Preparing for Your Next Visit
Follow the steps before your meeting with Dr. Curnew:
Current Meds List
Always carry a list of all the medications you are taking, including the
doses. Remember, many individuals see multiple physicians. Complete the
medication list or obtain a complete list from your pharmacy.
Be sure to bring a current meds list to your appointment.
Print and complete form at
Meds List Form if you don't have one.
Prepare Information Form
Print
and complete the next visit form and take it to your next appointment.
Alternately, fax it or send key information in an email.
See
Contact Us for email and fax information.
Know Your Blood Pressure
Poor Blood Pressure (BP) is a silent killer.
Your heart is a strong
muscle that pumps freshly oxygenated blood through arteries to the rest of
your body. When the heart contracts it causes an increase in pressure in
your arteries, this is called the
Systolics blood pressure. When your heart
relaxes (and fills with blood), the pressure in your arteries is called the
Diatolic blood pressure.
The best BP is 110/70 mmHg. Higher values lead to
more health problems.
-
All Canadians should have a BP to a safer level of 140/90 mmHg OR LESS.
-
If you have diabetes, blocked arteries or kidney problems, your target is
lower at 130/80 mmHg or less.
-
Keep in mind home BP measurements are generally 10/5 mmHg lower than those
achieved in the MD office.
- Ideal BP is < 110/70
Select
More Info
page for more information about blood pressure measuring
devices including those used in the home.
Medication Information
Most of us would prefer not to be on medications.
However, to maintain health, we have a series of drugs that allow us
to live healthier, longer and improve our quality of life when used
appropriately.
Use the same pharmacist for all your prescriptions and ask for 2 copies of
wallet size prescription list, one to give to Dr. Curnew with each visit.
Another option is filling the medication profile (small blue card). Keep it
up-to-date by filling it out in pencil so changes can easily be made.
Take more than one if needed.
Alternately, you can browse the Internet for copies of the
High Road to Health Workbook-Cookbook that can be download for free.
Typically they include space for you to keep track of your health journey.
You will find versons written by various authors and catering to different food choices.
Many of these books are also available in traditional printed form from bookstores.
Don't run out of your pills before your next visit. Most physicians,
including myself are no longer providing renewals of medications by phone
because of potential for too many errors.
Telephone Prescription Renewal Problem
Mr. Phone Renewal is a 55 year old gentleman who is running out of his
cholesterol and blood pressure pills, and calls my office for a phone
renewal. He hasn't seen me for over a year. My secretary quickly brought him
to the office later that day where he brought all his medications.
Going through his medical record, his last cholesterol, measured a year and-a-half
ago was extremely high at 6.5 mmol/L.
His blood pressure today was 150/95:
also, too high.
His last blood work suggested that he was a pre-diabetic
with a fasting blood sugar of 6.5 mmol/L.
A simple phone renewal would be the easiest for all parties involved,
however it is bad medicine.
Mr. Phone Renewal now has diabetes and was
under-treated for all his risk factors. I am glad that I made sure he came
in.
"Good medicine is doing what is best, not doing what is easiest"
Many physicians including Dr. Curnew no longer provide phone renewals of
prescription medications. There are too many opportunities for errors, and
poor medical care. If you are running out of your pills your should:
- Contact your pharmacy to get a renewal of your pills.
(Your pill bottle will indicate the number of remaining refills allowed on the prescription.)
If it says 0 (zero) then no more refills remain.
If you have exceeded the number of renewals, the pharmacist can contact your doctor to get it renewed.
Allow at least 2 business days for this to happen.
The doctor may want to see you before you get a renewal. Your pharmacist will notify you if this is the case.
- Do not ignore taking your medication if you run out.
This could result in serious side effects.
Best to consult your pharmacist or your doctor in this case.
Your pharmacist may be able to dispense a few days worth of your medication if you have completely run out.
- If you cannot access your pills because you forgot to take them with you when you are travelling or
they got destroyed by a flood, etc., consult a nearby pharmacist or a doctor to help you.
They may charge for their services but it will be worth it even though they might say
that a skipped dosage is OK.
- Leave enough time to see your doctor before your prescription has run out.
Blood Tests
A blood test should be done 1 week before each visit
to allow the results to be available online to the doctor.
Some places will give results online within 24 hours but best to do the testing early, just in case.
Most of us do not know our own cholesterol levels and other important
results.
For many medical conditions, appropriate monitoring of liver,
kidney function and potassium are important.
You should know your
cholesterol fractions and blood sugar.
If you have blocked arteries or
diabetes you must make sure that you are at goal every year and stay below
target values.
Less than 25% of Canadians at high risk are at target
cholesterol values.
If you do not know your values, have not had recent
blood work or would like blood work done, grab a laboratory requisition form.
Add your NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, OHIP #, and name of your family doctor
on the list.
Have your fasting blood work done at least
two weeks before the next appointment with Dr. Curnew.
Prevention
Prevention: the best way to treat a heart attack or stroke is to prevent it
from happening in the first place
Most of Dr. Curnew's days are spent dealing with crisis.
We are treating most disease
processes in the advanced phases.
Little time is available for prevention.
Finding time to discuss healthy lifestyles adequately is very difficult
during my daily practice.
However, it is so important that I have decided to
deal with prevention once per month in a relaxed and fun atmosphere to
answer your questions, learn how to prevent and better treat ILLNESS so
wellness predominates.
