I’ve fought many health battles. Some left me scarred, some battles started before the previous had ended, and some battles left me with injuries that will remain as long as I live. Each diagnosis felt like a shock to my system. Causing sadness, anxiety, worry, and sometimes anger. I wanted to share what I’ve learned through these experiences and what I found helpful while grieving a diagnosis, all that comes with it, all that follows, and the life that continues.
Fighting your health battle with the will to win!
My opponents attacked unexpectedly, when I wasn’t prepared, when I wasn’t ready to fight. Creeping into my life with the intention of depleting my happiness, and taking all that it could from me physically and emotionally. But, it’s because I’ve spent many years on this battlefield that I can confidently say that you can win the health battle. There are warriors all over the world winning health battles everyday. You have to know that you can win.
They say that “Where there’s a will there’s a way”. Finding the “will” can help you find the “way”. The first step is removing any doubt in your abilities. Think of all of the amazing things that you’ve accomplished in your life. Remember the tough times that you made it through. The times that tested you. How you prevailed. Be confident in who you are and start this battle knowing that you can win! There are positive outcomes. You could be one of them!
Allowing yourself to grieve… and then move forward
Receiving a diagnosis feels much like going into battle. How you prepare, educate yourself on your opponent, and create a plan of attack are all vital steps to aid in this fight with the best chance of victory.
How have others won this battle? What “tools” did they use? How did they treat symptoms to ensure that they felt the best that they could while fighting? Who is the best doctor, surgeon, healthcare system specializing in your opponent?
Be the strong Warrior
Imagine a soldier going into battle with shoulders slumped forward, head down, unsure, and anticipating defeat. Now picture the soldier standing tall, head up, confident, focused, and driven. Who has a better chance of walking off of the field victorious? You are capable of being that strong warrior. That strong warrior lives inside of you.
As we go into battle, our body instinctively prepares for the fight. The attack triggers surges of adrenaline and cortisol to run through our body. This response is designed to increase your chance of survival. You start to think about all that you have to fight for… this is what fuels your fire! It gives you the will and the strength to fight. We are all afraid in the beginning. The unknown is scary. With each diagnosis I would always initially find myself going through every possible scenario. I would do this to mentally prepare myself. But I learned that, for me, most of the time this just causes more anxiety. And the act itself was really driven by anxiety. You’re allowed to FEEL. But, I’ve found that the key is to have a clear plan, and focus on a positive outcome.
Maintaining a positive frame of mind
It’s been proven that negative thoughts attract more negative thoughts. And a negative thought is actually 4-7x more powerful than a positive thought. When you don’t feel well it can be hard to think positive. And when we are given a diagnosis some sadness, disbelief, and grief can arise causing negative thoughts. It’s important to acknowledge them. Open the door, let them say what they need to and then tell them that you’ve got this. They aren’t welcome to stay. You’re going into a battle and any additional stress is not welcome.
Promote health and positivity during your Health Battles
- Create a support system. Cheerleaders who are there to catch you when you fall, praise the milestones and achievements, and support the journey to regain your health.
- Focus on each step to regaining health one at a time. As with any task, it can be overwhelming to look at the entire picture. So take each step one at a time… For Example, find a great doctor, establish your plan of care, have required testing, treatment, etc. One step at a time.
- When you reach a milestone or get positive news celebrate!!!!! This helps lift your spirits in more ways than we realize. Make the positive news count in every way! Every Single Time!
- Life is a journey with peaks and valleys. Sometimes that path feels like rush hour in a construction zone. We may not realize it but that frustration is giving us an opportunity to work on patience, and it makes us appreciate the open country roads that much more. Every single experience is an opportunity to learn and grow.
- Do things every single day that make YOU happy! We spend much of our lives worrying about making everyone around us feel loved and happy. Sometimes we forget to love ourselves. Read a good book, buy yourself something nice, spend time doing a craft with your children and bask in the amazing little people they are… feel proud that you made them, go see a movie, have coffee with a friend. Enjoy life!
Ground Yourself!
Grounding, also called Earthing is a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that connect you with the earth. Walk barefoot outside, go to the beach, feel the sun on your face, lay in the grass. These techniques have been proven to have great health benefits including reducing inflammation, pain, and stress. It has been shown to improve blood flow, energy, and sleep.
In these health battles, you must always be your own advocate!
A couple years ago I was headed into another battle. After visiting several specialists I had a list of horrible symptoms but no answers. Tired and frustrated, I was wondering why I keep going into battle. While I’m not necessarily winning I’m still here fighting so I’m not quite losing. I was walking out of battle wondering why was I attacked? What was the underlying reason, if there was one. Could I have done something to prevent it? How do I fix whatever is broken so that it doesn’t happen again… but how do I figure out what is broken?
