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Excerpts

Part I:

Talking with Your Medical Team

The two most common concerns expressed by newly diagnosed Alzheimer's patients and their families are the fear of the unknown and a fear of not communicating well with their doctors. Your medical team can help you make decisions, but you have to ask the right questions first.

Many people are intimidated by their doctors' knowledge and are reluctant to ask them questions, especially with a diagnosis like Alzheimer's. Use this book to help you. This is no time to be shy, to worry about hurting the doctor's feelings, or to be secretly afraid that he may not "like you" if you ask questions. There's no reason to be aggressive in asking your questions, but be firm in telling your doctor that you expect answers.

To be heard, you may need to repeat your questions or concerns. According to a 1999 study published in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, when patients are trying to talk, doctors typically interrupt after just twenty-three seconds. Persist through interruptions. If your doctor interrupts you before you make your point, try saying "I'd like to finish" or "Can we come back to my concerns later?"

The Best Questions in the first chapter suggest what to ask your doctor when you are first hearing the words "Alzheimer's disease." It assumes that you are talking with your family doctor and are probably too overwhelmed to ask a lot of detailed questions. Chapters 2 and 3 will help you find a top Alzheimer's specialist, while chapter 4 gives you the Best Questions to ask when you're discussing the details of the tests with your new specialist (or family doctor). The last chapter in this section arms you with the Best Questions for getting a second opinion on this diagnosis.

The Question Doctor says, Keep asking questions, both your own and from the following chapters. Even the best doctors can't give you the right answers if you don't ask them the right questions first.

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