03 May HOW WELL ARE YOU CARING FOR YOUR HEALTH?
© photo by Andrew Winter
Manage the labyrinth of medical care for your benefit.
HOW WELL ARE YOU CARING FOR YOUR HEALTH?
Despite Limitations of the Medical Process
by Ruth Schimel, Career & Life Management Consultant, Author
© 2022 (Do not use for commercial purposes or distribute widely without author’s permission)
Accept the situation beyond your control:
Since the U.S. approach to medical care tends to focus on fixing problems as they occur, calling it a medical process seems more apt than the typical title of heath care system. In comparison, the proactive, health promotion spirit of public health is limited by lack of resources, wide application, and appreciation of its value. Whatever the labels, medical attention is hobbled by the profit motive; money, constrained time, and bottom-line incentives often limit quality, accessibility, and range of services.
Though such unfulfilled promise is beyond the scope of this article, it affects your own health and care. Among the endless sources exposing this situation, you may find Cost of Living, Essays by Emily Maloney of interest/use: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/25/books/review/cost-of-living-emily-maloney.html In addition, explore functional medicine practitioners and processes.
What you can influence. Given these realities, focus on what you can do to sustain and promote your own health. That’s where your power and most choices are.
A story offering possible guidance: Although I consider myself relatively savvy about my own healthcare and medical services, I wasted 16 months in unnecessary pain. That included bouncing among specialists in pain management and acupuncture, orthopedists, and rheumatologists as well as physical therapy and touching base with my underpaid internist. Except for my physical therapist, they attributed the source of pain to my spine, operated on years previously. Finally, my physical therapist and I sensed the pain source was actually in my hip.
When I went for yet another appointment with my orthopedist, I mentioned the “new” hypothesis which he dismissed. Nevertheless, I asked him to x-ray my hip. He refused without explanation. That rigidity made me feel angry and prompted me to move on.
Instead of giving in to that specialist, I went directly to a reputable surgeon. From the x-ray he had taken immediately in his office, he reported my hip “was at the end of the line.” As a result, I soon had a successful hip replacement.
Imagine how much time I lost while in pain, shuttling from specialist to specialist, sometimes called “organ doctors.” Imagine how much money was wasted with my own and insurance payments. Instead, consider what you can use from my story. Adapt and add to the following.
Suggested action steps
- Get additional views: Do you have an effective, accessible, caring medical and dental web of support that you respect? Whether or not, gather second or even third opinions from a variety of traditional and nontraditional sources. Do this especially when feedback is inconclusive or pain and problems continue without amelioration. When time and money are not available, engage your own advocates and talk to informed people you know with similar situations.
- Do your own research: With due diligence, learn as much as possible about your unique situation; develop a reasonable range of hypotheses based on more than one assumption.
- Use interactive communication: Practice effective listening and other communication with medical and dental experts by asking questions, checking your understanding with brief summarization, and taking notes. Do follow up online and other research about what’s emerging when something seems inconclusive or unclear. (If there is no receptivity to your subsequent inquiries, that tells you it’s probably time to move to better listeners willing to provide relevant information.)
Consider bringing an advocate with you for note taking and to discuss impressions and ideas afterwards. Finally, encourage coordination or at least information sharing among your professional contacts, regardless of the dearth of incentives for that in the medical process.
When this approach is limited. This process is often useful in general, but not always appropriate when there are multiple, interactive aspects, chronic and puzzling issues, or need for rapid action. The situation may be further complicated by your own hesitation to get care based on your, family, or cultural norms that dismiss, ignore, or accept discomfort.
Maybe a tendency to try a series of quick fixes or accept simplistic explanations creates detours or further problems from unattended issues. Sometimes, over dependence on or just comfort with particular practitioners discourage outreach and development of new, trusting relationships with other providers. Intermittent, seemingly unrelated or inconclusive symptoms also postpones appropriate attention and critical thinking. Of course, these are just some examples; you probably have additional ones.
Current diagnostic approaches often tend toward unitary, conventional explanations and guidance. Yet, many situations involve chronic issues, esoteric explanations, and complex choices. They not only don’t conform to insurance categories, but also differ from stock explanations. (See the every two weeks Diagnosis column in the NYTimes magazine section.)
That they can have interactive combinations further complicate matters. In addition, initial efforts to ameliorate a situation may not be magical; they require time to take as well as adjustments over time. And who knows what new options are emerging for attention.
