To get ready for your appointment with your healthcare provider:

• Write down how you feel, your symptoms, how long symptoms last, what makes your symptoms better or worse, and any concerns you have. Use a symptom tracker (PDF) to help you remember information about your symptoms.
• Make a list of your questions and concerns. When you’re done, mark the things that are most important to you.
• Make a list of all the prescription and over-the-counter medicines you take. Or you can take photos of your medicines on your phone or plan to bring a bag with your medicines. Include any vitamins, supplements, ointments, herbs, and muscle stimulators.
• Ask someone you trust to go with you to your appointment. They can help you ask questions, write down instructions, and remember explanations.
• Bring a pen and paper and plan to write notes during the visit. Or you can record the conversation using your phone or an app like the Alberta Health Services My Care Conversations app.

Contact your healthcare provider right away if you have:

• constant pain that doesn’t get better
• sharp, stabbing pain that stops you from moving normally
• change of sensation in your hips and buttocks (bum area)
• changes in your ability to walk
• night sweats
• unexplained weight loss
• accidents with bowel or bladder function, or trouble using the toilet
• numbness in your perineal area (between your genitals and anus), often with numbness or weakness in your legs