May 19, 2025 • 35 mins
What happens when the caregiver becomes the patient? In this powerful conversation with Carolyn, a nurse with over 40 years of experience, we pull back the curtain on what it's like when healthcare professionals find themselves on the other side of the stethoscope.
Carolyn shares her raw, unfiltered experience dealing with debilitating hand pain that woke her up at 2 AM with what she describes as "a 20 on a scale of 1-10." Despite her extensive medical knowledge, she found herself navigating the same frustrating maze of specialists, contradictory diagnoses, and months-long wait times that many patients face. Her conscious decision not to reveal her nursing background during appointments offers a fascinating glimpse into how healthcare providers might experience treatment differently than ordinary patients.
The conversation dives deep into the patient experience from a unique dual perspective. Carolyn explains why even healthcare professionals need to advocate for themselves, seek second opinions, and question treatments that don't feel right. After initially being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and scheduled for surgery, further testing revealed no nerve impingement—highlighting why blind trust in a single medical opinion can sometimes lead patients down unnecessary paths.
Beyond medical insights, Carolyn reveals how she maintains balance through prayer, music, and line dancing despite her physical limitations, and shares her journey as an international author writing under the name AKA Gentry. Her story reminds us that behind every white coat is a human being who may be fighting their own health battles while caring for others.
Whether you're a healthcare professional or someone navigating the medical system, this episode offers valuable wisdom on being educated about your condition, empowered to use your voice, and engaged in your treatment. Subscribe now and join our community as we continue exploring the human side of healthcare!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Thank you Well, hello everyone and welcome to
Thursday, may 8th.
Today is a very, very specialday for me.
One because I made it.
I made it to a new day when Ididn't have to make it to a new
day.
Two, because I just left thedoctor's office and she said
(00:50):
Sandra, everything is going welland I'm so proud of you, so
that lets me know I'm on theright track.
And number three, because I geta chance to say to the world
that Choms Medihelps Foundationwishes all of the nurses a very
happy, happy Nurses Week.
And with that being said, I hadthe honor of actually asking our
(01:14):
nurse on board, one of ourbeautiful board members for
Choms Medihelps if she wouldcome on and she would discuss
with us today what it looks likewhen a clinician is patient,
because for some reason,patients seem to think that
doctors and nurses and otherclinical team members they don't
(01:38):
get sick.
They seem to think that they'reabove everybody else.
You know white coat syndrome.
They ain't gonna talk to theirdoctor or their nurse because
they know it all.
And I was like you know what?
You're having some healthchallenges yourself.
Could you please do us a favorof coming on the patient
experience podcast and talkingabout when clinicians are
(01:58):
patients Like.
Is there really currently anydifference between when you're a
patient such as you are nowwith your hand issue that you're
having?
Is there a difference on whenyou go to the doctor for help
and when us normal folks go tothe doctor for help?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Hello everybody.
Thank you, sandra for having me.
There can be a difference, butmy approach is mentally I'm
going in as a patient.
I don't try to micromanage,tell them what I feel is wrong
(02:36):
with me, because I really feellike we have a place and when I
go in I am the patient, I am notthe doctor.
You know I'm not thephysician's assistant, I'm not
the nurse practitioner.
I'm going in as the patient, Iam not the doctor.
You know I'm not thephysician's assistant, I'm not
the nurse practitioner.
I'm going in as a patient and Ikeep my mindset that way and I
don't tell people that I am anurse.
I mean my doctor.
Yes, she has that, that I am anurse, you know in her records,
(02:59):
in my records.
But I don't go in doing that.
I go in with my issue, mycomplaint or if it's just a
wellness checkup.
How have you been?
I have been fine, but recentlyI have been challenged with hand
pain.
(03:19):
Okay, let me give you the story.
I woke up one morning twoo'clock in the morning in
excruciating pain, and when painwakes you up, that is a
different degree of pain.
You know.
They tell you to score yourpain from one to 10, 10 being
the word.
Well, mine was a 20, in myopinion, okay.
(03:40):
So I was like oh, I was like,lord, what is going on with me?
It it's the middle of the night.
I don't feel like going to theemergency room.
Lord, what am I going to do?
And I, and it was hurting sobad, and it hurt for a couple of
days, you know.
It got better, um, but notbetter, better, and I got to the
(04:03):
point where I went to theemergency room and they told me
that I was having a carpaltunnel flare.
And I was like, really, youknow, I have been a nurse for 40
years at least and I have donecritical care for the majority
of that time.
So I'm doing a lot of pushingand pulling, turning a patient.
(04:26):
Okay, not a problem, you haveto use your hands to do that.
I always have practiced goodbody mechanics because when I
first got in nursing as an LPN,we were in school in class, and
our instructor told us you onlyhave one back to give to your
country.
Try not to, you know, try tokeep your back together.
(04:46):
And that just stuck with me.
So I've always tried to guardmy back, use my legs to push and
pull and that's what you shoulddo.
So after she says it's a carpaltunnel flare, they prescribed me
some anti-inflammatories and Ihad to take it upon myself to
(05:07):
put ice on it.
I was like, what can I do?
Because I was like, lord, wouldit be better if I cut the hand
off because it was in just thatmuch pain?
And then the nurse kicked in.
Well, then you're going to havesurgical pain and then they're
going to have to see about howthey can reattach the hand, so
(05:28):
that you don't want to do youknow.
So just kind of calm yourselfdown.
But when you are in pain, youknow you get a little loopy.
You know when you're hurtingyou're hurting and we can't
dismiss people's pain.
So the medication really wasn'thelping.
So I started using cold packson it and that really did work.
It helped minimize the pain andI was talking with my
(05:51):
supervisor about it and shesuggested a hand brace that I
could sleep in, brace that Icould sleep in, and she said you
can give it off Amazon.
Well, hey, I did.
It did work, because I felt asthough the metal in this splint
(06:11):
there's a metal piece right herewas basically digging into the
palm of my hand, that's wherethe pain was and so off with
that, um, so off with that, onwith the ice, on with the other
one that had us, uh, sort oflike a sheepskin cushion on the
(06:32):
inside.
Uh, it helped, it really didhelp, along with the
anti-inflammatory, so thatstarted getting better.
Made an appointment with anorthopedic and he looked,
flipped my hand.
It's hurting now because he,you know, he took it out the
brace and it's hurting, you know.
And I'm like, okay, all right,okay, it's still hurting.
(06:53):
He said oh yeah, you got carpaltunnel, we can do surgery.
I'm like you know, is there anytreatment you can give me, such
as an injection to numb thepain?
Oh no, that's not going to work, you just need the surgery.
Well, I wasn't trying to get outof surgery, I just needed some
relief at that point in time,because when you're as active as
(07:14):
I am, you don't like layingaround, you don't.
