When I saw this commercial on TV the other night–I admit, it made me laugh, but then I realized that it really did have a valuable message. In fact, it is the same thing that I tell the couples in my Childbirth Classes—“It is your body and your baby so you have the right to ask all the questions you need to.”
Period.
Sadly, even in this assertive age, there are still people who are too intimidated or shy to ask questions about medications, tests, procedures or even their own symptoms.
When my third daughter, Jillian was a baby we came home from her immunization appointment and I noticed that she was acting…funny, nothing huge, but she just wasn’t herself and wasn’t responding normally for her. I called my Pediatrician, Dr. Phil Freestone and told the receptionist about it, expecting her to brush it off as nothing to worry about. But instead, she put Dr. Freestone on the phone and he told me to bring her back immediately.
Turns out that she was having a full blown allergic reaction to the DPT shot and needed medical help right now. It turned into a huge 2 week ordeal to get her back to her regular old self, but she survived. My point is that if I’d have been afraid to ask questions of my Pediatrician–even if they sound silly–we would have ignored a very serious situation, that could have had awful consequences.
I actually love the new AHRQ campaign to encourage better communication between patient and doctors. I hope you’ll check out the site and watch some of the videos. Perhaps they’ll help you be brave enough to ask all the questions you need to next time you’re at the doctor’s office.
Because having all the facts is the best way to take care of ourselves and the ones we love.
I know that lovely lady and I recognize that patient room! I love that office and those people! They are so great over there. Thank you Launi for helping me feel empowered about my body. I am never afraid to ask questions and keep asking until I know and am comfortable with any medical situation. You’re awesome!
Do you mean Claudia? I LOVE her! Thanks so much for commenting Jesi. It always means so much to me to know there is someone out there! :}
What a great post! It IS important to be confident enough to ask the right questions. I know I get embarrassed, intimidated or just brush things off sometimes… when perhaps I should be asking more. I’ll have to work on that. 😉
We are learning this so much in our battle with the tourettes in my daughter’s life. You have to ask questions and ask again. You have to fight for them to get the help they need in the schools and at church. You just have to make yourself informed because you, as a parent, are their very best advocate. Sometimes we are so afraid of how things will look to others that we lose the focus of what we are really doing. Good for you in recognizing the problem and having the courage to ask about it!
Oh, Pattyann–thank you so much for your comment and for sharing your own struggles. Good for you for being the advocate that your daughter needs and can count on. Everyone should have such a person in their lives. :}
Thanks for asking the right questions 🙂 I might not be here if that hadn’t been the case. Thanks for knowing what I needed when I was too little to be able to voice it myself. Thanks for still knowing what I need even though I sometimes think I’m too big to bring myself to see it 🙂 You’re a good egg Momma!