There are so many things I wish I knew back when I was battling autoimmune ITP. I wish I had someone to hold my hand and clue me in to the things I had to figure out for myself.
I hope I can be *that* person for you…
I’m going to be dedicating some blog posts to “The Things I Wish I Knew”!
What I wish I knew #1 - I'm the boss of me!
All joking aside...it is REALLY important that we realize our Doctor (GP, hematologist, etc) is our *partner*....not our boss!
I apologize in advance if I'm offending anyone here! I know some people feel *most* comfortable following *all* of their doctors "orders". I believe that western medicine conditions us to desire being told what to do. When we agree (without question or concern) to do something someone in “authority” tells us, we are giving away our empowerment and our responsibility to ourselves.
Please don’t misunderstand…I am in NO way suggesting that you don’t take your doctor’s advice. What I AM saying is that we DO need to take charge of our health and advocate for ourselves. We need to get comfortable asking questions, voicing our concerns, and making decisions together with our health care providers.
Personally, I might not be here if I had taken my doctor's recommendation to take 3 chemotherapy medications without having a spleen! I kept searching for other options and asking questions until I was comfortable with a treatment. It happened to be an alternative treatment.
I had an excellent relationship with my hematologist. He listened to me. I would go to my appointments with a pad of paper full of questions! He would answer all of them with compassion and grace. He knew my feelings about side effects from certain treatments (things that messed with my hormones & fertility). Together, we put them "at the bottom of the list". He partnered with me. When I chose alternative treatments, he respected me & kept monitoring my blood work even though Traditional Chinese Medicine was completely outside his scope!
It can feel scary at first, but it is so important that we advocate for ourselves!! Your doctor works for YOU! Don't be afraid to get a 2nd opinion or change doctors if you need someone who is more in alignment with your individual needs!
I would love to invite you to join my "Plarelwts, Plants, & Prayers" group over on Facebook. It is a place where we can gather and offer encouragement to each other during our journey. Click on the link below to join us!
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