Your mind and your body don'tcompute that way.
So I was like, okay, gotscheduled for surgery, still in
pain, it was lessening but stillin pain.
And then I talked to my primarycare physician, so she
(07:37):
recommended I see a painspecialist.
So I'm like, yeah, I'm good,let's do it.
So that worked out.
So I'm like yeah, I'm good,let's do it.
So that worked out.
They performed aneuroconduction study on me and
it came out clean.
It was no signs of carpaltunnel impingement in my neck or
(07:59):
in my wrist.
So what did I do?
I canceled the surgery.
I don't want unnecessarysurgery if I don't have to.
So after that, after that visitwith him, his suggestion was
let's see a rheumatologist.
Well, I knew there is a.
(08:24):
I know that there is a waitingtime period for a lot of things
Children that need to be tested,you know, for autism, adhd.
I know there is a waiting listfor that.
I know that there is a waitinglist to see some of the
specialists.
But until you are in someoneelse's shoes and they tell you
you got three months to waitbefore you can see your next
physician, it puts you on awhole new frame of mind.
(08:47):
So I started calling otherpeople to see if I could get an
earlier appointment.
That did not work, people.
But my daughter came up withthis gizmo that she found online
that helped exercise my hand.
It did help.
I'm still not able to close, ify'all can see, make a fist.
(09:12):
This is about as much as I cando.
If I concentrate, I can make itclose more, but gripping
something like a mop or a vacuumcleaner, it's not working.
They fall out of my handbecause it's a gap.
It's a gap there.
So I do finally have anappointment to see the
(09:35):
rheumatologist.
Everyone on the street tell me Ihave carpal tunnel.
I'm not against that, becausewe always have our opinion, but
I want to see differentpositions, not to get out of the
diagnosis, but I want adefinitive diagnosis Because if
(09:58):
it's not definitive with thepain specialist I felt like it
was carpal tunnel.
Never had it before.
Why not know your next steps?
And that's what I recommend tomy patients If you're not sure
about something, because youknow your body better than
(10:19):
anyone, it's okay to seek asecond opinion.
It is truly okay.
I honestly did not feel like theorthopedic did a thorough exam
of my hand.
He just said, yep, you got it.
That was it.
I'm still holding my hand outfor him to check my wrist.
(10:42):
He went on to set up a surgeon.
I'm like okay.
(11:05):
So it is imperative that we beour healthcare advocates, we be
our own healthcare advocates.
And, as I say, and I still say,I didn't tell the orthopedic
surgeon that I was a nurse.
I didn't tell the painspecialist that I was a nurse,
because I want them to treat meas though I am a patient.
I don't want to, and I eventold them I haven't even been to
Dr Google yet.
I have not been, because I wanta definitive diagnosis.
I get that, then maybe I willgo to Dr Google.
I have been on Dr Google sincethen, but nothing still matches
up for me.
So the muscle relaxers nothingstill matches up for me.
(11:28):
So the muscle relaxerseverybody has warned me that
they may make me sleepy.
Well, not so.
In this day and age of substanceabuse, you're going to be hard
pressed to get any medicationthat can relax you, and I am one
of those people.
I have to be functional duringthe day because I have things to
(11:50):
do, so I can't lie in bedbecause I have all these things
on my mind.
So it's not that I need it toput me to sleep, I need it to
dull the pain so that I can getthrough my day and have a
productive day.
Now, still, nurse Carolyn hasstill not kicked in yet, because
(12:12):
I do believe in respecting thepowers that be, and that's why.
I asked the rheumatologist well, if it's not that, what is it?
And he was honest.
He said I have no idea, butyour nerves are not impinged, so
I don't think it's carpaltunnel.
So that's where we ended upwith the rheumatology, and it
(12:33):
has been several months.
This started in October, guys,and this is what May.
So the pain is not as bad, butthe functionality is what I'm
more concerned with now.
I want to be able to not that Ilove cleaning up, but I do love
(12:55):
a clean house.
My guys have had to comethrough and pitch in to help,
but we, as human beings, ninetimes out of ten we like to be
as functional as possible.
Right Now, this is the one thatwas giving me grief, my left
hand.
But I can close it, but I stillcan't make a tight fit, but at
(13:20):
least I'm making one.
So why this one jumped on board?
I don't know.
So I want to know what isreally going on, and you know,
someone said well, they're goingto tell you it's arthritis.
I said that's fine.
If that's what it is, I'm opento that, but I'm not claiming
any of it.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
But you know, carolyn , what I do want to ask you is
this you mentioned a couple ofthings that like automatically
took.
You know it didn't take mybreath away, but it made me stop
and think, because it's like,if you're a patient but you're
also a clinician, and none ofthat got you an appointment two
weeks from now, none of thatactually got you to got them to
(14:02):
tell you okay, here's someoptions that you have that's
available to you, right?
So you were treated just as.
I mean, once again, that's howyou're supposed to be treated,
as any other patient, because noone deserves to have any less
care than the other person.
But it's like when you, as aclinician, how many times have
(14:24):
you heard and I know you'veheard it because I've actually
heard it on the other endsomeone's saying well, you're a
nurse or you're a doctor, youshould know.
Like they put you on thispedestal of you got this
clinical degree.
You know what?
You got this clinical degree,don't you know everything?
(14:44):
What is your answer to thosepeople who think, because you're
a clinician, you knoweverything?
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Well, I tell them I have done a lot and if someone
had come to me I would have toldthem you need to have that
checked out.
It sounds like carpal tunnel.
I've never had carpal tunnel soI can't really tell them, but
from my studies and my patientsthat I've cared for, it sounds
(15:11):
like.
But you need to get to yourphysician, okay, so you can get
a definitive diagnosis.
So they did end up doing bloodwork on me, my primary care
physician, and we tried to treatit conservatively but it got
worse.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
This is the thing and I hate to cut you off, but this
is my question to you.
And people need to actuallyrealize this.
And as a clinician, you knowthis more so than anyone else.
When you have a condition, suchas what's going on with your
hands, you need to see aspecialist.
(15:49):
It's good to work with yourprimary care doctor.
I love my primary care doctor Ireally do but I know that
because I'm diabetic, I need tosee an endocrinologist.
Need to see an endocrinologist.
I know that when I go to thedoctor's office, my notes are
(16:09):
preceding me and it brings itback to the point where you, as
a clinician, where, okay, butyou hurt, you're in pain.
You're not absent of painbecause you're a nurse.
You're not absent of having towait six months and down the
line because you're a nurse.
But there are things that wecan talk to our primary care
doctors about and theyunderstand and they get it.
But there are things that weactually need to push and I
(16:32):
don't care if you're a clinicianor not that you need to push to
see a specialist.
