There have only been five books read this lifetime that have ransacked the soul straight from the mind and body nearly knocking it off its foundation—the Bible, The Artist Way from Julia Cameron, Bury My Heart and Wounded Knee, Why Suicide 200 of the most frequently asked questions and Guide to the Great Beyond from Jane Brody.
Each featured a language that could be understood—and or served as a first step on a journey that evolved into a brand new beginning.
Isn’t that what everyone wants? To have and to hold a simple understanding of what is or isn’t during a time when what’s unfolding features several different dictionary definitions but which one best fits what you want to call safe and secure?
I’m not a fan of the medical world yet we require their assistance in constructing the pages that which make up our personalized books. Is it through an association with pain that makes me look away or might the words and thoughts they jibber jab during a highly overpriced visit turn each of us into products of stupidity?
Openly I admit, doctors are like poets…the language we elect to articulate has a 99.9% chance of soaring over the average person’s head—it takes years to finally grasp the concept that no matter how hard you to try to be down to earth and perfectly clear, getting there is nothing more than a mask made of fools gold.
Knowing a poet, painter, songwriter, designer or landscaper first hand opens the door for communication to step in. Doctors should be no different. In fact Dr. Richard Sribnick from Columbia, SC who penned out the book Smart Patient, Good Medicine vividly points out the importance of having a great rapport with those controlling the outcome of your intended destination.
The medical professional usually isn’t at fault when a problem area hasn’t been taken care of—when describing the symptoms the majority of us fail in the art of speaking clearly and concisely often sending the highly trained know it all into a tailspin of assumption.
At no time should you ever stop playing who, what, where, how and when.
Who are you?
When did the problem first appear?
Where is the pain located? Be specific!
What brings it on or makes it worse?
How does it feel—is it a stabbing or throbbing pain?
The wrong answer: I feel pain in my chest while at work. My doctor in June 2009 dismissed the discomfort as stress and asked me if I wanted a pill. Less than 30 days later I was having heart surgery.
The right answer should have been: I feel like there’s a fist tightening in the center of my chest. I’m having difficulty breathing. Such a description will alert the doctor to the possibility of heart disease and ask you to participate with further testing.
I was lucky…what took me to the Urgent Care had nothing to do with the heart but rather a painful soar throat which they tried to write off as acid reflux but because I followed what Dr. Sribnick explains as looking and being in pain and not being a martyr or someone trying to be tough, those in control listened to me when I said, “I won’t be able to sleep tonight if you don’t do an EKG.”
Its human nature to hold grudges against medical people—they want your money. Then one day you really need their help and having a bad attitude can cost you in different ways. As difficult as it might be, develop a positive attitude toward doctors and nurses.
How do you react when people showcase a misplaced willingness to work with you? Doctors are just as human, hostility leads to silence. And if you feel shortchanged, there’s no written law in the Library of Congress that states you can’t get a second or third opinion.
Keep calm in the waiting room…your time is extremely important but don’t pull off a Jennifer Lopez Diva attitude until after you’ve been seen, then ask to see someone you can privately talk with. They are a business just like Wal-Mart is a business and in the end customer satisfaction is very important.
The problem with America isn’t the medical field but our personal decisions to accept second best. In the book Selling the Invisible research clearly shows the majority of us settle for low ratings and bad service at restaurants, settle for half priced clothing that has a tiny tear or stain and we settle in and out of court on why a marriage didn’t work. Ouch! Why do we assume doctors are different?
I love Tom Petty’s outlook on the world, “Rock n Roll dyed the day radio stations started ordering musicians what to play, how long it should play and what its tempo should or shouldn’t be. Those gaining fame today aren’t making statements or carving out new paths for others to follow they’ve settled for second best…whatever it takes to be heard.”
Isn’t that what everyone wants? To have and to hold a simple understanding of what is or isn’t during a time when what’s unfolding features several different dictionary definitions but which one best fits what you want to call safe and secure?
No wonder television newscasts cover nothing but crashes, fires and murders…how many steps is it from your front door? If you want something different treat life like a doctor and communicate who, what, where, why, when and how but do it in a language people and not your imagination can understand.
Steal my art…
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
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