How To Better Advocate Your Own Health

Better Advocate Your Own Health

I can’t express how to better advocate your own health more during these times than ever. If you’ve read my pregnancy stories, you know that I’ve struggled with health issues since I had my first born almost 7 years ago. I would go get my annual check-ups, 6 months check-ups, and even 3 month check-ups at times.

I went to the ER many times trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with me? It wasn’t until the doctor that rescued me was the one person that found the problem that I knew all along, that my own doctors didn’t. Sometimes it’s knowing how to better advocate your own health that will make a big difference

Many Doctor Visits

My health wasn’t getting any better after having my first born, and somehow managing to have my second as well. I would get lightheaded, dizzy at times, and nauseous. I would have problems driving because I’ve had issues right after my first born. Read my issue on Overcoming Fear.

Laying down often would help me because I would lose balance walking a long distance. Sometimes even walking around the house was a problem because I would get dizzy. I was faced with constant headaches and yet couldn’t take any strong pain killers because it would be make feel worse.

I’ve gone to many doctors visits and had my blood drawn numerous times to no answers. (And boy did the nurses always have trouble finding my veins. OUCH!) Every time I would go seeking some answers, and every time I would come home disappointed.

Go With Your Guts

Finally after the millionth visit, I decided to ask for my medical records so that I can make comparisons. I wanted to see my test results to see if there were any significant differences. When I looked at each result, it seemed to show my hemoglobin level to be on the low border line.

If the border was 11.7, my result would be 11.9 or even 11.5 sometimes. When I questioned the results to the doctors, they would keep telling me that I was fine. As long as I’m not way below, that I just need to eat better.

Keep in mind that I did let them know that my monthly menstrual cycle has been heavier then before, and they just said you’ll be ok. My gut kept on telling me that I wasn’t ok and that I needed help, but the 3 different doctors I visited all said I was ok.

How can they keep telling me that I was okay when I wasn’t okay? Why weren’t any of them listening to me? No one knows How To Better Advocate Your Own Health than your own self.

Acupuncture That Made Me Worse

While trying to still figure out my health issues, I decided to try going to an acupuncturist to seek some answers. I don’t know if he was just trying to get business or if he was really serious but he said at this rate, I wouldn’t make it too long. Umm excuse me?

He said that I would need to take some herbs immediately and come see him for treatment at last 2-3 times a week. He said I was so weak that he didn’t know how I was surviving right now. Believing that he would be my answer, I got the herbs and went to get couple treatments.

It was so difficult because I just didn’t see any, even a slight improvement at first. He kept on insisting that it will get better. After a few more visits, pandemic happened and things were being shut down. Since places were being shut down, the acupuncturist was closing to which I was actually okay with. I felt a little of relief because I just didn’t see myself getting better.

The One Virtual Phone Call

When the pandemic hit, I just felt doomed. I thought how will I get to the bottom of my issues when the hospitals are filled emergency patients. Would I bother trying to get to the hospitals at that point. I started having chest pains, cold sweats, difficulty breathing, and feeling anxious. I diagnosed myself with the coronavirus.

So when I tried to schedule an appointment for a Covid-19 test, they scheduled me a virtual phone call with a doctor. They said the next available doctor would call me on a specific time/date so to wait for the phone call.

The doctor called me within a few days and scheduled me for a Covid-19 test, after a series of questions. Then he also looked back at my charts and noticed that my hemoglobin level was on the border and asked me about my menstrual cycle.

When I informed of how I felt about those test results, he was very sure that I was low on iron. That the cause of all this could have been iron deficiency. He prescribed bunch of Medicine for the possible coronavirus but also for iron as well. how to better advocate your own health is in your hands.

Medicine Time

Everyone I know who’s taken prescribed iron pills have said that it was really rough on the stomach. I was not looking forward to that at all. But luckily when one of my closest friends heard my story, she told me about this over the counter iron supplement that would be easier on this stomach.

When I first started taking the medicine, I didn’t see much results. The doctor did say it would take a couple weeks to get into the system.

I was scheduled for the covid test a week later, and the results came back a week and a half later as negative. Little by little, I started seeing a small improvement. My chest pains were getting better and so were my headaches. I was getting a little more balance in my daily life.

Obviously its not something that will improve right away but even the slightest improvement was enough. I was glad to find someone who actually heard me out. It’s hard but sometimes you have to know how to better advocate your own health because not everyone will understand and know what you’re going through. No one knows your body more than you yourself. Knowing how to better advocate your own health is the key your life.