Tag: self advocacy

” I felt like you were speaking directly to me!”

These are the amazing words I just heard the other day from a new patient. At first I didn’t know what she was talking about. I inquired further. The patient clarified that she had been watching me and watching my videos on Facebook. She said the resonated so much with her that she felt like they were videos and lessons made especially for her.

I was blown away. This was the most amazing compliment ever. Let me be perfectly clear. There is nothing that I do in my life that is done for the goal of receiving compliments or praise. Everything that I do is because I believe in doing it and want to project as much positivity and inner strength as I can into the world. However, compliments are amazing when people bother to give them. We all spend way too much energy into negativity rather than positivity. It is truly a blessing when someone expresses positivity in any way. I am always up for it and am grateful to receive it.

This patient had such sincerity. This is what I have started hearing lately and what I have been striving for for years. To everyone that has initially poo-pooed my online social media efforts as meaningless or useless, I say aha! It is not for nothing! It is actually working! I have mentioned this suggestion at staff meetings to provide a suggestion for reaching out to people to advertise good services only to have people dismiss and shrug. Good thing I didn’t listen to them and kept on going.

I have finally attempted to reach my ultimate goal, to be able to reach current and future patients and pre let them know that I am truly there for them and that I see them as individuals and that I truly am ready to care for them for the entire lives if they let me. I am ready to empower them and help them advocate for themselves. I am ready to help them realize that they are allowed to put themselves as a priority for their own physical and emotional well-being. I am ready to assist them in realizing their own self-worth. So, ladies, if any of the rest of you are looking for someone to care comprehensively and completely for you for the rest of your life, I’m right here in Monroe, Mi.

If you ever need some additional info about anything in general, please feel free to check out other entries in this blog or my podcast Straight Talk with Dr. Laura. Happy reading or listening!

Dr. Laura

Do NOT apologize for advocating for yourself!

To advocate is to publicly recommend or support. In terms of healthcare, it means speaking up for yourself and feeling more confident about the choices you make with your doctor. It means not letting someone else make all of your health care decisions without your input. It means being an active player in your health care team and helping drive your outcomes in a positive direction. It means asking questions when you don’t understand. It means keeping track of the course of your care. It means knowing your history and your family history and any other details pertinent to your health. It means following through with your doctor’s recommendations and taking your medications as directed. It means emphasizing an honest, team-oriented relationship with your physicians. It means being honest about your preferences or concerns. Let me clarify. This does not mean being rude or inappropriate or deliberately obstinate with your physician or constantly being on the lookout for a mistake that you can capitalize on. It is exactly the opposite. That kind of behavior really does nothing but insure a negative outcome.

You get the picture? Advocating for yourself requires action! You are representing you! You are the only one who knows you intimately and is with you 24 hours a day. This is something that you should never have to apologize for. For me personally, I love it when patients ask questions and get involved with their care. It shows me that they are actually interested in getting better. I have some colleagues that would strongly disagree. They hate it when they have to spend extra time answering questions. They view it as more of an act of belligerence or a personal attack, doubting their expertise. To me that is just a sign of their own insecurity in their recommendations. I say ask away and don’t leave the office until you feel comfortable.

Did you know that studies show that people who advocate for themselves are healthier and tend to live longer? Sounds like another bonus to speaking up if you ask me. Self advocacy is important because it helps you to be able to make your own decisions. It helps you gain self-respect and self-confidence. It helps you form an alliance with your physician. It helps you be a part of the doctor patient team relationship. It helps you learn to express yourself properly to attain the goals that you want. From what I can see, there really isn’t a down side so speak up why don’t ya?

Dr. Katz