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PATIENT2PATIENT NEWSLETTER
October 1, 2003
Please visit our Web site at: www.Patient2Patient.net
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In This Issue:
* From the Director
* Quotation of the Month
* Alzheimer's WebGuide Now Available!
* New Addition to our Patient Best Practices Subscriber Series: The Ten Most
Important Questions to Ask Your Doctor
* Patient2Patient In the News
* Sponsorships
* Feature Article: Must-Ask Questions About Medications for Your Doctor
* Humor
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~ From the Director ~
This month is especially exciting for us at Patient2Patient as we're announcing
the debut of our Alzheimer's WebGuide. We spent countless hours scouring the
Internet for credible information and practical resources and we're confident
that this Internet guide will prove invaluable to anyone coping with Alzheimer's
either as a patient or caregiver.
At Patient2Patient, we know all too well how important it is to educate oneself
after being diagnosed with a serious illness.
I was diagnosed a number of years ago with what was then considered an
incurable form of leukemia. When my doctors told me that I had exhausted my
treatment options, I refused to accept that prognosis. Instead, I embarked on
a global search for a solution, eventually undergoing a novel type of bone
marrow transplant outside of the U.S. Today I'm very happy to report that my
leukemia is in remission.
In fact, the entire professional staff of Patient2Patient is made up of
individuals who either personally experienced a life threatening disease or
care for someone suffering with serious illness. So we know what you're going
through. And we know how much these WebGuides can help. As a matter of fact,
that's why we're creating them. You can learn more about us by going to our
Web site and clicking on About Us.
But before you do, please read on. This newsletter's feature article offers
some important tips on how to ensure that your medications are doing what
they're supposed to be doing and not harming you in unexpected ways.
Be well,
Andrew Robinson, J.D.
Executive Director
Patient2Patient
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~ Quotation of the Month ~
"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races, one after another."
Walter Elliot
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~ Alzheimer's WebGuides ~
Our ALZHEIMER'S WEBGUIDE is now available! You can order a one-year
subscription to the Alzheimer's WebGuide from our Home Page -
www.Patient2Patient.net by clicking on "Alzheimer's disease" in the scroll
down menu.
The Alzheimer's WebGuide has over 200 interactive pages containing the best
Web site information and resources for Alzheimer's patients and caregivers.
It's organized into more than twenty topic areas, including sites offering
the latest news and treatment information on Alzheimer's and valuable
caregiver resources.
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~ New Addition To Our Patient Best Practices Subscriber Series ~
"THE TEN MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR" is now available to
current WebGuide subscribers.
Would you like to get the most out of all your doctor visits? Do you sometimes
feel that you don't know enough to ask the right medical questions? Then
download this Guide. It's like having a health care expert looking over your
shoulder each and every visit.
Current subscribers can access and download a copy of this Guide by clicking
on the Subscribers button on our Home Page (www.Patient2Patient.net). Log in
and enter your password on the Subscribers page just as you do to download
your regular WebGuide. "The Ten Most Important Questions To Ask Your Doctor"
is available in both Word and Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format.
Upcoming guides will include: "How to Get an Effective Second Opinion,"
"Surviving and Thriving in the Hospital," and The Ten Most Important Questions
to Ask in the Hospital."
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~ Patient2Patient In the News! ~
We're pleased to report that Patient2Patient's Parkinson's WebGuide was
featured in the August/September edition of Senior Digest, as follows:
"There are almost a half million Internet search engine listings for
Parkinson's disease. This large number of sites makes it next to impossible to
find, and trust, an Internet resource that meets the needs of PD patients and
their families. The Patient2Patient WebGuide is a wide-ranging collection of
PD Internet sites. An annual subscription of $24.99 is money well spent. It
entitles the subscriber to download a well-organized 200-page document that
evaluates the best PD sites. Easy step-by-step instructions permit users to
navigate Internet sites directly from the WebGuide with just a couple of mouse
clicks. The cost of the subscription for the Patient2Patient WebGuide includes
updates every 90 days. The subscription comes with a money-back guarantee."
-- Calvin Wood, Staff Writer Senior Digest
A text link to the entire article is available on our Web site in the Press
section: http://ajrob.c.tep1.com/maabvl7aa0Uc3b4tX2Nb/
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~ Sponsorships ~
Ideally, we'd like to create a WebGuide for every existing disease. So if you
know of an individual, organization or group that may be interested in
sponsoring a Patient2Patient WebGuide, please contact Andrew Robinson,
Executive Director at Sponsorship@patient2patient.net. You'll be helping
thousands of patients in need of critical and credible health information.
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~ Feature Article: "Must-Ask Questions About Medications for Your Doctor" ~
Treatment medications can save your life, help you to live longer and bring
relief from pain and limitation. However these same medications, particularly
prescription drugs, can act as a double-edged sword: They can also produce
drastic side effects and prove dangerous if taken improperly or with the wrong
medicines.
Before you begin any new medications, make sure your doctor is fully aware of
all the medicines you are currently taking, including over-the-counter drugs
(those that do not require a prescription). In fact, every time you see your
doctor, bring an updated list of all the prescription drugs, over-the-counter
medications and supplements (such as vitamins or herbs) that you take.
When one of your doctors prescribes a new medication, the single most important
question to ask is: Are you aware of all the medications and supplements I am
currently taking and any potential interactions between them and this new
medication you are prescribing?
At the same time, don't rely solely on your doctor for all the answers. Do
your homework. Use our WebGuides for listings of Internet sites where you can
check for potential drug and food interactions. You may uncover information
that even your doctor is unaware of. Pharmacists are another good source for
interaction information.
The bottom line is: You should be aware of all the benefits and potential side
effects of any prescribed medications before you take them. You can do that by
asking your doctor the following questions:
a) What medication are you recommending and what is its intended benefits?
b) What potential side effects exist with this medication? What should I do if
I start to experience them, and at what point should I contact you?
c) When will we know if the medication is having its intended effect? How long
could that take?
d) How long do you think I will need to continue taking this medication?
d) How many times have you prescribed this drug for other patients, and how
effective was it?
e) Are you aware of any potential interactions between these medications and
any food, drinks (such as alcohol), or supplements? (Again, be sure to tell
your doctor if you are taking ANY supplements.)
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Humor
A man cries out to Heaven: "What is a million dollars to You?"
A Voice from Heaven responds: "A million dollars is as but a penny."
A moment later the man cries out again: "And what is a million years to You?"
Again the Voice responds: "To Me, a million years is but a second."
The man reflects for a moment and then asks: "Can I have a penny?'
After a pause the Voice replies: "Sure, just a second..."
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Feel Good!
The Staff of Patient2Patient
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We welcome your comments about this newsletter and our WebGuides -
Feedback@patient2patient.net.
(c) Copyright 2003 Patient2Patient, LLC. You are welcome to forward this
issue to someone you know, in its entirety (without cutting).
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