The realization hit Natalie like a ton of bricks. Her mother, Joann, had literally died of embarrassment! Joann had noticed blood in her stool almost a year before she was diagnosed with colon cancer. At first she told herself, it must have been the beets she ate. Then she thought it was likely her hemorrhoids, although she did not have the flair-up of hemorrhoids since Natalie's birth 52 years ago.
The truth was that Joann was embarrassed to talk to their doctor about itprivate topics such as her bowel habits. She did not want the concern with her doctor until she had bloating, cramping and abdominal pain. This led to the diagnosis of colorectal cancer is that it is ultimately their lives. Natalie's brother-in-law who was a nurse, wondered whether Joann would still be alive if she had told their doctor about the blood in their stool when she first noticed.
Let's face it, certain topics are embarrassing to talk about with your doctor. I call it the5 P's:
• Peeing
• Pooping
• Paying
• Procreating
• Psychic moans
Although embarrassed at first glance, the challenge of talking to your doctor about medical topics seems simple enough, for some people, it can lead to considerable suffering.
Hillary, for example, had what today as a shy bladder. She had not used a public restroom in over 20 years. She was too embarrassed to talk to their doctor about it, but theyremained a prisoner, her bladder.
Ed was discharged from work and could no longer afford his asthma medications. Instead of talking with his doctor, he decided, without He wound up in the emergency room with an asthma attack, was that regular medication could be avoided.
Tom had some sexual side effects from his blood pressure medicine. Instead of talking to his doctor and get a different medicine, he simply stopped taking on. Doctorswonder whether this might have contributed to his heart attack.
Jerry noticed his loss of appetite and sleep disturbances as his caregiver responsibilities for his old father mounted. He wondered whether he might be depressed, but dismissed the thought because real men do not get depressed.
Imagine how each of these stories might have been different if these people suffered in silence could have talked with their doctor.
Here are 6 tips to help you speak, you are using yourDoctor about embarrassing medical topics:
1. Own embarrassment.
Talk to your doctor: "It's a taboo subject in our family, so it is difficult to ask for me. Is it normal to have a funny smell from your belly button?"
2. Find the words.
Your doctor speaks a specialized language acquired through years of training. For some patients are embarrassed because they do not know the "right words" or
have a hard time, theProblem.
Please note that your job is to communicate. You do not need to know the fancy words to do. If a patient said to me: "Dad had an operation on the Dingle ball, what's on the back of the throat," I want to know what he meant. And the patient would seem easier if I said "Oh, you mean the uvula."
The best way to ensure that you and your doctor understand each other anatomically correct words to use. Get a basic anatomy atlas. Use the correct anatomic
Words with your children.
3. Practice saying the words.
Sometimes embarrassing words can be hard to get out of your mouth. Gertrude, a 90-year-old woman said to me: "You young people do not understand how much they have changed things. When I got breast cancer in 1962, it was the chest, the words" and "cancer is not pronounced" in good company. "A few words to say embarrassing. Practice these words out loud when you're alone! They do iteasier to say, in the doctor's office
4. Find the right person to ask.
You may have a simple relationship with the nurse or receptionist at your doctor. You can order the sensitive topic with them. Say, could "Trish, please give the doctor a heads-up. I want to know why I should not say anything about the steroids my friends on the gym offer me. I'd love to see how they do."
5. Are you asking the right path.
Perhaps it iseasier for you a note or a cartoon to your doctor did not drop to ask in person. Find the style that works best for you.
6. Remember that your doctor help you not to judge you.
Your doctor has heard it all already. I promise! Your doctor will not think less of you to ask an embarrassing medical question, in fact, your doctor will think more of you for overcoming your fear and help you responsibility for your health.
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