Chronic illnesses. In “The Lonely Odyssey of Chronic Illness,” Meghan O’Rourke describes her mysterious symptoms that started 15 years earlier. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-lonely-odyssey-of-chronic-illness-11645804522
For a more rapid etiology, see NYTimes columnist Ross Douthat’s description of his nonlinear, experience without a definitive cure. Both situations show the importance of seeking alternative insights and treatments as well as analyzing possibly related personal and external environments. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/30/opinion/lyme-disease-science.html
For a moving accommodation to partial blindness that shows the power of the patient, read at least the book review of Frank Bruni’s The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and Found. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/books/review/the-beauty-of-dusk-frank-bruni.html
In many situations, traditional diagnostic analysis goes only so far. Whether or not supported by routine medical approaches and insurance reimbursement, synthesis of seemingly unconnected aspects is also important. One size does not fit all, just as each body and behaviors vary.
As my father used to say, “there’s a reason why it’s called the practice of medicine.” And how I like to point out that the derivation of the word “patient” means to suffer.
Again, the ball is in your hands to provide clear, complete information, dispelling your own and others’ easy assumptions and preference for singular explanations and quick results. Given the complexity and interaction of the body-mind, perhaps it’s reassuring that outcomes are as good as they are.
It’s up to you, at least initially.
- Continue gathering information: Keep pithy notes of symptoms, their timing, external factors, and relevant emotional aspects. Learn about and employ effective, related nutrition and exercise. This can be a catharsis as well as a foundation for finding patterns and learning. For example, Thomas Insel’s 2022 book Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health transcends the studies and moves to applications such as the University of Washington (Seattle) model called collaborative care. https://www.wsj.com/articles/healing-review-more-help-for-mental-health-please-11647207100?st=rnhy50ntoroh5rn&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
- Accept responsibility: Address your part of the problem or issue. This may include weight loss or gain, healthy nutritional choices, restful sleep, and appropriate exercise as well as versions of good and bad stress. Be open with yourself and others about any habits that may contribute to your physical and emotional challenges. https://www.verywellmind.com/self-care-strategies-overall-stress-reduction-3144729
- Appreciate your mind-body relationship: Consider the interaction between your mind and body. How can that subtlety help or hinder progress, especially with negative, unproductive stress-related choices? https://www.verywellmind.com/self-care-strategies-overall-stress-reduction-3144729
- Create and sustain an effective support system. Make sure your professional and personal support system is well-engaged and accessible. That includes sharing information in useful ways that also protect your privacy. If there are no established processes, start them yourself.
- At least, share copies of reports and clarify your concerns to responsible parties. To support this, make sure your Advance Directive and HIPAA forms are current, accurate, and clear, conforming to legal requirements for your area. Ensure copies are in the hands of all interested, responsible parties.
Seek connections that are satisfying and balanced, providing opportunities for mutual growth. One “test” is to ask yourself whether or not you enjoy and look forward to being and sharing precious time with each person.
- Be honest with yourself using regular reality checks, sustained sense of humor and self-care; they are all additional sources within yourself that support possible progress. Part of your self-care includes lifelong learning, including a variety of reputable online information (e.g. Healthline: Wellness, MedicineNet, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Medical School) that comes your way through regular listservs.
Do some smart snooping from curiosity and need for your current and future situation. Ultimately, consistent attention and action are key, so reward and reinforce all your healthy responsible behaviors.
And, finally, since you are also in process…and need access to and organization of your records
- Where are your orderly, accessible notes, including action steps based on your own ideas and this article? Are they in a well-organized notebook, computer folder, file cabinet, or other choice that works better for you?
- Where do you keep your medical and dental records as well as information about your doctors, dentists, nurses, allied health professionals, and other members of your “health web?”
Ruth Schimel PhD is a career and life management consultant and author of the Choose Courage series on Amazon. She guides clients in accessing their strengths and making their visions for current and future work viable and engaging. Aspects of this process include clarifying meaning and purpose for motivation, pleasure, and success, as clients define them. 202.659.1772
Obtain the first chapter of Ruth’s seventh book, Happiness and Joy in Work: Preparing for Your Future and learn about a free consultation via her website: https://www.ruthschimel.com/books/happiness-and-joy-in-work/
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