Archive for the 'Self Help' Category
February 2nd, 2012 by Trisha Torrey
The information center in many homes is the refrigerator door. From family photos, to postcards to magnets from pizza shops, to phone numbers and kids’ artwork – the important ephemera of our lives can be found on refrigerator doors.
So today I thought I would share some advice that is worth cutting out and sticking to your refrigerator door – 10 empowerment tips that will keep you healthier and help you get the great medical care you deserve.
And if you like them, I invite you to download them (in the form of a small poster) to stick on your refrigerator door! (although – maybe you prefer to stick them on your bathroom mirror or medicine cabinet? That’s OK too.)
- Become the expert in your own medical challenges. Read everything you can about your symptoms or diagnosis, ask questions, study anatomy, acquire and review copies of all your medical records. Be the authority on YOU.
- Using your YOU expertise, partner with your doctors and other providers. While they may have a medical education and experience, YOU are the one who has lived in your body your entire life. Be an active participant on your own healthcare team. If your provider won’t listen to you, or share in your decision-making, then find one who will.
- Pursue a second opinionwhenever you are diagnosed with a difficult disease or condition, or surgery, chemo, or long term treatment are prescribed. And if they disagree? Then seek a third.
- Don’t be afraid to say NO. Sometimes less is more. As the authority on YOU, you’ll know when NO is the right answer.
- Thank your doctors and their staff members when they have been collaborative and helpful. They work in a tough environment. Appreciation, when appropriate, can go a long way toward strengthening your partnership.
- Read and listen past the headlines. Get the whole story, then pursue additional, objective resources to confirm their veracity and to determine how well they apply to YOU. In particular, be sure Internet health information is credible.
- Review your medical bills. Experts tell us that up to 80 percent of medical bills contain errors. Incorrect bills will eventually cost us all in higher premiums and taxes.
- Provide support to others. Shared experiences can help others who suffer the same medical challenges you do. Refer them to good doctors, and support groups, and offer an ear when they want to share their joys, or need to vent.
- Accept support from others. Whether it’s a loved one, or a professional, sometimes it’s imperative to have an advocate by your side to keep YOU safe, or keep you from being railroaded.
- Finally, wash your hands regularly and cough or sneeze into your elbow. Infections are dangerous and deadly whether acquired during a hospital stay, or brought home from school by the kids. Hygiene can go a long way toward keeping infection at bay and keeping YOU healthy.
Don’t forget – if you like these tips, you can print them out as a small refrigerator poster – here they are.
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Patient Empowerment Tips
January 19th, 2012 by Trisha Torrey
This column first appeared
in the Syracuse Post Standard
January 17, 2012
During both the 2008 and 2010 elections, the issue of reforming the American healthcare system was the focus of overwhelming amounts of misinformation and disinformation.
Remember the email about Senior Death Panels? It explained that the healthcare reform bill would allow Medicare to save money by refusing to pay for lifesaving treatment for older Americans. Of course, it wasn’t true.
Another email stated that the Muslim belief in dhimmitude (surrender or appeasement) would mean American Muslims would be allowed to opt-out of the mandatory insurance rule. Also untrue.
Both inflammatory statements were horribly upsetting! But it wasn’t a huge leap to figure out who wanted us to believe them.
Now primary season is here again, and some candidates continue to focus on repealing the Affordable Care Act (healthcare reform). Whether or not you believe healthcare reform should be the law of the land, you owe it to yourself, and those you influence, to separate facts from fiction.
If someone shares “facts” with you that seem inflammatory, upsetting or don’t make sense, then there may be something askew. It’s possible they are true. Or, they may be only partially true, subjective interpretations of the truth, or even out-and-out lies.
Three websites provide neutral, objective analyses of political statements for our review. The best way to determine the veracity of information about healthcare reform, or any other political statements, is to scrutinize them at one, two or all three sites.
One site is the Pulitzer Prize winning Politifact.com. Its “Truth-o-Meter” scores statements on a range from True, to Flip-Flop, to Pants-on-Fire, along with supporting documentation for how the score was determined.
Factcheck.org is provided by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. One section focuses specifically on email rumors. Another section examines statements made by candidates and their high-profile supporters to establish their accuracy.
Finally, Snopes.com is a great resource, too. While it originally examined only urban legends, in recent years it has expanded into political claims as well.
If you see, hear or read a statement from any organization or individual during the election season or any other time, be sure to review it carefully before you share it with someone else. You don’t want to foolishly believe things that aren’t true, nor do you want to share misinformation or disinformation with others. Using one of these statement-auditing websites will help you sort out the real facts.
Here is more information about reviewing email claims:
How to Confirm or Debunk Claims
Made in Email, Blogs or Social Media
From Conspiracy Theories to Bogus Claims
How Can You Ascertain the Truth?
