Pre-Appointment

1. Symptom Mapping Worksheet

Women often experience dozens of subtle symptoms that get dismissed individually. This makes it hard for clinicians to “see the whole picture.”

Record for 2–4 weeks:

• Symptom

• Severity (1–10)

• Frequency

• Duration

• Triggers

• Impact on life

• Period/cycle notes

Why it matters:

Patterns = credibility.

Patterns = clarity.

Patterns = faster diagnosis.

2. Your One-Page Appointment Summary

Bring this every time:

A. My top 3 concerns today:

1.  

2.  

3.  

B. When the symptoms started:

C. Impact on daily life:

Sleep, energy, relationships, work, concentration, exercise.

D. What I'm hoping to get out of this appointment:

(e.g., testing, referral, treatment trial, reassurance, answers)

E. Questions I need answered:

3. Language to Use (Clinicians Respond to Impact Language)

Instead of:❌ “I feel tired all the time.”

Say:✅ “My fatigue is severe enough that it’s affecting my ability to work/exercise/socialise.”

Instead of:❌ “Something feels wrong.”

Say:✅ “I’ve experienced a significant change in my baseline health, and I’d like this investigated.”

Impact language = action.