Just A Call Away

With all of the stressors that Inflammatory Bowel Disease brings into my life, one thing that does bring me great relief is knowing my healthcare provider is only a call away. I hear so many horror stories about healthcare providers. Doctors that don't care, nurses that couldn't care less. Living in a world with people like that, makes me so grateful for people like him (my doctor).

The other day I called my doctor. I was feeling nauseas. I've been dealing with nausea on and off for years now. The more time passes, the worse it seems to become. I decided to call him up because it got unbearable. It almost felt like a "Perk of Having a Chronic Condition". Being able to have a healthcare provider I can actually rely on. Someone who trusts me enough to allow me to make my own decisions. Someone who hears me when I advocate for myself and doesn't just disregard my requests and concerns.

Just a call away

When I call my doctor's office, I never have to worry about being judged. With other providers, I always feel as if I have to prove myself. I feel like I have to prove how much pain I am in or I have to prove how bad my condition is. I'm glad I have a healthcare team that doesn't put me through that. My office knows when I call, whether for an appointment or medication request, my team knows it's serious.

I try my hardest not to be a burden. Not just to my healthcare providers, but anyone really. I hate feeling like I'm interrupting or bothering someone. While I realize these people are paid to take care of me, I also realize they're just that: people. They have feelings. They work hard. They get tired. When I reach out, I try to always be reasonable with my requests. I try to have patience and understand that I can't always get everything I want in the time I want it. With this in mind, I'm always amazed by these people and everything they do for me.

A team I can rely on

When I made the call for my nausea medication, my friend was shocked. She asked if it was always that "easy" for me to just request medications and things from my provider. She couldn't understand it and for a while, I didn't understand it myself. Not from her point of view. I thought she was being over dramatic. Why wouldn't my doctor prescribe a medication for me? Why would my doctor chose to allow me to suffer instead of providing me with the treatment I needed?

In hindsight, I almost agree. It's hard to find a healthcare provider that trusts their patients so much. That gives patients the freedom they need and allows them to advocate for themselves. I'm grateful for this. I certainly haven't always had the best luck when it comes to providers. I've had my fair share of horror stories. I admit, some of which ended in tears. I love having a team I can rely on.