Yesterday I went to see the nurse in my new doctor's office. I had a urinary tract infection and was not a happy camper. The nurse had me sit down to go over my medications, hand writing them from the list I'd given her.
She looked up and asked me about "Valerian Root." "What is it?" she said. "It's a benign herb supplement that I use for sleeping", says I.
She says, "Most older people don't need much sleep." I say, "I've had life long insomnia."
She says, "Exercise will make you sleep."
What I want to say at this point is, "LOOK AT ME! DO I LOOK LIKE I DON'T EXERCISE?" (At the current time I have fabulous abs.)
But I didn't. I told myself she was trying to be helpful and that my main goal was to get out of there with a prescription for antibiotics. I tried to gently get her back on message. She ended up getting the job done.
As we age, and just at the time we need communication most, communicating with our medical providers many times becomes more difficult. It's sad but we are often treated like children. It doesn't seem right but it's up to us to be assertive without getting these folks too ticked off.
Not easy when we're hurting and/or scared.
I read recently that 70 percent of Americans don't get a second opinion after a serious diagnosis because they don't want to get their doctor mad at them. By the way, the poll also said that doctors don't get mad about second opinions. And even if they did, we need to gather all the research we can when serious decisions must be made.
Do you know who's in charge of my health? I am. And if that changes I've already decided who else will be. And, believe me, medical folks don't want to mess with her.
***
She looked up and asked me about "Valerian Root." "What is it?" she said. "It's a benign herb supplement that I use for sleeping", says I.
She says, "Most older people don't need much sleep." I say, "I've had life long insomnia."
She says, "Exercise will make you sleep."
What I want to say at this point is, "LOOK AT ME! DO I LOOK LIKE I DON'T EXERCISE?" (At the current time I have fabulous abs.)
But I didn't. I told myself she was trying to be helpful and that my main goal was to get out of there with a prescription for antibiotics. I tried to gently get her back on message. She ended up getting the job done.
As we age, and just at the time we need communication most, communicating with our medical providers many times becomes more difficult. It's sad but we are often treated like children. It doesn't seem right but it's up to us to be assertive without getting these folks too ticked off.
Not easy when we're hurting and/or scared.
I read recently that 70 percent of Americans don't get a second opinion after a serious diagnosis because they don't want to get their doctor mad at them. By the way, the poll also said that doctors don't get mad about second opinions. And even if they did, we need to gather all the research we can when serious decisions must be made.
Do you know who's in charge of my health? I am. And if that changes I've already decided who else will be. And, believe me, medical folks don't want to mess with her.
***