And when a specialist tells you, oh, I don't know, that
shouldn't be their answer to you, whether you're a clinician or
not that should be.
I'm not sure, but here's someoptions.
Let me try it.
So when we look at cliniciansand we hear in your story about
(16:55):
everything that you're goingthrough and you're a nurse,
right, and you're going throughthis, you're like really she
going through all that, sheshould be able to cut some
corners or do some stuff, andit's not that simple for doctors
.
I mean, it's not that simplefor anyone in the medical field
to actually just jump aboveeverybody and it's also a matter
(17:15):
of respect.
But my thing is this you don'tget respect just to be given
respect.
You got to give respect inorder to get respect for me.
No one is going to get respectfor me if you don't treat me
right and if I'm not respected.
So whether you're a doctor, anurse, a physical therapist,
anybody in the medical fieldneeds to know that doctors hurt
(17:38):
too.
They go through some of thesame similarities that we go
through as non-medicalprofessionals, that we go
through.
We have to learn how to use ourvoice and we have to learn how
to, just because the doctor andnurse wear that white coat.
They're human, they're human.
They're just as human as youand I.
They hurt, they're in pain somany times when we come across
(18:03):
that issue, we can't let thatstop us from getting the best
health care that we can possiblyget.
We just can't.
So how many times have youheard a patient, carolyn, tell
you you're a nurse, don't youknow?
Speaker 2 (18:18):
more times than I can count.
But at the same time I tellthem have you spoken with your
physician, right?
And they will say no, andyou're like well, why do you
expect more from me than youexpect from your physician?
Sure, my advice on the streetis free, but you know, when you
(18:41):
go to them you're going to haveto pay a copay, and that's fine.
You know, if I can help you, Ican help you.
If I can, I can.
But I will say this, sandra ifI was still in the hospital, oh
yeah, somebody would have jumpedthe line.
You know, had me to jump theline.
Because it has happened in thepast when I was in the hospital,
(19:02):
you know, actively working witha physician, and I'd be like,
hey, doc, you got a minute, youknow, and they were like sure
what's going on and I would tellthem.
And then I said I tried to getan appointment with the
ophthalmologist but they didn'thave one.
So he said let me make a phonecall.
(19:23):
So he made a phone call.
He said can you be there in 20minutes?
I was like absolutely, you know.
So you have to be able to movewhen they do you that favor
right, I mean, and that's right,but all nurses in a hospital
yeah, right, and the physiciansI know have retired, so that
(19:45):
makes a difference with a lot ofthings Right and you're right.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
You know, if you work in the hospital and you like,
hey, doc, I'm not feeling wellor I'm sick, or you know I got
this problem going on, If youhave a good relationship with
the doctors, Now that's true.
They will actually go out oftheir way to see, make sure that
you're okay.
That goes a lot into thepatient, regardless as to who
they are, personality that theyhave with the doctor.
(20:12):
If you go to a doctor andyou're, you know, not so much
anything to be about compliance,but if you care about yourself,
they're going to care about youand I don't care where you are,
they'll care about you andthey'll go that extra step to
help you.
But we've got to get past thepoint where we're afraid to talk
to our doctors or our nurses oranyone in the professional
(20:35):
field because they got thatwhite coat or because they got
that title behind your name.
Because the point of thisinterview today is to make sure
that people know clinicians arepatients, and I give you a lot
of credit, carolyn, for evencoming on and saying hey, I hurt
just like you do.
(20:55):
Look at my hands, look at theprocess that I have been through
in reference to this.
And that's because plenty oftimes what happens is that if
the doctors don't tell thepatients and I'm not saying that
all doctors should get on aloudspeaker and say, hey, I got
this condition or that conditionor that, but if a doctor lets
(21:15):
you know that they're just ashuman as you are as a patient.
Our patient experience can bemade so much better because, you
know, we not all of us, but alot of us will say, oh, they
hurt, just like I hurt,absolutely.
Listen to what they got to say.
You know they, you know they'regoing through this and I'm
wondering how they're doing itRight?
(21:36):
I mean, they're patients, theyare patients, no matter how you
look at it.
They are indeed patients and weneed to realize that.
We, as patients, need torealize that our doctors are
just as human as we are right.
Well, our nurses are just ashuman as we are.
And now, how many timescurrently, as with you as a
nurse, have you seen a patient'sexperience not go so good
(22:00):
because the patient is nottelling the doctor the truth?
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Oh, oh, too many to count Now.
They will tell me the truthsometimes, but they won't tell
the doctor.
And it's kind of odd, becausewe're both looking at your lab
work, we're both looking at yourx-ray results, so we're both
reading from the same page andyou're denying this, that and
the other.
(22:25):
You know it gets to be a littlebit insulting.
Um, because your blood work andyour urine tells us a lot.
You know what you're taking andwhat you're not taking, what
you're.
You know what you're saying,that you don't do illegal drugs,
and you know everything'spositive, everything positive,
but the kitchen sink, and youknow.
So it gets to be insulting.
(22:47):
We can't help you if you don'ttell the truth.
So I I just I'm not holdingback when I go to my position, I
am saying what needs to be said, because this is my health and
it makes a difference yeah, itdoes, and you know what.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
And I actually want to add something, because I know
you stated earlier that whenyou go to the doctor, the doctor
doesn't know that you're anurse, like they have no idea
that you're a nurse.
However, if that doctor isreading you and so this is the
thing that I'm not sure of iswhen your medical notes are are
going before you, proceeding youinto that specialist's office
(23:27):
or that other doctor's office,how much information are they
being given about you as apatient as about the physician
as a patient?
That's my.
One of my questions, before weclose out, is are we for sure
that they're not being toldahead of time that this person
is a nurse or a medicalprofessional?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Well, I'm going to tell you when they finally, and
my insurance says I do not needa referral to see a specialist,
all the specialists I contactedyou still need the referral.
So that is what it is.
But the paperwork they had meto fill out for the specialist
(24:08):
for this upcoming visit in Juneor July, which I will not be
missing they know me better thanI know myself because it was 10
pages that I had to completebefore I show up into the office
and one of the things that theyask what is your occupation?
So then, it's on them.
Okay, because your occupationdoes matter.
(24:32):
I work with a group of peoplethat work in the elevator
industry.
You know that they are not justpushing buttons and doing exams
.
They are pushing, pulling,lifting, walking up steps.
They're doing a lot of physicalwork and you automatically know
(24:52):
it or they tell you this iswhat they do.
So all of that comes into play,especially someone who's having
orthopedic type pain,especially someone who's having
orthopedic type pain.
Inflammation in your hands leadsyou to a neuroconduction study.
That is leading me to arheumatology.
