This week I went to my annual physical. It was the first time back seeing my doctors in the “western” world of medicine since I’ve been getting help in the “eastern” side of holistic medicine. I was kind of excited about this appointment going in. I had copies of my tests that I had taken – it included one allergy test and two hormone tests, and a new prescription for hormones. My health has been improving remarkably since I started down the holistic path. I’ve lost weight, my blood pressure is down, pretty sure my cholesterol is down, hair is healthier, my last mammo was clear (as opposed to the last 2 years when I’ve been going back every six months to recheck things). All in all, pretty good results!
Well, wasn’t I surprised when I met with my NP (nurse practitioner) to share my good news? Lol..what was I thinking…East meets West…what a freaking mess. She was pissed when I started telling her what I’ve been up to. She looked at me like I had ten heads…”you did what?” “your taking what?” Apparently I was a BAD girl. Tsk tsk..
Then she asked, “So, what did Doc So-and-so (gyno doc ) say about this?”
ME: “Well, um, she doesn’t know yet.”
NP: “What do you mean she doesn’t know?”
ME: “I have’t seen anyone since last year, I’m kind of in between docs. I interviewed Doc So-and-so last year, but I wasn’t getting the answers I was looking for….” BIG PAUSE….
NP: Audible sigh…
ME: “I brought my tests to show you some of the results, and….”
NP: [cut me off] “Well, let’s take your blood pressure” and she took my test results folder and nicely put them under my jacket on the chair.
The rest of the appointment was ok, she scurried me along and we were done. She didn’t want to hear what I had to say, nor look at anything i brought except the prescription bottle I brought….which she promptly scoffed at when I told her it was a “compounded” prescription.
Bitch. But not just her, the whole experience. It’s a bitch. And so unsatisfying. It doesn’t have to be this way, but it is. Many women my age I talk to feel this way too…
And I wonder why I feel the way I do about doctors from the “west”? If someone listened to me last year….and helped explore the way I wanted to, we wouldn’t be here today. But they weren’t listening then, and they are not listening now. Nor are they happy with my path. The letters spoken “ND” (naturopath doctor) are like fingernails on a chalkboard for some MDs. Except for thought leaders like Dr. Christiane Northrup, who inspired me to take steps in the holistic direction because I kept coming up against walls where I was.
Honestly, I felt like a child who didn’t behave properly on the school playground. I was a “bad girl” because I went out of the western medicine circle.
And the best part is, I have another gyno appointment with the new doc who I met briefly last year in a “pre-interview” to see if I liked her. She doesn’t know what I’ve been up to either. I’m wondering if my reception there will be the same, or perhaps worse because I didn’t really let her help me. And there’s an ND who’s prescribing stuff that she normally would. That’s probably enough to piss her off too.
But the bottom line is, too bad. I don’t care what they think. I feel better and AM healthier. I believe that we need to be our own medical advocates. We DON’T have to follow every direction from our doctors if we feel that it’s not right for us, imagine that? Having a say in our medical care? I’m all done being the good girl who does what she’s told. Especially when it comes to my health. I’m sticking with my intuition and will keep going in that direction.
Next week should be fun. I’ll keep you posted.
UPDATE: So perhaps some egg on my face…got a call back from my lab results…I’m anemic. Makes sense really, but maybe I need to listen a little more too. Oh well. One day at a time here.
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