Have you confirmed or debunked a political email claim?
Share your findings!
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December 8th, 2011 by Trisha Torrey
This column first appeared
in the Syracuse Post Standard
December 6, 2011
It’s that time of year again. The holidays, of course. But also the end of the tax year, when charities, including groups like cancer societies or hospital foundations, are pleading for donations.
Each year in December my husband and I make contributions to the charities we think are important, many of which are health-related. Last year money was tight, and we knew we would either have to cut back on how much we donated, or leave some organizations off our list.
To help us make those difficult decisions, I did some background research on each of the charities we ordinarily support. I was surprised at what I found! And learned some tips to share with you, too.
First, I learned that when children need specialized cancer treatment, they will get the same treatment whether they live in Paris, Tokyo, Sydney – or Syracuse. Pediatric oncologists worldwide share their research and successes to the benefit of children everywhere.
I had to ask myself – why would we send a contribution to a children’s hospital out of state? Since children receive the same specialized treatments, doesn’t it make more sense to donate in our own backyards? I’m sure those famous children’s hospitals provide excellent care. But if my child was sick, and I had to stay with her in a city far away, how would I get to work? Where would I stay? Bottom line – we decided to donate to our local children’s hospital, knowing local kids would get the great care they need.
Next up – family interests. Within my husband’s family or mine, we have loved ones who have dealt with Alzheimer’s, diabetes, lymphoma and breast cancer. We have always donated to those very large, national charitable foundations, thinking our money was going toward education, research, and of course, a cure.
Not so fast! It turns out that not all charitable foundations are equal – including those we’ve sent money to each year. I discovered that some charities are actually quite questionable. For example, too much of their money goes toward “undetermined” administrative costs. Or worse, only a small percentage of their budget goes toward their stated goals of education, patient support or research. One very well known charity is spending the bulk of its donations on legal fees, suing smaller charities!
Based on that information, we decided against supporting two of the organizations we’ve sent money to for years.
As a result of this process, I realized that if more of us were choosier about our donations, health-related or not, the most effective and efficient organizations would have more funds to really make progress with their missions – a benefit for everyone.
You may want to review your charity choices, too, to be sure your donations have the best chance of accomplishing the goals you think are important.
Here are some additional resources for
choosing the best charities for your donor dollars:
How to Donate Money to Health and Disease Charities
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About.com Patient Empowerment
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November 23rd, 2011 by Trisha Torrey
This column first appeared
in the Syracuse Post Standard
November 22, 2011
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You may be among the millions of Americans who will travel during the upcoming holidays. Travel takes you out of your normal environment and disturbs your routine. If you have health issues, like a chronic disease, an injury, or even a short-term illness, it’s smart to prepare ahead of time for those changes and accommodate for them where possible. You’ll want to be sure your travel doesn’t upset your health, and your health doesn’t upset your travel.
Drugs, supplements and supplies: Pack enough to cover the days you’ll be away, plus extra, in case flights are delayed or a blizzard closes the roads. If you fly, remember that airlines can lose checked bags, so keep all medical supplies with you in your carry-on bag. Any time difference at your destination may require an adjustment of your drug routine. Make yourself a chart ahead of time to keep your regimen on schedule.
Airport security: The TSA has strict rules about what can, or cannot go through security. Medications, oxygen, inhalers and other medical items must be packed in certain ways, and will be screened through x-ray machines. Go online before you fly to learn to learn how to get your medical equipment or materials through security. http://1.usa.gov/TSAMedical
Foods: Alert your host ahead of time if you have special dietary requirements, or if certain foods upset your digestion. Mention any food allergies you have or conflicts with drugs you take. Plans can be made to accommodate your needs when they are discussed ahead of time.
Contagious diseases: Of course, holiday time is often cold and flu time, too. Get your flu shot prior to travel. Wash or sanitize your hands as often as possible, and keep them away from your mouth, nose or eyes. If you are highly susceptible or your immune system is compromised, consider wearing a face mask to protect yourself from others who might be contagious. If you have a cold, then cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands, to prevent infecting others.
Long Distance Travel: If you’ll be sitting for great lengths of time in a car or plane, you risk potentially deadly blood clots in your legs called DVT (deep vein thrombosis.). Keep your blood circulating by taking hourly breaks to walk around and stretch.
These travel preparations will keep you healthier and will make your visit more enjoyable, too.
Here are some additional resources for
making sure you stay healthy while traveling:
• Tips for Healthy Travel
Before You Go, As You Travel, and At Your Destination
• Tips for Healthy International Travel
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Want More Patient Empowerment?
Find Hundreds of Articles at:
Every Patient’s Advocate
About.com Patient Empowerment
…and…
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Patient Empowerment Tips
