The big day is just around the corner: your doctor’s appointment to evaluate and discuss treatment options for your urinary incontinence. Now that you have actually worked up the nerve to make the appointment, a little preparatory work will ensure that you walk away from your appointment with the solutions you seek.

Preparing for your appointment doesn’t have to be complicated, but you should take the time to do so. Good preparation leads to good communication during the appointment. Your doctor gets all the information he or she needs to accurately evaluate your condition. You get answers to your questions and can explore your treatment options. You can prepare for your appointment in three easy steps.

Step 1: Observe Your Symptoms
If you have been dealing with symptoms of urinary incontinence, this may seem odd, since no doubt you are quite familiar with your symptoms. However, your doctor will probably ask you some very specific questions, so you will need to observe your symptoms closely for a few days, and jot down some notes. In fact, some healthcare providers even ask their patients, when they schedule their appointment, to keep a voiding diary prior to the appointment.

Keeping a voiding diary is a good idea whether your doctor’s office requests it or not, and will help your doctor assess your situation more accurately. To keep a voiding diary, simply track of the following for a few days:

- when, how much, and what kinds of fluids you drink
- when and how many times you urinate during the day
- how many times a day you experience leakage, how much you leak, and under what conditions (such as coughing or sneezing, or during the night)

Also jot down any other health issues you experience, even if you think they are not related to your urinary incontinence.

Step 2: Make Your List
In addition to keeping a voiding diary, jot down a list of supplements and medications you are taking, and write a list of questions you have for your doctor. The list will come in handy during your appointment and remind you to ask all of your questions. For urinary incontinence, you may wish to ask your doctor the following:

- what kind of urinary incontinence you have (stress, urge, mixed, or pelvic organ prolapse)
- whether your urinary incontinence symptoms can be improved or cured
- what kinds of tests you might need to assess your situation
- whether lifestyle changes or diet modification might help
- what kinds of conservative therapies might improve your symptoms
- whether your medications could be aggravating your condition
- whether there are medications that would help your condition
- whether surgery is necessary

Step 3: Gather Your Stuff and Prepare Yourself
On the day of your appointment, gather up all of your “stuff.” You’ll want to take your voiding diary, your list of questions, as well as a notepad and pen so you can write down important information during your appointment. If you were not able to list all of the medications and supplements you are taking in the step above, simply gather all the bottles and pills into a bag and bring them with you to your appointment. If you have difficulty seeing or hearing, be sure to bring your glasses or hearing aids.

You may also want to ask a close friend or family member come with you to your appointment. Your companion can help you remember to ask all of your questions, and remember important information. Finally, your doctor may want to do a pelvic exam, especially if you have scheduled an appointment with a urologist or urogynecologist, so you may want to take special care with your personal hygiene before your appointment.

Then, having thoroughly prepared yourself for your appointment, you are ready to fully explore the many available treatment options for solving your urinary incontinence issues.