Taking Charge of Your Health
Posted on September 24, 2007 - Filed Under Health |
About two months ago I developed this excruciating pain in my neck that surfaces when I twist my neck in certain directions and gets worse as the days goes on. I usually feel better in the morning but by the time I finally rest in the evening, I am in pain. I made an appointment with a general practitioner and filled her in on all the details. Her response: Take these pain killers and come back in a week. I explained that I am not trying to temporarily mask the pain, but that I am interested in finding the cause and helping my neck heal by something a little less chemical, like physical therapy. I was informed that my neck “feels fine” when she presses on the muscles so I need to take the pills and come back in a week. I get the prescription filled and luckily read the info sheet that comes with it. The info sheet tells me that I cannot lie down within 30 minutes of taking this pill or I can develop a severe blood clot, which is something that runs in my family and has caused stroke death with a few of my relatives. It reads that I also should not drive when I am on this medication. I don’t even want to go into the side effects that will probably occur versus the ones that shouldn’t, but could. So with my daily two-hour total daily commute, when the hell am I going to be able to take this?
So fast forward to today, my one-week wait in pain to go back to the doctor. I explained that I am having the same problem and although pain medication can temporarily solve a problem, that’s not the kind of health care I am interested in. She begrudgingly wrote me a physical therapy script.
When your health is at stake, it’s really important to stay in the driver’s seat as much as possible. I am not advocating bypassing a necessary antibiotic for an illness, but instead, make sure that after you take the antibiotic you look in to healthful ways to prevent the illness in the future. Making sure you take a multivitamin and supplements such as fish oil and acidophilus can save your life during the cold and flu season and keeps these ills at bay.
So my aching neck was on my mind this morning and I came across this article on cnn.com about illnesses that are misdiagnosed and what the warning signs are that you may need a second opinion. I think this article is so much more important than it may seem on the surface. As someone who has been in charge of my own health care since age 17, I am very aware of how symptoms and solutions can be ignored by individuals in the medical profession. Your stomach cramps may not be as severe as the patient your doctor just saw, but it doesn’t mean that you are no less important.
So check out the article and I’ll see if I can find some more information about how to be an informed patient. Don’t ever be afraid to convey to the doctor what your needs are and if you do not understand something. And it never hurts to get a second opinion.
Namaste.
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