I want to get two things out of the way.
1. I am a medical student.
2. I am a horrible patient.
Allow me to explain. Despite that I am going to be a doctor, I HATE going to the doctor. Pretty hypocritical to me, I know.
However, I do know this. I've learned a long time ago that no one follows a leader who doesn't walk the walk themselves. And even if you think you're capable of doing something, if you haven't actually accomplished it, fat chance in teaching someone else how to do it. You can't pretend imagine what it's like to be in someone else's shoes when you have yet to dance their dance in your own.
Now it's no mystery that patient compliance is a big issue for doctors. Personally I think there are a lot of reasons for this, such as time limitations, but I can't ignore that maybe some of it has to do with coming to someone who really has no idea what you're going through. Or maybe they know exactly what you're going through but they've never found their own way out, and they're a terrible example of how to cope with it. I can't tell you how many times my mom has come home from the doctor to say something like this:
"Yeah, she wants me to loose weight. She's three hundred pounds! Three Hundred Pounds! You should look at this woman. She must be 5 foot 2, carrying 300 pounds. Comes into the room panting and heads straight for the chair. Three hundred pounds."
My mom will go on like this for quite some length, repeating in as many variations as possible that her doctor needs to lose weight. And then feeling nice and vindicated, my mom will completely write off her own weight problems, and her weakening heart. I'm sure there's a term for this in psychology. "Screw you, I'm going home"
My mom really isn't any more difficult than any other patient. At least she feels average to me because I've known her all my life.
What I need to do is obvious. If I want good patients, I need to be a good patient.
That's how this blog is starting. I am going to track my attempts to actually follow a "doctor's good advice", but in the absence of that, I'll just go with what the media claims a "doctor's good advice" is. I figure I've got another 3 years left of medical school to figure this out before I'm actually responsible for human lives, so lets start now.
But first, let's lay some ground rules.
1. I'm allowed to screw up royally. In return, you're allowed to guilt me for it in the comments. Just don't attack other people, I won't tolerate it.
2. I will only add one challenge at a time. Obviously there is a lot we are told to do. Sometimes they even conflict. Wear sunscreen every day. Floss twice a day and brush after every meal. Drink 8 cups of water. Eat 2000 calories. Exercise 5 times a week at at least 30 minutes each. No exercise 3 times a week at 20 minutes each session but make it vigorous. Juggle 15+ prescriptions and take them all at the prescribed times. Let me crank open your vagina with a car jack once every 3 years to look at your cervix, while asking about what your sexual practices are. etc. Look, it's a long list. And I know you are expected to do this all at once. Please understand that if I want to do this right, I can only attempt one thing at a time.
3. I have to adapt the challenges to my own personal health and financial situation. Can I take 15+ prescriptions to figure out what it's like to juggle that load? No. But I could take one of those supremely overloaded vitamin packs and break it up. Can I prick my finger multiple times a day to read my glucose levels? I actually want to. But it's not financially feasible for me at this point in my life. Give it time, and let me wring some of the cheaper challenges out first.
4. I have to maintain my personal work load. Because you know, work never gets in the way of your health goals.
I'm not saying that doctor's orders shouldn't be followed. They all make sense! But I am saying that I'm not sure if managing them is ridiculous or not. And I'm going to find that out.
Wish me luck.
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