FAQs

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions from patients living in Orange City, DeBary, Deltona and Lake Mary when visiting their doctors at Blue Springs Surgery Center. For more information about our general surgery center, or about the minimally invasive procedures and outpatient surgery performed here, call 386-878-8080.

What do you need to tell your doctor and nurse about your pain?

First, tell them that you have pain, even if they don't ask. Your doctor or nurse may ask you to describe how bad your pain is on a scale of 0 to 10 with 10 being the worst pain.

Tell them where and when it hurts. The more they know about your pain the better they can treat it.

What can you do when your pain gets worse?

Tell your doctor or nurse. Tell them how bad your pain is. Tell the doctor if the pain medicine you're taking is not helping.

What are the side effects of pain medicines?

It depends on the medicine. Side effects can include constipation, nausea, vomiting, itching and sleepiness

What can you do if you have side effects or a bad reaction?

Call your doctor or nurse as soon as possible. Find out what can be done to treat the side effect. Ask if there is another pain medicine that may work better for you.

Make sure health care providers clean their hands or wear gloves.

Doctors, nurses, and other health care providers come in contact with lots of bacteria and viruses. So before they treat you, ask them if they've cleaned their hands.

Health care providers should wear clean gloves when they perform tasks such as starting IVs and touching wounds or body fluids. Don't be afraid to ask them if they should wear gloves.

What can you do if you don't understand what your caregiver is saying?

Tell them you don't understand. Use body language. If you don't understand shake your head to show that "No, I don't understand." Ask lots of questions. By asking questions you're helping them understand what you need.

What can you do if you speak another language?

Ask for someone who speaks your language. This person can help you talk to caregivers. This person should work for the surgery center. Their job is to help people who speak other languages. This person may not be in the office. He or she may be on the telephone.

You have the right to get free help from someone who speaks your language. Ask if there is paperwork in your language

What can you do if you have trouble reading? Or if you cannot read?

Don't be embarrassed. Tell your caregivers. They can help you. They can explain paperwork to you. They may even have paper work that is easy to read.

What if you don't understand written instructions?

Tell your caregivers you need to have the instructions read to you. Tell them you need instructions in your language.

What can you do if you don't understand the instructions for your medicine?

Tell your nurse. Tell them if you don't understand how to take your medicine. Tell them if you don't understand when to take your medicine. Some patients don't understand and take too much or too little of the medicine. This can be dangerous

You don't understand the paper work you're given to fill out. What can you do?

Ask caregivers to explain the paperwork and help you fill it out.

Your caregiver asked you to do something that is against your culture or religion. What can you do?

Tell your caregiver about your cultural or religious beliefs. Explain to them what you need to do. There may be a way to meet your caregiver's needs and your needs