Health First: What to Look for When Choosing Your Doctor

Food for Thought Newsletter - Issue 010

In this Issue: 010

• How to choose a doctor that will actually help you!
• That’s all because that will be enough. 🙂
• We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled newsletter next week!

Before I get started about talking about choosing your doctor, I want to add a couple of caveats.

Gene has a brain injury, I have a million things going on, and Abbi has a few things that we will talk about later.

So that means, we have a few doctors in our life.

Some are wonderful - some are just kinda killing time it seems, and some are just way off their rocker.

We stick with the wonderful ones, and leave the rest. It's our choice and we choose not to spend our time or money with them - our health is too important for that!

This is not written to bash the modern medical system. Although I don't agree with much of what mainstream medicine is preaching, there are some incredible doctors within that system - and for that we are so so grateful!

Also, I understand that some docs that we all want to see don't accept regular insurance and that's a pickle. I don't know how to navigate that other than what we do which is - to search far and wide to find primary care docs who do take our insurance and then for the outlying stuff, we typically try to go to a functional type of doc and pay cash.

However, we'd never stick with a primary care doc that won't be willing to work with our natural doc. 🙂

Okay, on with the newsletter:

#1 - Do they listen?

Get a doctor that will listen.

I am putting this first because I want to encourage those of you who feel like cattle being herded through a chute to know there is hope and there are doctors who really will listen and try to help you!

The need to take the time with you to really hear what you have to say. If you have something going on in your body, it’s their job to help you figure it out.

The only way to do that is to build a connection and that takes time.

#2 - Is the office helpful?

Is their office helpful and friendly or are they rude?

Listen - going to the Dr. shouldn’t cause you more stress.

If they can’t be civil, there are clinics with folks who can be. Run the other way.

#3 - Do they understand your problem?

Does your doctor have knowledge with what you are struggling with - OR (and this is a big one) are they willing to learn with you about potential treatment?

If you have a health issue going on - you need proper treatment.

And if they don’t have the knowledge or gumption to help you beyond throwing a pill at it - move on down the road.

Then ask around and find someone who can really help.

#4 - Can they find answers?

If you can’t find answers - you may need to find a new doctor as well.

Here’s a true story: I had taken Abbi to four different doctors to ask about her dizzy spells.

They all ran bloodwork and would find her deficient in something, give her a pill, tell her not to eat junk food, and send us on down the road.

These were mainstream and natural doctors. They were mostly uninterested (or at least seemed that way) but also, they had no clue how to help.

I finally took her to my NP in Wasilla because I wasn’t sure where else to take her and we couldn’t seem to figure it out.

Within just a few minutes, she knew she had Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome with subsequent POTS. Of course, then we had to go to specialists for the official diagnosis but she had her pegged so fast!

Here’s what I noticed that was different about her - She asked Abbi questions and looked her in the eye and listened intently when Abbi would answer.

She didn’t look to me for answers or interrupt her or make assumptions, she listened. And that’s how she figured it out. She was the first one to really really listen.

#5 - Ask about your future.

Ask about your future - and really listen to the prognosis. Then - analyze it.

Here’s the deal, once you have a diagnosis - you may have to take meds.

Like I said last week, the meds I’m on are literally keeping me alive.

However, we’re slowly weaning them back.

Which was my NP’s goal from the get-go. She put me on so so many meds after my episode that put me in the hospital because I was such a total disaster health-wise. But she also started a plan toward health.

I’m pre-diabetic. I could have gone on meds to help control that but she gave me the option to manage it with diet and exercise- which I chose and we are managing it well!

The purpose of the meds was to mask the symptoms just enough so I could start to find the path to healing. I was very, very sick.

But the purpose of the meds was never to take them (most of them) for life nor was it to be used as a stepping stone for future meds.

Here’s what she told me: If I wanted to get better and put most of my issues in remission, I totally could. BUT I was going to have to work hard, give up some things I didn’t want to give up, and I was going to have to be diligent. And she told me it’s a long game. This wouldn’t be fixed overnight.

#6 - Remission

One more thing - once you have a diagnosis - find out if there’s a way to put it into remission or reverse it completely.

I’m seeing where folks are putting diabetes, Alzheimer's, and so many more really scary illnesses into remission.

They are getting off their meds and healing their bodies.

First you have to believe you can, and so does your doctor.

Here’s what I’m not saying: I am not saying that you can cure whatever ails you. I’m absolutely not saying that or claiming it in any way.

But a prime example is diabetes. My MIL was diagnosed years ago. She went on metformin. What a miserable drug but she was told she’d have to take it for the rest of her life - and that it would continue to get worse and there would eventually be more drugs she’d need to take. She was told it’s progressive and there’s nothing you can do about it. Oh - and she was also told to eat all the sugar, white bread, and carbs she wanted to because that was the job of the medication - to keep her blood sugar stabilized.

Fast forward several years and she’s on three different meds for her diabetes.

However, I also know of people who are putting diabetes into remission. At the very worst, they have stopped the progression and they are able to decrease their insulin. I know of people who have put their diabetes into remission, plus they’ve cured their neuropathy and other symptoms as well!

Again, not everyone is the same but if your Dr. is saying that you will just be sick for life and you’ll continue to need more meds and you’ll just keep getting sicker - please seek a second - or third - opinion.

#7 - Research the recommended treatment

If your doctor’s treatment doesn’t sit well with you - research it before you commit.

My skin cancer doc saved my life most likely - but he also suggested that I slather my body in sunscreen every day. I think he means well but I will not be covering my skin with the toxic soup that sunscreen is - every single day. I get to choose. And you do, too!

#8 - They need to advocate for you

If you can’t advocate for yourself, find someone who can and let them. I’ve had to learn this for myself and for my family. It’s hard but it’s necessary, folks. You deserve it and so do your loved ones!

Folks, I am not medically trained, but this is advice I would give my mom, my kids, and my best friend. Your health is important and you need a medical team that’s on your side and helping you get healthy!

Whew! Glad to get that off my chest!

That’s all for this week. I am afraid I’ll get myself into trouble if I continue. We’ll be back to the usual homesteading topics next week.