access.
I carry a three-ring binder which also has the DVD’s and CD’s of my scans.
When it comes down to it WE the patients must take responsibility for ourselves and/or task a loving family member or friend who has the organizational skills should we lack them. Just keeping track of meds and dosages alone is reason to pack our records along.
All that said, we are advised to WAIT for COPIES of the doctors notes or image copies from radiology so that any new doctor on our team has a complete picture. I’ve been stunned with “we can’t find it”, “your other doctor/lab/hospital has it” on a number of occasions. I just reach in my canvas bag and pull out a copy of the now missing record.