What Should You Do When You Feel and Become Sick?
Dr. Chin Lin is a urologist practicing in Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Lin specializes in diseases of the urinary tract and the male reproductive system. This includes areas of the bladder, urethra, kidneys, penis, and prostate. Urology is a surgical specialty and requires knowledge in other areas of expertise such as gynecology... more
Dear Life Enthusiasts, Family Members, Friends, and ...,
No matter what we may have done, certain sicknesses may strike us at various degrees of severity at certain points along our life path. If it does happen, what should you do? No matter whatever the sickness may be, you have to determine to win such an invisible war for life.
How?
- Complete History Taking:
At the strike of illness, instantly and carefully, collect and bring detailed information on the onset, degree, duration, interval, progress, evolution, and resolution of all the related symptoms, but stressing the sequence of events, to the doctor for review and analysis.
- Perform Physical Examination:
At the doctor office, s/he will perform a thorough systemic physical examination to assure the state of your general health state and the possible significant finding directly related to your symptoms which urge you to see the doctors after reviewing the information you brought with you and further inquiry to confirm all your symptoms are accurate.
- Order Laboratory Tests and/or Imaging Studies as Needed:
Laboratory testing may include:
1. Blood – for general health with electrolytes, blood sugar, complete blood counts, or for targeting specific organs/systems like liver function tests, kidney function tests, blood lipid profile, drug screening, STD screening, etc. to fit the individual needs.
2. Urine – a general routine urinalysis (UA) with chemstrip alone with/without microscopic examination and/or urine culture. Occasionally, a 24-hour urine testing may be required like that for the patients with recurrent urinary stone disease or suspected to have adrenal dysfunction or suspected kidney failure, etc.
3. Imaging Studies: Its options are ultrasound studies (ultrasonography); computerized tomography (CT scan); MRI; PET scan; angiography for vessels, heart, kidneys, or specific organs.
4. Others like voiding chart, urodynamic studies for bladder function, etc. Thereby, combining all the above together, your doctor will more likely be able to deduce the most accurate possible diagnoses and offer the best possible reasonable treatment, care, and counseling for you to ease current suffering and speed up recovery, and to minimize and even avoid recurrence. Then you get the best possible hope to live a longer happier life.
How Has This Approach Worked?
From Dr. Lin's 47-year experience in medical practice, he has found and confirmed this approach has worked so well for all his patients at its best possible merits and capacity; that is all that we can do and offer in real life.
Why?
It allows your doctor to analyze the available information on the quality, quantity, and sequence of events of all symptoms in detail. Then s/he will know which organs or systems may be the focus/target of suspicion and to objectively define and confirm the best possible diagnosis with physical examinations and timely testing. So the most reasonable treatment, care, and counseling can be provided for you.
Although you would expect and like to see an improvement in symptoms and general well-being, most of the time in the way or direction you like, it may not always be the case. Occasionally, the expected improvement may be not as fast and much as you may expect, and the course of sickness may instead worsen in attesting. In medicine, doctors have never cured anything for anyone, but, at most and at best, just help the patients to understand and modify something for some conditions to some degree with/without drugs and/or procedures at a reasonable time in a reasonable way to reasonable patients.
Behind what we know, always hides something we may still not know. This is life's reality. Life is constantly changing, adjusting the dynamic process of struggle to cope with reality, certainty, and uncertainty of daily living for survival, growth, and continuation from inception and eternity. In spite of medical advances, all medical care is still based on indirect evidence resulting from collecting and analyzing all available experience.
Therefore, it is mandatory to work closely with your doctor by timely reporting what may be unexpected in a clinical course or side effects from treatment so your doctor can reassess your conditions and modify the direction of care for you. I hope the above information will guide you to get the best possible medical care you deserve.
More Instant Useful Insights for Effective Living
Besides the above, I have refined and crystallized some useful ideas and insights about life, health, and diseases for you to review right away to gain an instant overview, benefit, and help in:
Special Note
Don't get panicked, but faithfully practice a high-quality healthy lifestyle without overindulgence and obsession as the core foundation of all health/medical care disregarding who, when, what, and how you are.
Final, Not Least, Note
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