Try to remember the questions your doctor or nurse has asked in the past and record that information. For instance, if he or she always wants to know how many bowel movements you have each day and their consistency, pay attention to those things and write them down.

Find out when your doctor or nurse is available to talk by phone. Ask if you can e-mail or fax them when you need to. Make sure you have your healthcare team's contact information with you at all times.

If you're the note-taking type, bring a blank sheet of paper to each appointment (or use a page in your diary). Use it to write down things your doctor wants you to remember.

Remember that doctors care about more than what's going on with you physically. If you're feeling really stressed, depressed, having trouble at school, having trouble with friends, having trouble with your parents...bring that up. Emotional stuff is related to your illness, too. Besides, it's part of who you are, and your doctor is treating a person...not just a disease.

Don't be afraid to admit you don't understand or have forgotten something your doctor has already discussed. Remind him or her that there's a lot of information coming at you and it's hard to keep track of it all.

If you want to make sure you've understood everything the doctor's talked about, ask him or her if you can summarize or repeat it back. If you've gotten it confused, he or she can help you sort it out right then and there.

If you haven't been doing the things your doctor asked you to -- taking your medications, avoiding certain foods, whatever -- admit it. He or she needs to know what's going on so you can both figure out why it's happening. Chances are he or she will help you find ways to make treatment easier.

Look at the personal, embarrassing things you talk about with your doctor as an outlet to get things off your chest. Did you know that many young patients become more outgoing because of their doctor/patient relationships? That's because talking to their doctor has made them more comfortable with themselves and better able to talk to other people about their disease.

Decide whether you're most comfortable with a female doctor or male doctor, and even an older doctor or younger doctor. If working with a certain type of person will help you achieve that honesty, trust, communication, and cooperation, that's important and should be honored.

Not sure if your doctor is right for you? Here are some signs that may mean your doctor/patient partnership isn't what it should be: He or she seems to rush you during appointments and not give you time to ask questions. He or she doesn't take the time to explain things clearly. He or she seems annoyed when you call often or make contact outside of office visits. He or she doesn't take your concerns and worries seriously. Work with a family member to address these problems with your doctor or, if necessary, find another physician to treat you. Sometimes it's easier to make decisions by talking it over with someone you trust.