7 ways to advocate for your health
Imagine this scenario: You get to your doctor’s office after weeks or months of waiting. You talk to them about the uncomfortable symptoms you have been experiencing. And let’s be honest, some of those symptoms are embarrassing and difficult to talk about. Maybe they decide to run blood work or maybe they just recommend a prescription and send you on your way.
You leave the office feeling like you weren’t heard or understood, that they didn’t get all the information they needed to make the decisions they did. You also didn’t understand why they made the decisions they did. Weeks or months go by, nothing changes. You go back to the doctor with your ongoing complaints and the frustrating cycle continues.
Does this sound like something you have experienced? Do you feel that your doctors are not treating you in the best way possible? Do you feel like you lack control of your own health?
Please please don’t feel bad about it. Unfortunately, this is a by-product of the way the healthcare system in the United States is set up. Doctors aren’t given enough time to truly understand your health holistically. They have time to note your symptoms and annotated health history and make an educated guess from there. Sound like something that could cause you to go into a seemingly never-ending loop of doctor visits with no meaningful improvement in your health? This was the Groundhog Day-type time loop I dealt with for YEARS. That’s until I finally decided to take charge of my body and dive into everything wellness. At least, everything I could understand without a medical degree.
We’ve been taught that those with “Dr” or “MD” in their title are the people who know our bodies best. Last time I checked, my doctor did not live in my body 24/7, so there’s no way she can know what’s going on with it better than me. Doctors are here to help us diagnose through gathering as much data as possible and running tests to understand what’s happening in the body in relation to our symptoms. But it is up to us to be in charge of our overall health. In an ideal world, a doctor-patient meeting is a conversation between two experts: the expert on your body (you), and the expert in medicine (doctor).
Keep reading to see the 7 ways to be your own health advocate:
Listen to your body. Symptoms of dis-ease are messages from the body letting you know that something you’re consuming or doing is hindering homeostasis. Begin to document your symptoms. See if you notice patterns when your symptoms appear or if they’re exacerbated by what you’re eating, drinking, or doing. Take notes every day for at least one month. If you are a premenopausal woman, take note of where you are in your cycle as well. Learning practices that help you “tune in'' to your body (meditation, mindfulness, journaling, etc.) will help make this process easier.
Do your own research. I know, I know - everybody tells you this is a bad idea, but I disagree. Knowledge is power. Don’t try to self-diagnose and then run into the examination room exclaiming you have some rare disease you found on WebMD. But there’s nothing wrong with gathering some talking points to discuss with your doctor on possible complications and the lab work that you think might help in diagnosing the issues. Some healthcare providers don’t like their patients doing their own research, but in my experience, this helps the visit be more productive. Write down all of your health concerns, what you found interesting during your research, any questions you have for your provider, and your objectives for the visit. Being prepared will make your visit efficient and productive.
Speak up. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or lay man’s terms for anything your doctor said that might have gone over your head. Sometimes providers forget that what they talk about on a regular basis is brand new to you, so it’s good to remind them to speak more clearly to their patient that probably doesn’t have a medical degree. If they seem annoyed by this, then consider that they may not be the right provider for you. Other questions you may want to ask are:
“What is the purpose of this exam/lab?”
“Are there any alternatives to _______?"
“What are the side effects of this treatment and what is the likelihood that it will solve my problem?"
“Can you go into more detail of what the term ______ means?"
“Can you repeat what you just said?"
Why do you think ______ will be helpful?
Ask for tests you think you need. Did you do some research and find that a vitamin deficiency could be causing your symptoms, but your healthcare provider does not recommend blood work to check your vitamin levels? Request that your doctor run those labs! I’ve had all the classic symptoms that could easily be related to my Thyroid issues--but my Thyroid is stable. After doing my research, I found that a hormone imbalance could also cause those symptoms. So I called my Naturopath and asked her to order the DUTCH hormone test and low and behold, my other hormones levels were off and now I’m on a new protocol to get that squared away.
Keep your own records. Write down what the doctor is saying and recommending - even if they say they will send their notes later. Always keep your own copy of your medical records, whether digital or on paper. Having these documents in your possession will help you if ever you need to see another specialist or if you choose to get a second opinion.
Feel okay with saying no. You are allowed to say no to tests that are being recommended. You are allowed to refuse treatments that you don’t feel comfortable with. You do NOT owe your doctors anything. Feel empowered to make whatever decision you feel is right for you. Your doctor may counter with the risks of not accepting their recommendation (which is their job...to make you aware), but ultimately you have complete autonomy over what goes on with your body.
Get a second (or third) opinion. If you left your doctor’s office feeling unsatisfied, unheard, or you just straight up think they were wrong, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. One healthcare provider’s word is not gospel, and frankly, your intuition is worth more than you might think it is. Doctors are fallible human beings who can be wrong, especially when they can’t always (or just don’t) take the time to truly listen to their patients. And honestly, a good doctor will welcome confirmation of their diagnoses from another expert and will not discourage you from doing so. Don’t be afraid of starting over - the right healthcare provider will be there when you find them.
Finally, let me just say, I know that in the US, healthcare gets expensive really fast. Please make sure you understand your insurance, if you have it, and how you will finance your health journey. If you don’t, you can look into a free health clinic with the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics and still employ the tools outlined above.
As I’ve mentioned, it took me years before I even learned about (much less began using) the tools within my healthcare provider team. But once I did, I *finally* started seeing changes in my health. It might take a couple of tries, or a couple of different practitioners, but you can become your own health advocate and you can feel empowered while doing it.
