LUNGE FOR HEALTHCARE
I have a proposition for everyone. My new program for this year is two-fold. First, I encourage women to ask questions and follow their own instincts when it comes to their health. Too many women follow whatever a doctor says (even though they know their symptoms may differ or follow the path of another) just because they were raised to do so. We need to stand up and listen to our own bodies, because if we don’t, we are in danger of losing ourselves to all sorts of illnesses. I believe if we can communicate our true concerns, we can find less invasive answers.
Speaking out about our bodies and how we are feeling will empower us to be advocates of our own medical treatment and therefore our outcomes. I am in no way ruling out the importance of your medical professionals’ opinions. I wouldn’t be here today without them. All I am saying is I also wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t fought for myself.
Doctors teach their patients to listen to their bodies. A patient may never have been encouraged to do so before, and it is the doctor’s responsibility to teach that patient to do so. However, that may just be my opinion. I believe it is essential to women’s personal care. Not all women get to have an equal education, and obviously, all women don’t have the same upbringing, so the importance of having confidence in their bodies was not always taught. This is because most mothers weren’t taught that in earlier generations. Women from all different races and classes are treated differently. It is up to our generation to break that cycle and raise our daughters with strength of self. We must set the example by standing up for our own health and being our own advocates. Lastly, our doctors themselves need to listen to patients more. If doctors took five minute at the beginning of the examination and listened companies could save millions. Lots of pill popping could be avoided. Less women would die.
So, to sum this all up, I suggest we follow our instincts, listen to our bodies, and be our best advocates. Teach our doctors to help women be their own best advocates. Encourage doctors to be better listeners to their patients so we can be proactive and treat first with preventive medicine instead of the reactive and expensive medicine that is being used today. If this practice were followed, many women wouldn’t die of cancers and other diseases that could have been treated earlier and more easily.
As we recover from a year of and a lot of negativity, I hope we can remain positive and be stronger. We are strong when we ban together. We can do this one woman at a time. Tell your doctors, your friends, your neighbors- just tell everyone. Be strong. Be confident. Advocate for yourself and other women. Believe and trust your instincts and body.