Getting a second opinion: how, when, and why to do it!
|

Getting a second opinion: how, when, and why to do it!

If your condition is complicated, you will likely need to see a variety of experts.  Somewhere on that journey, a doctor, most often a specialist of some sort, will recognize your symptoms and give you a diagnosis.  Is that diagnosis enough?  Are you set now?  Or do you need to go deeper down the rabbit…

Extra risks from cold treatment when living with a chronic or disabling condition

Extra risks from cold treatment when living with a chronic or disabling condition

Yes, I’m still sick, and it looks likely that my bronchitis has shifted into reactive airway disease.  I did want to write about another aspect of being sick while managing a chronic condition(and the medications that go with it) – namely drug interactions with over the counter medications, unexpected side effects or complications,  and the…

Could your medication be part of the problem?

Could your medication be part of the problem?

With many conditions, medication is often part of the treatment process.  There are risks and rewards to medications, but at times those risks feel huge, and the rewards feel distant and difficult to reach.  So many medications are now being advertised on TV with a message of hope, followed by a seemingly unending list of…

Misdiagnosed by your doctor?  Here are ways to minimize and mitigate the damage!
|

Misdiagnosed by your doctor? Here are ways to minimize and mitigate the damage!

There are times when doctors, very simply, are wrong.  There are also times when they do not know the answer. Mistakes can and will happen, and your goal as a patient is to make sure you are properly diagnosed by your doctor.  Making sure you aren’t misdiagnosed!  If your doctor does not know what your…

Internal Physical Therapy: Should I see a pelvic floor physical therapist?

Internal Physical Therapy: Should I see a pelvic floor physical therapist?

For both urge and stress incontinence, the best treatment is actually physical therapy.  You’ll probably have to do some digging, but there are physical therapists(many of them are DPT’s(doctors of physical therapy) as opposed to having a master’s in physical therapy) out there who focus in on pelvic floor health and rehabilitation.  Do some searching…

Should I see a psychologist?

Should I see a psychologist?

Psychologists treat psychological concerns or issues through conversation, observing your thoughts and actions, and helping you think through your reactions to events in your life.   They meet with their patients regularly, and it is an emotionally intimate relationship. They do not require a specific diagnosis but instead work with their clients to help them…