~What are 1-3 tips you can give our reader today to help them step forward i
their life powerfully?
1. Always take someone to your medical appointments with you. As we quoted a lung
cancer patient and advocate in our book, “What you hear isn’t always what is being
said.” It is helpful to have an extra set of eyes and ears, someone to help take notes,
clarify information, etc.
2. Ask questions to be sure that you understand your current situation, what a
particular test might be for, what the future plans are, etc. Examples of questions are
found throughout our book. Also, be sure you know who to go to and how to reach
them if you think of questions after your appointment/hospital stay/etc.
3. Maintain and enhance your relationships. Making and solidifying connections are
important when you are well and especially when you are struggling.
~Describe something our readers today can look forward to discovering in your
look:, The Confident Patient: Successfully Navigate Your Healthcare Journey.
We offer real-life advice and tools that you can use immediately. We have found that
the advice of “ask questions” can sometimes be anxiety producing if someone doesn’t
know where to start. We have many example questions you can tailor to your needs
throughout the book and we have an entire appendix devoted to questions you can ask
your medical providers. This can help make sure that everyone understands the
current situation, options, potential next steps, and the overall plan
~Will you share a client success story?
Darlene reached out to us when she received a serious cancer diagnosis. She had
adult children and grandchildren who lived in the same geographical area but Darlene
had always been very independent and was determined to handle it. Darlene felt that
we could help her as additional support when she attended physician office visits and
when evaluating the many choices when it came to treatment options for her disease.
Darlene is an extremely intelligent professional, but when unfamiliar medical terms
were used, she felt understandably overwhelmed and that she would benefit from
having someone with clinical knowledge by her side. Through our time partnering
with Darlene, she became more and more comfortable with asking questions on her
own, understanding her lab values, actively communicating with her medical team,
and helping to identify next steps. With the support of our team, Darlene became
more and more confident in knowing what treatment options were right for her given
her medical situation. Confidence does not mean any of us know every answer, but it
does mean that we have
the courage to
collaborate with others,
to find out more, to
actively partner with our
medical team in a
productive way, and to
empower and advocate
for ourselves and our
loved ones.
Betty was 69 years old
and feeling very
apprehensive about her
upcoming knee
replacement surgery
when we met her. Betty
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