A parent for the UK posted this list of TIPS on Facebook from a UK Rheumtologist. This list is awesome. I have actually had discussions with our pediatrician about filming Trevor with the ipad to show how he "really" acts- trying to disprove amplified pain syndrome (i.e. Not depressed or bullied,etc). Also our rheumatologist always laughs about the girls that come to their 2nd and 3rd appointments in skinny jeans. Poor things have to put on gowns. This list is great! I wish I had it for our first appointment!
• Make a list, in chronological order, of your child’s symptoms to take to the appoint as this can be enormously helpful for the doctor.
• Take a photograph and/or a video of your child’s skin rash, joint swellings, difficulty while performing any activities like walking, running, going up or down the stairs, struggling with writing etc. on your smart phone or camera and bring this to the appointment.
• Talk to your child about going to see the doctor and tell them the doctor will want to examine them and explain to them what this means. This will help to prepare your child for the examination and also help the doctor.
• Bring any medicines or list of medications to the appointment your child has been taking.
• Dress your child for the appointment in such a way the doctor can examine all the joints, taking care the clothes do not hinder the movement of the shoulder and the hips during examination. Loose shorts and vest/T-shirts are ideal for all boys and girls of any age, either to bring or wear under their regular clothing.
• Let the doctor know if your child has sustained any injuries before the start of the examination.
• Tell the doctor of any other investigations that are planned for your child with another doctor/speciality although, the diagnosis for JIA (in the US you refer to it as JA) depends mostly on the history taking and examination.
• If you have a diary or can use the diary on your phone/iPad this helps for planning future appointments and investigations whilst you are with the doctor.
• Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to take notes during the appointment about what the doctor tells you and contact details of the relevant health professionals.
• Start a folder with all the relevant documents regarding your child filed in order. This helps you to remember appointments and what happened when and who you saw and can also be a handy reference for doctor and the other members of the health care team looking after your child because it provides a good continuity of care between the various health professionals.