I'd rather us rule out thingsthan assume that we have
(25:17):
something, because I want to beon the correct medication but
I'm a little nosy.
So when I go in differentphysicians' office, I scan the
room and people laugh at me whenI say that I went to a
chiropractor not for this and,as I was leaving out, she had
(25:39):
some bio-freeze that she had ondisplay.
So I said, hmm, let's see ifthis is going to work.
So I purchased not at heroffice, I purchased some and it
helped more than thechiropractor.
You know I'm not trying to putyou out of practice, but I'm
just saying you had it in youroffice for a reason.
(26:00):
When I left the position theyhad access about a TENS unit,
t-e-n-s unit.
Well, I have a TENS unit herebecause I've been in stuff.
People have hit me from behind,whiplash, I've had a lot of
that and it does really work onmassaging that area in the back
(26:23):
of my neck.
So I'm just saying those littlethings might be clues that you
can use to lessen your pain oryour discomfort.
They're not advertising it fornothing, not that they're
pushing it.
But I read the doors, I readwhat's behind the doors, I read
what's on the wall.
But I read the doors, I readwhat's behind the doors, I read
what's on the wall.
You know there may be anotherdisease process that they have
(26:46):
outlined on, you know on thewall.
So it's OK to be nosy.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
It's OK to get off that exam table or get out that
chair and walk around that roomand read what is going on,
because it just might affect you, and I thank you so much for
that.
I do want to actually ask you,with all that you're going
through right what do you dowhen it comes down to you know
what?
I'm a patient, I'm a clinicianand you need to release, relax
and reflect on life.
How do you do that on life?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
How do you do that Me ?
You know my morning starts offwith a morning of inspiration.
You know, I pray, I read.
I read the scripture, I pray, Ilisten to inspirational music,
gospel music and I still try tostay as active as I can.
Now, these last three weeksthey've changed some stuff
(27:40):
around at work, so I'm trying to.
These last three weeks they'vechanged some stuff around at
work, so I'm trying to get thatunder my belt.
But I usually try to get to thegym at least twice a week and
if I'm not at the gym, I'mwalking.
I don't lead a sedentarylifestyle and nor do I want to.
You know I'm not saying that Iwill be Olympic material at any
(28:01):
point in time.
One thing I want I won't besedentary.
So I say keep moving, Do somethings that interest you.
One of the biggest things thatI love to do and I miss for this
last three weeks is linedancing, because we do it twice
a week.
But I can go down in my garageand do that, but I like to do it
(28:23):
with the people who know asmuch as I do or who know as less
as I do when it comes to linedancing, Because you got a
healthy mix.
So I do those things to relaxmy mind and to keep my body
moving.
So, in spite of wearing these,in spite of wearing these, I
still try to be as active aspossible, and you know what?
Speaker 1 (28:45):
And I love your look, I love your modesty, but not
once have you mentioned that youare also an international
author.
Oh yeah, that's a good one.
So not only are you a doctor,not only are you a nurse, not
only are you a patient, not onlyare you a much loved and
(29:08):
appreciated board member for theTom Smitty Health Foundation,
but you also do line dance, butyou also an international doctor
author.
And so for those patients whoare saying you know, well, woe
is me because I can't do thisand I can't do that, what advice
(29:28):
?
And you go by?
Aka Gentry.
So those of you who areinterested in knowing more about
what Ms Carolyn does do withall that she has, all her life
challenges that she's currentlyfacing.
She actually her website iscpwbookshelfcom.
You can actually contact her,send her an email and say hey,
(29:52):
carolyn, you know what I'mthinking about this, or I'm
thinking about that, when itcomes to writing.
Her story is a story that shehad, and if you haven't heard,
if you didn't hear her, or ifyou haven't heard, if you didn't
hear her or if you missedhearing her, she has a 40 year
career in nursing.
She decided that she somebodyelse out here needs to know and
(30:15):
I need to be able to put thisnursing in a not so much a
nutshell, but I need to createsomething where I could put the
life of a nurse into writing andso people can read it, because
she had a story to tell.
All of us have stories to tell,especially those of us that are
patients.
We have stories to tell andit's going to be critically
(30:40):
important that, instead of justtelling those stories to your
next door neighbor or person inchurch with you or a friend of
yours, that you release thatstory to the whole world,
because, guess what?
People want to hear your story.
These stories help people inorder to be able to live their
lives, in order to be able to dothe things that they have to do
(31:02):
, so that they're not sittingthere staring at the hourglass
as it ticks down.
So, before I end for today,what I do want to say, first of
all, I want to apologize ifyou've heard any background
noise.
I do want to apologize for that.
But second of all, and mostimportantly, what I do want to
say is this Remember, cliniciansare patients.
(31:26):
So when you see a clinician andhe or she might be having a bad
day, just remember that maybethey're going through something
personal or health challengesthat they don't want to share
with you, but that is reallybogging them down.
They are humans just like weare.
If you give respect, you getrespect, and so just being kind
(31:50):
enough and saying, well, hey,maybe they're just having a bad
day, or keeping in mind that,hey, there's some things that
might be going on personallythat I don't know about, they
are people just like you.
So this life in this world, youknow, as far as those of us
that are patients, how do we getoptimal health care?
(32:11):
We have to be educated aboutour condition.
We have to be educated onoptions.
If you go, like carolyn statedI haven't went to Dr Google yet
If you are a patient that doesnot have medical or healthcare
(32:33):
training, do us all a favor,especially yourself, away from
Dr Google and Mr Firefox and alltheir friends, because you have
no idea who's putting thatinformation out there.
So don't go to the doctor andsay, well, I read on such and
(32:54):
such and such, instead of havinga conversation with them.
Be educated enough about yourcondition or what might be going
on to have a conversation withthem.
Be empowered enough to use yourvoice.
Don't just sit there andsilently say any without saying
anything.
Be empowered and know that yourvoice is the most powerful tool
(33:16):
you have, I agree.
And if you don't use it,situations like what Carolyn
went through where you know atsix months, nine months,
everybody's telling you it'sgoing to happen to you and when
that happens, that stress isgoing to sicken and it's going
to actually drive you even morecrazy than you already might be
(33:36):
feeling because of the fact thatyou have all this pent up
frustration about what's goingon with your life.
So just be really careful aboutyou know using and make sure
you're using that voice, thatempowered voice.
Don't go in the doctor and say,hey, I know what's going on,
whatever, use your voice, butuse it in a tone and a manner in
(33:56):
which is heard and which isunderstood, and then be engaged.
Like Carolyn said, I'm engagedin my care.
I know what's going on, I knowyou know, as a nurse, she has a
little bit more understandingthan maybe you or I have, but
she knows enough to know that ifI'm not engaged and if I don't
ask questions, I'm going to bethe same way I was now in five
(34:19):
years from now.
