Welcome to the first The Good Health Cafe blog post! Podcasts and blog posts will be released weekly on an alternating basis. Last week we released a podcast so this week it’s a blog.
On the most recent episode of the podcast we heard from Kristin James, RN and she gave us some excellent insights. The top 3 takeaways were:
1- Be honest with your health care professional, they have heard it all before
2- Trust your gut
3- Know the medications you take
There were two outstanding quotes:
“It would behoove you to know a little bit about the system and at a minimum your body”
and
“One wrong pill or one missing pill could be the end of his life and you don’t want to give anybody that much autonomy over your health and body”
For more context around these quotes, listen to the podcast episode: “Conversations with a registered nurse”. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!
How do we take action on these points?
If you are currently on medications, make a list of what you take, what it is for, the dosage and the frequency. If you wrote the list in a notebook, take a photo of it with your phone so that you always have it handy. There is definitely a benefit to at least one other trusted person like a spouse, parent, sibling or friend knowing these details but you NEED to know it for yourself too!
Take note of any changes you feel in your body and when they occur. When did that pain begin? Does it only occur at certain times of the day? - Take the notes in the same place, preferably a notebook reserved for your health.
Do not hide information from your healthcare provider. It is likely that something you are too embarrassed to share, or consider unimportant, may provide the missing puzzle piece to help diagnose your issue. Omissions can also have dangerous results. Some conditions and medications are contraindicated (medical speak for “don’t mix well together”) so be prepared, be honest and don't take the risk.
Learn more about the system by asking questions, stay curious. Keep tuning in to The Good Health Cafe podcast, it was created to help you get answers!
Note: I am a firm believer in note taking and there are at least two upcoming blogs which will dive into this concept in much more detail.
Finally, never be afraid to Speak up!
I hope this was helpful, see you in the cafe next week!