The best judge of your well-being is always going to be you. Feeling good is just that: a feeling; and you are the only one who knows what you feel. This is why it’s important to empower yourself about your own health. This includes things like taking charge of making changes in your life to address health concerns, speaking up about anything that’s bothering you, and being sure you understand what’s going on with your health in general.
One important step in being empowered as a patient is to choose the right doctor. The quality of your relationship with your doctor is very often indicative of the quality of the care you will get. If you can’t communicate with your doctor, or if you don’t trust him or her, then you need to change doctors. Of course, everyone will have a slightly different experience, so even if it seems like everyone else loves this doctor, if you do not, you have to find someone else. Look around, take advice from friends and family, and be sure to give your relationship with a new doctor time to develop, but always trust your feelings. If you have a good feeling about your doctor, that’s a good sign.
It’s also important for you to be an active participant in understanding your own health. When talking with the doctor, be sure to ask as many questions as you need to understand for yourself what is going on and what you need to do. Do a little extra research so that you can have better context for discussing issues with your doctor. Obviously you shouldn’t trust everything you read on the internet, but try to get the gist of the situation so that your discussions with the doctor can be more probing and get to the heart of the matter.
On the other hand, simply understanding what’s going on isn’t enough: you also need to take charge of your own treatment. Many specific health problems are ultimately a result of overall health, and although you may need to treat the symptoms more immediately, the best long-term treatment is to improve overall health with modifications to your diet or lifestyle. Exercising just a little more every week, or drinking less soda and eating more vegetables might be part of a treatment that will make you healthier—and you should feel empowered to do these things, to take control of how you feel. Ultimately, a doctor can only really offer advice. It’s up to you as an empowered patient to act on that advice and take your health into your own hands.
At Internal Medicine, Lipids, and Wellness Practice of Fort Myers, Dr. Kordonowy believes in empowering his patients to maintain their health. If you have any questions or concerns about your own health and want to speak with a doctor who will work with you to achieve your health goals, then be sure to contact IMLWP today. Call (239) 362-3005, extension 200.