I'm going to be that way.
We've got to learn how to use,be educated, empowered and
engage patients.
That's doing our job.
And then we let the doctors dotheir job, but when it comes to
them, they are, in fact, a lotof them not all of them, a lot
of them are patients just likeyou and I, and a lot of them
(34:43):
have to go through those samehassles, those same challenges
that you and I go through.
They're no different.
So just be kind to each other.
Being kind is free.
I promise you it's free.
I promise you it's free.
It's free being kind.
So, as we go forth from thisday on's, keep in mind, let's
(35:04):
remember, let's do our part andbe the best patients that we
could possibly be, and rememberphysicians are patients as well.
Thanks everyone.
Have the rest of a beautiful,awesome day thank you, thank you
(35:27):
.
Thank you Well, hello everyone and welcome to
Thursday, may 8th.
Today is a very, very specialday for me.
One because I made it.
I made it to a new day when Ididn't have to make it to a new
day.
Two, because I just left thedoctor's office and she said
(00:50):
Sandra, everything is going welland I'm so proud of you, so
that lets me know I'm on theright track.
And number three, because I geta chance to say to the world
that Choms Medihelps Foundationwishes all of the nurses a very
happy, happy Nurses Week.
And with that being said, I hadthe honor of actually asking our
(01:14):
nurse on board, one of ourbeautiful board members for
Choms Medihelps if she wouldcome on and she would discuss
with us today what it looks likewhen a clinician is patient,
because for some reason,patients seem to think that
doctors and nurses and otherclinical team members they don't
(01:38):
get sick.
They seem to think that they'reabove everybody else.
You know white coat syndrome.
They ain't gonna talk to theirdoctor or their nurse because
they know it all.
And I was like you know what?
You're having some healthchallenges yourself.
Could you please do us a favorof coming on the patient
experience podcast and talkingabout when clinicians are
(01:58):
patients Like.
Is there really currently anydifference between when you're a
patient such as you are nowwith your hand issue that you're
having?
Is there a difference on whenyou go to the doctor for help
and when us normal folks go tothe doctor for help?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Hello everybody.
Thank you, sandra for having me.
There can be a difference, butmy approach is mentally I'm
going in as a patient.
I don't try to micromanage,tell them what I feel is wrong
(02:36):
with me, because I really feellike we have a place and when I
go in I am the patient, I am notthe doctor.
You know I'm not thephysician's assistant, I'm not
the nurse practitioner.
I'm going in as the patient, Iam not the doctor.
You know I'm not thephysician's assistant, I'm not
the nurse practitioner.
I'm going in as a patient and Ikeep my mindset that way and I
don't tell people that I am anurse.
I mean my doctor.
Yes, she has that, that I am anurse, you know in her records,
(02:59):
in my records.
But I don't go in doing that.
I go in with my issue, mycomplaint or if it's just a
wellness checkup.
How have you been?
I have been fine, but recentlyI have been challenged with hand
pain.
(03:19):
Okay, let me give you the story.
I woke up one morning twoo'clock in the morning in
excruciating pain, and when painwakes you up, that is a
different degree of pain.
You know.
They tell you to score yourpain from one to 10, 10 being
the word.
Well, mine was a 20, in myopinion, okay.
(03:40):
So I was like oh, I was like,lord, what is going on with me?
It it's the middle of the night.
I don't feel like going to theemergency room.
Lord, what am I going to do?
And I, and it was hurting sobad, and it hurt for a couple of
days, you know.
It got better, um, but notbetter, better, and I got to the
(04:03):
point where I went to theemergency room and they told me
that I was having a carpaltunnel flare.
And I was like, really, youknow, I have been a nurse for 40
years at least and I have donecritical care for the majority
of that time.
So I'm doing a lot of pushingand pulling, turning a patient.
(04:26):
Okay, not a problem, you haveto use your hands to do that.
I always have practiced goodbody mechanics because when I
first got in nursing as an LPN,we were in school in class, and
our instructor told us you onlyhave one back to give to your
country.
Try not to, you know, try tokeep your back together.
(04:46):
And that just stuck with me.
So I've always tried to guardmy back, use my legs to push and
pull and that's what you shoulddo.
So after she says it's a carpaltunnel flare, they prescribed me
some anti-inflammatories and Ihad to take it upon myself to
(05:07):
put ice on it.
I was like, what can I do?
Because I was like, lord, wouldit be better if I cut the hand
off because it was in just thatmuch pain?
And then the nurse kicked in.
Well, then you're going to havesurgical pain and then they're
going to have to see about howthey can reattach the hand, so
(05:28):
that you don't want to do youknow.
So just kind of calm yourselfdown.
But when you are in pain, youknow you get a little loopy.
You know when you're hurtingyou're hurting and we can't
dismiss people's pain.
So the medication really wasn'thelping.
So I started using cold packson it and that really did work.
It helped minimize the pain andI was talking with my
(05:51):
supervisor about it and shesuggested a hand brace that I
could sleep in, brace that Icould sleep in, and she said you
can give it off Amazon.
Well, hey, I did.
It did work, because I felt asthough the metal in this splint
(06:11):
there's a metal piece right herewas basically digging into the
palm of my hand, that's wherethe pain was and so off with
that, um, so off with that, onwith the ice, on with the other
one that had us, uh, sort oflike a sheepskin cushion on the
(06:32):
inside.
Uh, it helped, it really didhelp, along with the
anti-inflammatory, so thatstarted getting better.
Made an appointment with anorthopedic and he looked,
flipped my hand.
It's hurting now because he,you know, he took it out the
brace and it's hurting, you know.
And I'm like, okay, all right,okay, it's still hurting.
(06:53):
He said oh yeah, you got carpaltunnel, we can do surgery.
I'm like you know, is there anytreatment you can give me, such
as an injection to numb thepain?
Oh no, that's not going to work, you just need the surgery.
Well, I wasn't trying to get outof surgery, I just needed some
relief at that point in time,because when you're as active as
(07:14):
I am, you don't like layingaround, you don't.
Your mind and your body don'tcompute that way.
So I was like, okay, gotscheduled for surgery, still in
pain, it was lessening but stillin pain.
And then I talked to my primarycare physician, so she
(07:37):
recommended I see a painspecialist.
So I'm like, yeah, I'm good,let's do it.
So that worked out.
So I'm like yeah, I'm good,let's do it.
So that worked out.
They performed aneuroconduction study on me and
it came out clean.
It was no signs of carpaltunnel impingement in my neck or
(07:59):
in my wrist.
So what did I do?
I canceled the surgery.
I don't want unnecessarysurgery if I don't have to.
So after that, after that visitwith him, his suggestion was
let's see a rheumatologist.
Well, I knew there is a.
