I have no problem jumping to the rescue when it comes to my daughter or my friends and family; it is innate, automatic. If I see something I know is wrong, I immediately follow my gut and speak up to ensure the safety of those who need it.
But when it comes to advocating for myself, well, that is a different story. I think it comes from our parents growing up, or at least mine, where phrases like “oh, that doesn’t hurt that much” or “that can’t be, it didn’t happen to me” were said over and over. As a result, I have a hard time trusting my gut when it comes to my own body, and the funny thing is… it is MY body, not anyone else’s.
I am not trying to blame everything on my parents; society plays a big role too. They tell us to listen to the doctor—they went to medical school. Pay attention to what the other person is doing in class; this is how you need to behave. If the dentist says so, it must be true; they know best. They know best… No, they don’t!
Yes, they have a lot of knowledge in their specific fields, but when it comes to your body, you are the master. You have the Ph.D., the years of experience, the highest degree possible you can obtain because no one, and read that again, NO ONE knows more about your body than you do.
It took me 35 years to realize that, and I am still learning about it. It blows my mind that it took me that long to understand doctors do know a lot about medicine in general or in a specific area, but the way your body reacts is yours and yours alone.
I went to the doctor in December and they found precancerous cells in my stomach. They also told me I had chronic gastritis and that I needed to take antacids. No explanation as to why I had gastritis or why it was important to take antacids. When I asked if there was something in my lifestyle I could change, they told me to contact a nutritionist. So I did, and she gave me a diet for GERD (not what I had) because that would help with gastritis. I went to a different nutritionist and heard basically the same, and then a third one as well.
But I knew there was something else going on. I wanted to get to the root of the problem, not put a band-aid on it, and understand why my body was creating extra acid in my stomach. I was so frustrated by the way doctors behaved. I understand they know a lot, but in this day and age, they also see a lot of people. They do not ask the questions; a nurse does it for them, and they are just looking at what the chart says and the “standard” instead of customizing it for each patient.
It took 8 months of research and me enrolling in the Integrative Nutritionist Health Coach program to find a functional medicine practitioner who actually listened to what I had to say first instead of reading the lab results and assuming I had GERD. And it turns out I was right! I do not have gastritis or GERD, and my stomach acidity is okay. I have SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth), and actually, the diet to lower my acidity and get rid of my chronic gastritis that I had followed for 8 months made it worse because the problem is not my stomach.
Eight months of interviewing doctor after doctor until I found one that listened to my whole story, asked some questions, and processed what I said before saying, “here is my prescription.” And we are still figuring out what else is going on in my body that has made it bacteria-friendly. My journey is not over. What ended, though, was my blind belief in what a doctor says. I will question everything! And I will not take a pill for a standard answer.
And think about this, if you had your own business and you had to hire a manager to make some decisions for you, would you hire the first person that comes in just because they have a degree and experience, or would you keep interviewing person after person until you find someone that shares your vision, that aligns with your beliefs, that is a “good fit”? Well, I will from now on do the same with every practitioner I see. I interviewed three therapists before finding the one I like, I worked with four different coaches before I found the one that works best for me, I tried three different pairs of jeans before I bought the one I like, and I will make sure I do not succumb to the pressure of “this is the provider in your network” or the closest to my house, but find the best fit for me!
You have a voice! You are the owner of your body! You don’t have to listen to what they tell you if you know there is something more going on. And most importantly, you are not alone in this fight!
Love,
Sole
