One of the reasons I wanted to write a blog on Creating Your Health is because I wanted to be able to communicate some of things that I've learned as I have journeyed through illness, the past several years. In particular, I can't stress enough, how important it is to advocate for yourself when it comes to consulting with medical professionals (this goes for mental health professionals, too!) Often we have maybe 1 to 2 minutes with the doctor; maybe 3 or 4 with the nurse practitioner; and probably about 5 or 6 minutes with either a student intern, or I'm unfortunately not even sure who it is that often takes your vitals, and asks the preliminary questions when I go to my doctor's office.
A few things I've learned through experience:
1. You have to be prepared ahead of time.
I'm so grateful to be healthy, and not need nearly as many doctors, medications, and appointments as I once did. (*for more detailed info, earlier blog posts provide more details about my heart disease.) I've been schooled in learning to advocate for yourself, in an assertive manner that doesn't get your chart flagged with "difficult patient, or psychosomatic looney tune"! I did however unfortunately tell an orderly, once that "Stat, means..Haul your ass!", as he was moving me into the operating room; but I was slightly impaired from the sedative that I was given, so I'm cutting myself slack on this one. Truly, I know it is difficult to advocate for yourself in an emergency situation. So I'm really referring to office visits, planned hospital stays, scheduled surgeries, diagnosed conditions, etc.
2. Don't be afraid to get second, and third opinions from other doctors. You have a right to do this.
Hopefully, you have a family member or close friend who is a physician! Seriously, I'm fortunate that my brother, is a surgeon, and that I will often consult with him prior to important appointments with certain doctors. He can prompt me as to the pertinent questions to ask, which information is the most important to get from different tests, etc.. I have to admit that even saying that I have a family member who is a surgeon, often gets people to take my questions seriously, and to begin talking with me, in a more adult and thorough manner. As a dance/movement therapist, I watch the body language shift, and often receive more direct eye contact, and slightly relaxed tension flow, just enough of a shift, so that we can have a genuine conversation, where I feel like I will be able to convey my concerns, and get all my prepared questions answered. See if there are others who have had the same procedure, or condition, and find out what their experience was like. Before my heart bypass operation, the hospital had 3 elderly gentlemen volunteers who each had the same operation stop by my room. They spoke openly about their experience, and recovery. I found this to be incredibly beneficial, and reassuring.
(In no way is this a critique of those in the medical professions; I am indebted to so many for their skilled work, kindness, compassion, and professional rapport. Rather, the time crunch, multiple demands, long hours that the medical profession endure on a daily basis is real and it behooves the patient to feel empowered enough to advocate for themselves and their care.)
3. When it comes to your health; I've found it helpful to think of your doctors, nurses, surgeons, therapists as part of your team; working for you but more importantly, with you. They do their part, you need to do yours.
4. You, as a patient, will do well to follow one of the emotional regulation skills from *Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, known as: P L E A S E; It stands for treat physical illness, balanced eating-get good nutrition balanced throughout the day, avoid mood altering drugs and take medications as prescribed, balance sleep-get sleep that leaves you rested and revived; and get exercise-walk, dance, bike, swim... (you know what I'm saying). "Please" means doing what can be done for your own body's health.
5. Be open to complementary and alternative types of medicine, and healing modalities. Again, share any information with your health care providers so your team knows everything that you are doing. On the NCCAM site: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there is a list of recent studies and results. Here is a link to the website: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/atoz.htm The NCCAM Clearinghouse provides information on CAM and NCCAM, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners. Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-888-644-6226 TTY (for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers): 1-866-464-3615 Website:nccam.nih.gov E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov
This publication is not copyrighted and is in the public domain. Duplication is encouraged. NCCAM has provided this material for your information. It is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your primary health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. The mention of any product, service, or therapy is not an endorsement by NCCAM.
6. Do your research.
Many online sites are useful, but others may present information that is inaccurate or misleading. When you visit a site for the first time, it's important to evaluate how reliable it is. There is information explaining how to evaluate web-based health resources @ the http://www. nccam.nih.gov website.
To your good health,
~Chris
*For more information on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, go to
http://behavioraltech.org/index.cfm?CFID=43797298&CFTOKEN=52802198
** The information contained on this Web site is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material provided on this website is provided for educational purposes only.