(08:24):
I know that there is a waitingtime period for a lot of things
Children that need to be tested,you know, for autism, adhd.
I know there is a waiting listfor that.
I know that there is a waitinglist to see some of the
specialists.
But until you are in someoneelse's shoes and they tell you
you got three months to waitbefore you can see your next
physician, it puts you on awhole new frame of mind.
(08:47):
So I started calling otherpeople to see if I could get an
earlier appointment.
That did not work, people.
But my daughter came up withthis gizmo that she found online
that helped exercise my hand.
It did help.
I'm still not able to close, ify'all can see, make a fist.
(09:12):
This is about as much as I cando.
If I concentrate, I can make itclose more, but gripping
something like a mop or a vacuumcleaner, it's not working.
They fall out of my handbecause it's a gap.
It's a gap there.
So I do finally have anappointment to see the
(09:35):
rheumatologist.
Everyone on the street tell me Ihave carpal tunnel.
I'm not against that, becausewe always have our opinion, but
I want to see differentpositions, not to get out of the
diagnosis, but I want adefinitive diagnosis Because if
(09:58):
it's not definitive with thepain specialist I felt like it
was carpal tunnel.
Never had it before.
Why not know your next steps?
And that's what I recommend tomy patients If you're not sure
about something, because youknow your body better than
(10:19):
anyone, it's okay to seek asecond opinion.
It is truly okay.
I honestly did not feel like theorthopedic did a thorough exam
of my hand.
He just said, yep, you got it.
That was it.
I'm still holding my hand outfor him to check my wrist.
(10:42):
He went on to set up a surgeon.
I'm like okay.
(11:05):
So it is imperative that we beour healthcare advocates, we be
our own healthcare advocates.
And, as I say, and I still say,I didn't tell the orthopedic
surgeon that I was a nurse.
I didn't tell the painspecialist that I was a nurse,
because I want them to treat meas though I am a patient.
I don't want to, and I eventold them I haven't even been to
Dr Google yet.
I have not been, because I wanta definitive diagnosis.
I get that, then maybe I willgo to Dr Google.
I have been on Dr Google sincethen, but nothing still matches
up for me.
So the muscle relaxers nothingstill matches up for me.
(11:28):
So the muscle relaxerseverybody has warned me that
they may make me sleepy.
Well, not so.
In this day and age of substanceabuse, you're going to be hard
pressed to get any medicationthat can relax you, and I am one
of those people.
I have to be functional duringthe day because I have things to
(11:50):
do, so I can't lie in bedbecause I have all these things
on my mind.
So it's not that I need it toput me to sleep, I need it to
dull the pain so that I can getthrough my day and have a
productive day.
Now, still, nurse Carolyn hasstill not kicked in yet, because
(12:12):
I do believe in respecting thepowers that be, and that's why.
I asked the rheumatologist well, if it's not that, what is it?
And he was honest.
He said I have no idea, butyour nerves are not impinged, so
I don't think it's carpaltunnel.
So that's where we ended upwith the rheumatology, and it
(12:33):
has been several months.
This started in October, guys,and this is what May.
So the pain is not as bad, butthe functionality is what I'm
more concerned with now.
I want to be able to not that Ilove cleaning up, but I do love
(12:55):
a clean house.
My guys have had to comethrough and pitch in to help,
but we, as human beings, ninetimes out of ten we like to be
as functional as possible.
Right Now, this is the one thatwas giving me grief, my left
hand.
But I can close it, but I stillcan't make a tight fit, but at
(13:20):
least I'm making one.
So why this one jumped on board?
I don't know.
So I want to know what isreally going on, and you know,
someone said well, they're goingto tell you it's arthritis.
I said that's fine.
If that's what it is, I'm opento that, but I'm not claiming
any of it.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
But you know, carolyn , what I do want to ask you is
this you mentioned a couple ofthings that like automatically
took.
You know it didn't take mybreath away, but it made me stop
and think, because it's like,if you're a patient but you're
also a clinician, and none ofthat got you an appointment two
weeks from now, none of thatactually got you to got them to
(14:02):
tell you okay, here's someoptions that you have that's
available to you, right?
So you were treated just as.
I mean, once again, that's howyou're supposed to be treated,
as any other patient, because noone deserves to have any less
care than the other person.
But it's like when you, as aclinician, how many times have
(14:24):
you heard and I know you'veheard it because I've actually
heard it on the other endsomeone's saying well, you're a
nurse or you're a doctor, youshould know.
Like they put you on thispedestal of you got this
clinical degree.
You know what?
You got this clinical degree,don't you know everything?
(14:44):
What is your answer to thosepeople who think, because you're
a clinician, you knoweverything?
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Well, I tell them I have done a lot and if someone
had come to me I would have toldthem you need to have that
checked out.
It sounds like carpal tunnel.
I've never had carpal tunnel soI can't really tell them, but
from my studies and my patientsthat I've cared for, it sounds
(15:11):
like.
But you need to get to yourphysician, okay, so you can get
a definitive diagnosis.
So they did end up doing bloodwork on me, my primary care
physician, and we tried to treatit conservatively but it got
worse.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
This is the thing and I hate to cut you off, but this
is my question to you.
And people need to actuallyrealize this.
And as a clinician, you knowthis more so than anyone else.
When you have a condition, suchas what's going on with your
hands, you need to see aspecialist.
(15:49):
It's good to work with yourprimary care doctor.
I love my primary care doctor Ireally do but I know that
because I'm diabetic, I need tosee an endocrinologist.
Need to see an endocrinologist.
I know that when I go to thedoctor's office, my notes are
(16:09):
preceding me and it brings itback to the point where you, as
a clinician, where, okay, butyou hurt, you're in pain.
You're not absent of painbecause you're a nurse.
You're not absent of having towait six months and down the
line because you're a nurse.
But there are things that wecan talk to our primary care
doctors about and theyunderstand and they get it.
But there are things that weactually need to push and I
(16:32):
don't care if you're a clinicianor not that you need to push to
see a specialist.
And when a specialist tells you, oh, I don't know, that
shouldn't be their answer to you, whether you're a clinician or
not that should be.
I'm not sure, but here's someoptions.
Let me try it.
So when we look at cliniciansand we hear in your story about
(16:55):
everything that you're goingthrough and you're a nurse,
right, and you're going throughthis, you're like really she
going through all that, sheshould be able to cut some
corners or do some stuff, andit's not that simple for doctors
.
I mean, it's not that simplefor anyone in the medical field
to actually just jump aboveeverybody and it's also a matter
(17:15):
of respect.
But my thing is this you don'tget respect just to be given
respect.
You got to give respect inorder to get respect for me.
No one is going to get respectfor me if you don't treat me
right and if I'm not respected.
