Advocate For Yourself
How do you advocate for yourself? So many doctors, nurses, administrative, medical assistants, etc.
I have to tell my story over and over and over…. It feels like I can be a record. Sometimes I feel like I am getting interrogated. If I say one word wrong that I didn’t tell the other nurse or doctor, that I will be labeled as a drug seeker or hypochondriac.
Now you’re telling me I need to advocate for myself after dealing with all my past medical trauma and repeating myself like my life depends on it?
Well… Yes I am.
I know this must be so hard and emotional for you and it is every time I have to do it as well. You never know the reaction a doctor or nurse may have. All I do know is I am tired of being silent and letting them do whatever they want.
I Stopped waiting for answers and got them myself from the doctors and nurses. I want to understand what is going on with my body and I want to know it ALL.
These are some tips I picked up along the way through personal experience and help from others that are going through the same walk of this disease.
1. Talk and talk a lot
What I mean by this is to talk about why you are there. The diseases you have or other health issues that may impact your quality of care. You must be transparent about everything that is going on so that their treatment plan is not one narrow plan of one size fits all.
Many E.Rs and doctors in primary care/specialties have a treatment plan all ready to go that is very standardized. This helps them color outside the lines of helping you in the way you really need to be helped. Getting medical treatment is like a game of catch. Sometimes they catch the ball but other times they have butterfingers and need some extra assistance.
2. Have Medical Records
Before I go anywhere I try to have my medical records put together. In writing or electronically. This will back up what you have told the nurses or doctors about your medical history, which allows them some insight on what treatment that has worked and which ones have not. Again, this helps them to customize a medical treatment plan that fits you and not everyone else.
Medical records are usually easily accessed through mychart applications like healow, passport etc. Many doctors have different apps where you can access what you need or email with them directly. I particularly enjoy TexasHealth because all their facilities are connected which means all they have to do is look up my name, and boom all my records are there to see.
Take some time to collect your medical records and either print them out or place them in a file on your phone/computer for easy access.
3. Ask Questions
Doctors have a foreign language with acronyms that could for all we know mean Taco Tuesday. I have never heard the ABC’s used all at once until I was taken to my first hospital at 16. The past couple of years I have picked up on a few but as we know or don’t know, asking about the meaning is probably the better choice.
I listened to a video once where a woman who was a nurse said to ask how and what evidence led to the doctor's diagnosis. The more you ask the more you learn. Doctors usually don’t get many patients that ask questions like this. Remember, if you don’t understand their explanation, ASK.
4. Second Opinion Please!
You are ENTITLED to a second opinion if you are not feeling sure that the doctor you currently have has given you the proper treatment. This doesn’t have to be said in a negative fashion as sometimes you just are not relating with the doctor.
I know many times I haven’t expressed something because I felt like the doctor was too busy for me or just honestly didn’t give a shit. Know your rights as a patient and use them as they are there to protect you and your health.
5. Medication on the house
This is always the one that I get so anxious asking about. “Can I please get something for my pain?” I know these are fighting words right? It can get sticky and in my case doctors will bullcrap me with tylenol. Yes I know, they think tylenol is going to help with endometriosis pain. Laughable.
Speaking up and letting them know what works and what doesn’t advocates for yourself in more ways than one. They now know what you are not going to take and it limits their odd substitutions for pain medication. This can speed up the process as they aren’t blindly trying to figure out what will help you.
Advocate for yourself. Let in someone that can advocate for you as well. Having a support system with you is helpful as they can help you speak to the doctor and not accept anything less than being treated like a person.
I really hope this helps you on your journey.
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Comment down below other ways you have advocated for yourself or someone else!