Right now, I have a family member that is dealing with a medical issue for his wife. They both feel that it is so out of their control and that they aren’t getting any answers. I’m pretty sure most of us have been in that predicament.
I am a medical case manager so, consequently, I deal with a lot of medical providers. After 35+ years in this business, I’ve learned that we need to be our own “medical managers.” I truly believe that the more you know and take an active role in your health, the healthier you will stay.
Since the average doctor’s visit is only 7 minutes, be sure to be prepared. Here’s the tips I gave my brother and that I give my clients.
- Go in with a list of your medications and the dosages.
- Have a list of topics you want to talk to the doctor about.
- Have extra paper to write down what the doctor says.
- Ask those questions. Don’t let the doctor rush you through. It’s your body and the more you know the better decisions you can make.
- Don’t be intimidated by the Doctor. Again, you are the “expert” with your own body. He or she is just the professional you are consulting with.
- And if it just doesn’t feel right, ask for a second opinion. If the doctor acts put out by this, that is their problem.
- Don’t be afraid to ask what the negatives are for any treatment or medication. Don’t let them gloss over it.
Here is an excellent article by Deepak Chopra, MD and Rudolph Tanzi, Ph.D. that goes through how to advocate for yourself.
https://www.huffpost.com/.../how-to-be-your-own-medical...
In addition to the medical case management that I do, I’ve also been putting together some tips and notes on how to be more proactive in your health, in your lifestyle, and in your emotional well-being. If you like, I can send you some of my notes that I share with clients. Just click the link below and I’ll send you my notes over a period of a few days. I’d love to share my information. Take care.
http://jocelynnelson.com/landing/healthy-notes
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