So whether you're a doctor, anurse, a physical therapist,
anybody in the medical fieldneeds to know that doctors hurt
(17:38):
too.
They go through some of thesame similarities that we go
through as non-medicalprofessionals, that we go
through.
We have to learn how to use ourvoice and we have to learn how
to, just because the doctor andnurse wear that white coat.
They're human, they're human.
They're just as human as youand I.
They hurt, they're in pain somany times when we come across
(18:03):
that issue, we can't let thatstop us from getting the best
health care that we can possiblyget.
We just can't.
So how many times have youheard a patient, carolyn, tell
you you're a nurse, don't youknow?
Speaker 2 (18:18):
more times than I can count.
But at the same time I tellthem have you spoken with your
physician, right?
And they will say no, andyou're like well, why do you
expect more from me than youexpect from your physician?
Sure, my advice on the streetis free, but you know, when you
(18:41):
go to them you're going to haveto pay a copay, and that's fine.
You know, if I can help you, Ican help you.
If I can, I can.
But I will say this, sandra ifI was still in the hospital, oh
yeah, somebody would have jumpedthe line.
You know, had me to jump theline.
Because it has happened in thepast when I was in the hospital,
(19:02):
you know, actively working witha physician, and I'd be like,
hey, doc, you got a minute, youknow, and they were like sure
what's going on and I would tellthem.
And then I said I tried to getan appointment with the
ophthalmologist but they didn'thave one.
So he said let me make a phonecall.
(19:23):
So he made a phone call.
He said can you be there in 20minutes?
I was like absolutely, you know.
So you have to be able to movewhen they do you that favor
right, I mean, and that's right,but all nurses in a hospital
yeah, right, and the physiciansI know have retired, so that
(19:45):
makes a difference with a lot ofthings Right and you're right.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
You know, if you work in the hospital and you like,
hey, doc, I'm not feeling wellor I'm sick, or you know I got
this problem going on, If youhave a good relationship with
the doctors, Now that's true.
They will actually go out oftheir way to see, make sure that
you're okay.
That goes a lot into thepatient, regardless as to who
they are, personality that theyhave with the doctor.
(20:12):
If you go to a doctor andyou're, you know, not so much
anything to be about compliance,but if you care about yourself,
they're going to care about youand I don't care where you are,
they'll care about you andthey'll go that extra step to
help you.
But we've got to get past thepoint where we're afraid to talk
to our doctors or our nurses oranyone in the professional
(20:35):
field because they got thatwhite coat or because they got
that title behind your name.
Because the point of thisinterview today is to make sure
that people know clinicians arepatients, and I give you a lot
of credit, carolyn, for evencoming on and saying hey, I hurt
just like you do.
(20:55):
Look at my hands, look at theprocess that I have been through
in reference to this.
And that's because plenty oftimes what happens is that if
the doctors don't tell thepatients and I'm not saying that
all doctors should get on aloudspeaker and say, hey, I got
this condition or that conditionor that, but if a doctor lets
(21:15):
you know that they're just ashuman as you are as a patient.
Our patient experience can bemade so much better because, you
know, we not all of us, but alot of us will say, oh, they
hurt, just like I hurt,absolutely.
Listen to what they got to say.
You know they, you know they'regoing through this and I'm
wondering how they're doing itRight?
(21:36):
I mean, they're patients, theyare patients, no matter how you
look at it.
They are indeed patients and weneed to realize that.
We, as patients, need torealize that our doctors are
just as human as we are right.
Well, our nurses are just ashuman as we are.
And now, how many timescurrently, as with you as a
nurse, have you seen a patient'sexperience not go so good
(22:00):
because the patient is nottelling the doctor the truth?
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Oh, oh, too many to count Now.
They will tell me the truthsometimes, but they won't tell
the doctor.
And it's kind of odd, becausewe're both looking at your lab
work, we're both looking at yourx-ray results, so we're both
reading from the same page andyou're denying this, that and
the other.
(22:25):
You know it gets to be a littlebit insulting.
Um, because your blood work andyour urine tells us a lot.
You know what you're taking andwhat you're not taking, what
you're.
You know what you're saying,that you don't do illegal drugs,
and you know everything'spositive, everything positive,
but the kitchen sink, and youknow.
So it gets to be insulting.
(22:47):
We can't help you if you don'ttell the truth.
So I I just I'm not holdingback when I go to my position, I
am saying what needs to be said, because this is my health and
it makes a difference yeah, itdoes, and you know what.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
And I actually want to add something, because I know
you stated earlier that whenyou go to the doctor, the doctor
doesn't know that you're anurse, like they have no idea
that you're a nurse.
However, if that doctor isreading you and so this is the
thing that I'm not sure of iswhen your medical notes are are
going before you, proceeding youinto that specialist's office
(23:27):
or that other doctor's office,how much information are they
being given about you as apatient as about the physician
as a patient?
That's my.
One of my questions, before weclose out, is are we for sure
that they're not being toldahead of time that this person
is a nurse or a medicalprofessional?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Well, I'm going to tell you when they finally, and
my insurance says I do not needa referral to see a specialist,
all the specialists I contactedyou still need the referral.
So that is what it is.
But the paperwork they had meto fill out for the specialist
(24:08):
for this upcoming visit in Juneor July, which I will not be
missing they know me better thanI know myself because it was 10
pages that I had to completebefore I show up into the office
and one of the things that theyask what is your occupation?
So then, it's on them.
Okay, because your occupationdoes matter.
(24:32):
I work with a group of peoplethat work in the elevator
industry.
You know that they are not justpushing buttons and doing exams
.
They are pushing, pulling,lifting, walking up steps.
They're doing a lot of physicalwork and you automatically know
(24:52):
it or they tell you this iswhat they do.
So all of that comes into play,especially someone who's having
orthopedic type pain,especially someone who's having
orthopedic type pain.
Inflammation in your hands leadsyou to a neuroconduction study.
That is leading me to arheumatology.
I'd rather us rule out thingsthan assume that we have
(25:17):
something, because I want to beon the correct medication but
I'm a little nosy.
So when I go in differentphysicians' office, I scan the
room and people laugh at me whenI say that I went to a
chiropractor not for this and,as I was leaving out, she had
(25:39):
some bio-freeze that she had ondisplay.
So I said, hmm, let's see ifthis is going to work.
So I purchased not at heroffice, I purchased some and it
helped more than thechiropractor.
You know I'm not trying to putyou out of practice, but I'm
just saying you had it in youroffice for a reason.
(26:00):
When I left the position theyhad access about a TENS unit,
t-e-n-s unit.
Well, I have a TENS unit herebecause I've been in stuff.
People have hit me from behind,whiplash, I've had a lot of
that and it does really work onmassaging that area in the back
(26:23):
of my neck.
