The Pink Paper Winter 2014 Winter 2014 | Page 6

medical Be Your Own Best Advocate By: Choosing the Right Doctor for You By: Dr. Christina Charbonneau Going to a doctor today can be like going to a foreign country, where you feel like you need a translator to determine exactly what the doctor is talking about, but also to make sure you are getting everything you need for your best care!   I know, because some of the stories I’ve heard from my patients really concern me. I get so frustrated when I hear about or witness the lack of communication between my colleagues and their patients. Often, the patient’s need to understand what is being said and the explanations get overlooked or lost. Now don’t get me wrong; there are still some doctors out there that do treat their patients well, but it seems in today’s society that some just forget how to have compassion and treat their patients as if they were treating themselves.  Wait! We’re being honest here so let me rephrase that. These physicians don’t forget. They just don’t take the time to do it. Call me “old 66