It was time for me to take a more proactive role in my health and be a better advocate for myself. So I started to Google… (I’m sure that this will make many healthcare providers reading cringe). But Knowledge is power!! I began the journey of putting the puzzle together by researching on credible websites, and learning all that I could about my condition. The information that I found led to my diagnosis and saved my life. You know yourself better than anyone! Trust your instinct, listen to your body, and ALWAYS be your own advocate!
Be Prepared during your Health Battles
In Western Medicine our healthcare is divided into specialties and sub specialties. One set of symptoms could apply to conditions that range across several specialties. This leads to the potential of being sent to several different doctors looking for answers and months of waiting for appointment. Several of my physicians were in two different Health Care Systems so these are some things that helped me manage my healthcare, stay organized, and advocate for myself.
Tips to help manage your health battles
- Create a 3 ring binder containing your healthcare summaries and testing results. After each visit put your Visit Summary in the binder. I scan each visit and keep them in a folder on my iMac so that I can access them from anywhere when needed.
- Create an Excel sheet (or make a list) for each year that includes: date, name of provider, and reason for visit. (I also include charged amount, payment type, and bill paid date to keep track of when and what was paid to avoid overpaying and for tax purposes) This gives you the ability to quickly look and see when testing was, where it was done, and track symptoms.
- Prepare for your doctors appointment. Get the most out of the visit. Write down questions to bring, make sure that they are aware of your history, leave with a clear idea of what the next steps are.
In person or virtual visits?
Whenever possible see your physicians in person! Virtual visits are available and convenient for many but often it’s not very easy to diagnose virtually. I’ve had a doctor trying to examine my throat and neck through video. This wasn’t a fair situation for myself or the physician. In person and virtual visits are not created equally for most visits. If you are not able to be there in person, virtual is the next best option.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and share concerns! The more honest information you can share with your doctors regarding how your feel and your symptoms the closer your are to getting help. Especially things that you’ve noticed that have recently changed. For example, you’ve been very tired and had headaches. You’ve also noticed that you’ve been losing more hair than normal. But you did not tell the doctor about the hair loss because that was not the reason that you went to see the doctor. That detail could have been an important piece of the puzzle that could have led to some helpful diagnostic testing. The details are important. Don’t worry about feeling like you are complaining or being too critical about changes in your health. Sharing these details could save your life.
White Coat Hypertension
There is something called white coat hypertension or white coat syndrome that can occur at doctors appointments. The stress or anxiety of being at the doctors office can cause your blood pressure to rise. Some steps to overcome white coat syndrome; Practice deep breathing, prepare for your appointment with questions in advance, take someone with you, let your nurse know how you are feeling, and if you have blood pressure readings from home bring them with you to prevent misdiagnosis of high blood pressure.
Remember that doctors are there to help us. They will not preform a procedure without your consent. There are many people who get nervous when going to see the doctor so they will understand and help you feel comfortable.
Early Diagnosis
Especially when battling cancer early diagnosis is so very important. Don’t ignore the signs that your body is giving you. Your body is a machine that needs regular maintenance. When things start to fall apart the longer you wait to fix them the harder it can be to fix. Listen to your body and address concerns as they come up. Don’t wait! If you are nervous about seeing a doctor ask someone to go with you. Talk to someone about your concerns. But whatever you do, don’t avoid your health issue.
Health Battles are a Learning Experience
I believe that learning all that you can about your opponent is one of your most crucial and powerful weapons! These health battles were all learning experiences and opportunities for growth. They may have left me wounded but having made it through made me stronger, more confident, and more grateful. It was a reminder to me that not everyday is guaranteed. It’s because I know how hard it is that I want you to know that You Are Not Alone. We are all standing on this battle field fighting together even if we can’t see each other. And that is why I am sharing my experiences.
I will share my journeys with Hoshimotos Disease and Thyroid Cancer, Spinal Cord Tumor/Ependymoma and cervical fusion, Breast Implant Illness including MTHFR variant and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. These battles have provided more than enough learning experiences! Visit My Breast Implant Illness Journey to learn more about BII.
Health Battles are a journey, anticipate success
Whether you’ve just started this journey, you’ve been fighting for years, or someone you love is under attack and you want to be able to help and support them the best that you can. I hope that reading about my journey can in some way prepare you. The unknown is the scariest part and that is why I will share my experience in each Battle, what I’ve learned from it, and tools that helped me in the fight.
A diagnosis is not the end of the story. It’s just the beginning of a new chapter. What you learn and how this experience changes you is up to you. Unfortunately the outcome is not always for us to decide. But I truly believe that a positive frame of mind even in the darkest times is the light that will help guide you through your journey.
