Sunday, March 15, 2009

Monday Medical Awareness: Being Your Own Health Advocate


I am starting a new series titled,
"Monday Medical Awareness".
My purpose for this series is to educate on anything from new procedures, rare and unfamiliar illnesses, new treatments, breakthroughs in technology....etc.

I think that in this case ignorance is definitely not bliss...ignorance actually can lead to a death. Arm yourself with knowledge in this area...
"I am not sick", you say. You might not be sick, right now...but you may become ill or someone you know and love could have symptoms that you, because you have educated yourself, might recognize as a serious illness.

I hear story after story of someone with symptoms, they go to the doctor, and are given some song and dance about it being okay, take this pill. They get a second opinion and are told something else. Listen, you cannot put all your eggs in one basket.
You have to be your own advocate. You have to educate yourself.

In today age, this is much easier with the internet. There is so much information out there. So many forums and websites with oodles of information.

This can also be a negative, you have to calmly gather information. And realize that there will be alot of info you will gather that you really don't want to here.
This is where it may be a good idea to have a person who will become your health advocate and help you search for information.
Here are just a few of the sites that can help you get information.
Now something that you must remember....These websites are to aid you in addition to seeking medical help from a licenced medical doctor. This should never replace seeking medical help.
But sometimes you aren't getting the answers from your doctor.
This is when research that you or your advocate can be very benificial

By being informed, you are able to ask the right questions, ask about tests, ask about seeing a specialist.

With all of this in mind...Our First Topic will be on a form of Cancer that you don't hear about. If fact you can ask the professionals and be surprised that many of them are ignorant about the symptoms and even that this form of cancer exists.

I hope you will join us next Monday for this informative post featuring a guest that has lived through it.

If you have a topic you would like to contribute about and be a guest. Let me know.










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