Hard Lessons

We are living beings, for our bodies to thrive and flourish there are certain things we have to have.
Fresh clean water, sunlight and fresh air, foods that are non-processed, healthy fats, exercise.
This past year has been an adventure of sorts, and not necessarily a good one.....though it has had it's moments.  First two years of lung infections, then the crash and burn of my immune system, and this week I find that my  skeletal system is not doing so good either.  I believe with all my heart the major culprit for much of this.......steroids.  Last summer for almost four months, my system was bombarded with them.......my mistake, not questioning the docs about the amount  being given to me, not only then, but throughout the previous years.

I have learned some hard lessons.......here they are, in hopes that they will help some of you.....
No matter how much you trust your physician, ask questions
No matter how much you trust your physician,  get a second opinion
No matter how much you trust your physician, get smart and study your illness
No matter how much you trust your physician, write down your concerns, trust your instincts
No matter how much you trust your physician, ask about side effects of treatments/drugs
No matter how much you trust your physician, ask about alternatives
No matter how much you trust your physician,  make sure that every doc you are seeing knows EVERY thing that is being done by any other doc
No matter how much your trust your physician, if their attitudes and beliefs make your uncomfortable, FIND another doc

Health care is a two-way street, we are responsible for our well-being in many ways.  I   didn't have bad doctors before, but I believe that they, as well as myself, had become complacent about my care.  I will continue to live a healthy lifestyle, but I will never allow myself to become complacent about my healthcare again.  I think that I have a wonderful team (Rick calls them the A-Team) of docs now, but I research everything they recommend, I keep a notebook full of questions,  and I make sure that each one knows what the other is doing.  So if you find yourself with health issues ( and I hope you never do, but life happens that way) remember the lessons that I have learned.  Oh yes, one more thing, always have someone else with you if at all possible when treatments, diagnosis, etc are being discussed, it really helps to have an extra set of ears hearing what is being said.