So I'm just saying those littlethings might be clues that you
can use to lessen your pain oryour discomfort.
They're not advertising it fornothing, not that they're
pushing it.
But I read the doors, I readwhat's behind the doors, I read
what's on the wall.
But I read the doors, I readwhat's behind the doors, I read
what's on the wall.
You know there may be anotherdisease process that they have
(26:46):
outlined on, you know on thewall.
So it's OK to be nosy.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
It's OK to get off that exam table or get out that
chair and walk around that roomand read what is going on,
because it just might affect you, and I thank you so much for
that.
I do want to actually ask you,with all that you're going
through right what do you dowhen it comes down to you know
what?
I'm a patient, I'm a clinicianand you need to release, relax
and reflect on life.
How do you do that on life?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
How do you do that Me ?
You know my morning starts offwith a morning of inspiration.
You know, I pray, I read.
I read the scripture, I pray, Ilisten to inspirational music,
gospel music and I still try tostay as active as I can.
Now, these last three weeksthey've changed some stuff
(27:40):
around at work, so I'm trying to.
These last three weeks they'vechanged some stuff around at
work, so I'm trying to get thatunder my belt.
But I usually try to get to thegym at least twice a week and
if I'm not at the gym, I'mwalking.
I don't lead a sedentarylifestyle and nor do I want to.
You know I'm not saying that Iwill be Olympic material at any
(28:01):
point in time.
One thing I want I won't besedentary.
So I say keep moving, Do somethings that interest you.
One of the biggest things thatI love to do and I miss for this
last three weeks is linedancing, because we do it twice
a week.
But I can go down in my garageand do that, but I like to do it
(28:23):
with the people who know asmuch as I do or who know as less
as I do when it comes to linedancing, Because you got a
healthy mix.
So I do those things to relaxmy mind and to keep my body
moving.
So, in spite of wearing these,in spite of wearing these, I
still try to be as active aspossible, and you know what?
Speaker 1 (28:45):
And I love your look, I love your modesty, but not
once have you mentioned that youare also an international
author.
Oh yeah, that's a good one.
So not only are you a doctor,not only are you a nurse, not
only are you a patient, not onlyare you a much loved and
(29:08):
appreciated board member for theTom Smitty Health Foundation,
but you also do line dance, butyou also an international doctor
author.
And so for those patients whoare saying you know, well, woe
is me because I can't do thisand I can't do that, what advice
(29:28):
?
And you go by?
Aka Gentry.
So those of you who areinterested in knowing more about
what Ms Carolyn does do withall that she has, all her life
challenges that she's currentlyfacing.
She actually her website iscpwbookshelfcom.
You can actually contact her,send her an email and say hey,
(29:52):
carolyn, you know what I'mthinking about this, or I'm
thinking about that, when itcomes to writing.
Her story is a story that shehad, and if you haven't heard,
if you didn't hear her, or ifyou haven't heard, if you didn't
hear her or if you missedhearing her, she has a 40 year
career in nursing.
She decided that she somebodyelse out here needs to know and
(30:15):
I need to be able to put thisnursing in a not so much a
nutshell, but I need to createsomething where I could put the
life of a nurse into writing andso people can read it, because
she had a story to tell.
All of us have stories to tell,especially those of us that are
patients.
We have stories to tell andit's going to be critically
(30:40):
important that, instead of justtelling those stories to your
next door neighbor or person inchurch with you or a friend of
yours, that you release thatstory to the whole world,
because, guess what?
People want to hear your story.
These stories help people inorder to be able to live their
lives, in order to be able to dothe things that they have to do
(31:02):
, so that they're not sittingthere staring at the hourglass
as it ticks down.
So, before I end for today,what I do want to say, first of
all, I want to apologize ifyou've heard any background
noise.
I do want to apologize for that.
But second of all, and mostimportantly, what I do want to
say is this Remember, cliniciansare patients.
(31:26):
So when you see a clinician andhe or she might be having a bad
day, just remember that maybethey're going through something
personal or health challengesthat they don't want to share
with you, but that is reallybogging them down.
They are humans just like weare.
If you give respect, you getrespect, and so just being kind
(31:50):
enough and saying, well, hey,maybe they're just having a bad
day, or keeping in mind that,hey, there's some things that
might be going on personallythat I don't know about, they
are people just like you.
So this life in this world, youknow, as far as those of us
that are patients, how do we getoptimal health care?
(32:11):
We have to be educated aboutour condition.
We have to be educated onoptions.
If you go, like carolyn statedI haven't went to Dr Google yet
If you are a patient that doesnot have medical or healthcare
(32:33):
training, do us all a favor,especially yourself, away from
Dr Google and Mr Firefox and alltheir friends, because you have
no idea who's putting thatinformation out there.
So don't go to the doctor andsay, well, I read on such and
(32:54):
such and such, instead of havinga conversation with them.
Be educated enough about yourcondition or what might be going
on to have a conversation withthem.
Be empowered enough to use yourvoice.
Don't just sit there andsilently say any without saying
anything.
Be empowered and know that yourvoice is the most powerful tool
(33:16):
you have, I agree.
And if you don't use it,situations like what Carolyn
went through where you know atsix months, nine months,
everybody's telling you it'sgoing to happen to you and when
that happens, that stress isgoing to sicken and it's going
to actually drive you even morecrazy than you already might be
(33:36):
feeling because of the fact thatyou have all this pent up
frustration about what's goingon with your life.
So just be really careful aboutyou know using and make sure
you're using that voice, thatempowered voice.
Don't go in the doctor and say,hey, I know what's going on,
whatever, use your voice, butuse it in a tone and a manner in
(33:56):
which is heard and which isunderstood, and then be engaged.
Like Carolyn said, I'm engagedin my care.
I know what's going on, I knowyou know, as a nurse, she has a
little bit more understandingthan maybe you or I have, but
she knows enough to know that ifI'm not engaged and if I don't
ask questions, I'm going to bethe same way I was now in five
(34:19):
years from now.
I'm going to be that way.
We've got to learn how to use,be educated, empowered and
engage patients.
That's doing our job.
And then we let the doctors dotheir job, but when it comes to
them, they are, in fact, a lotof them not all of them, a lot
of them are patients just likeyou and I, and a lot of them
(34:43):
have to go through those samehassles, those same challenges
that you and I go through.
They're no different.
So just be kind to each other.
Being kind is free.
I promise you it's free.
I promise you it's free.
It's free being kind.
So, as we go forth from thisday on's, keep in mind, let's
(35:04):
remember, let's do our part andbe the best patients that we
could possibly be, and rememberphysicians are patients as well.
Thanks everyone.
Have the rest of a beautiful,awesome day thank you, thank you
(35:27):
.
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