On this page
You can arrive with a short note about what you want help with. You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis. This sheet gives you a place to put your questions before the appointment and record what you agree afterwards.
Keep the note wherever you will find it: a notebook, a document on your phone, or a printed page. You decide which details to share. The page does not save or send your answers.
Start with what you want from the conversation
Complete this sentence in your own words:
“The main thing I would like help understanding is…”
Perhaps you want to talk about a change to your periods. Perhaps you have been finding it harder to get through a workday, or you have a question about advice you have already received. You can describe the experience without deciding what caused it.
Then add what you hope to leave with. That could be an explanation, a discussion of options, a plan for checking something, or clarity about whom to speak to next.
What I would like to understand before I leave:
Write down what you have noticed
Use details you remember. An estimate marked “about” is more useful than a date you have guessed and presented as exact.
| Prompt | Your notes |
|---|---|
| What changed? | |
| When did you first notice it? | |
| How often does it happen? | |
| What does it interrupt or make harder? | |
| What have you already tried or discussed? |
“I am tired” can be the beginning of the note. If it helps, add a scene: “I need a break before my afternoon calls” or “I wake up and do not feel rested.” Use your own examples. You do not need to match a list from the internet.
If there are several concerns, mark the one you most want to discuss. You can also ask how the other questions will be covered if there is not enough time in this appointment.
Keep existing information together
If you have previous reports, prescriptions or notes that relate to the conversation, put them in one folder or bring copies. Note the date and where each came from. You can ask the clinic in advance which records it wants you to bring.
Make a list of medicines and supplements you currently use, if any, so you can discuss it with the practitioner. Include the names from the packaging rather than relying on a description such as “the white tablet.” This is a record for the conversation, not an instruction to start, stop or change anything.
Records or questions I want to remember to bring:
Choose the questions that matter to you
You do not need to ask every question below. Circle or copy the ones that fit your appointment.
- What are the possible explanations for what I have described?
- What information would help you understand it better?
- If you suggest a test, what question would it answer, and how would the result change the next step?
- What options can we discuss, and what are their benefits, limits and costs?
- What should I look out for while following this plan?
- When should I contact you again, and how?
- If I need another practitioner, what should I take to that appointment?
If something is unclear, you can say, “Can you explain that in plain language?” You can also repeat the plan in your own words and ask whether you have understood it.
Leave with the next step written down
Before the conversation ends, make a note of what happens next. A useful record separates what was discussed from what was agreed.
| What was agreed? | Who will do it? | When or under what circumstances? |
|---|---|---|
If the plan includes another appointment or a report you need to collect, note how that will happen. If you have a question later, keep it with this record instead of trying to remember it for the next visit.
Keep this sheet yours
You can print this page and fill it in by hand. You can leave any section blank. The purpose is to help you speak about what matters to you and remember the next step, in words you understand.
Start with one sentence: what would you like help understanding?
This resource provides general information and does not diagnose a condition or replace advice from a qualified practitioner.