White coat syndrome 2.0: making the most of your doctor's appointment

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Good evening, 66.1ers.

Make sure marcus@66point1 and [email protected] are in your address book so you don’t miss our newsletters now that we’ve made the shift.

Food for thought:

I’ve been hearing from folks this week. They’re intimidated. Frustrated. Anxious. Because they have a doctor’s appointment coming up. But that’s not really the cause of the stress. It’s really about knowing how to talk to your doctor. 

A 63-year-old cancer patient feels like she’s not getting the best care possible. Her oncologist (cancer doctor) is pleased that the chemotherapy is slowing down the cancer. But it’s also diminishing her hemoglobin and she takes 5 hour naps during the day. She’s not sure how to ask if life could be better? 

A friend is establishing care with a primary care physician. Wants to make sure his elevated blood pressure is monitored closely. But knows physicians don’t have extra time. He’s curious how to make sure he gets the care he needs.

It’s a different version of white coat syndrome—the doctor’s office is intimidating—that leads to patients not getting the best care possible.

With 65% of Americans reporting that the time physicians spend with their patients is limited, this is an important conversation. 

More to come in Saturday’s issue, where I’ll outline a process for maximizing the conversations you have with your doctor. 

In the meantime, I’d be curious to hear: what do you do to make sure you make the most of your visit to the doctor? Do you prepare questions and talking points? Make sure someone comes to the appointment with you? Something else?

Reply here an let me know—I might just work it into Saturday’s issue.

What’s your goal?

Did you know that 55% of Americans want to lose weight?
And 38% want to sleep better. 

I’m curious…

What’s your #1 health goal for the next 3 months?

Recommendation of the Week

If you missed it on Saturday, make sure you check out my friend Thom’s newsletter, WFH dads. Tips on fitness, productivity, and family (whether you’re a WFH dad or just interested in these topics).

That’s all for this Wednesday.
See you on Saturday.
Have fun out there.

Marcus