Chronic Living Blog

One distinct thing about people with chronic illness is that they are experts in their own health. They know their symptoms, the treatments, and causes.

As a health professional, I listen when they tell me about their needs and symptoms. I can’t take for granted that they know everything about their disease. Even when they are informed, there is always the chance that there is a gap in knowledge. It’s tough finding where those gaps are in order to fill them.

As a nurse, education is part of my job. I look for the reason a symptom is happening and try to resolve it from there. Patients are often given a sanitized explanation for medical issues. It’s more digestible and easy to give a handout. When a disease is complex, a sanitized education does not help to really understand the basis of the issues.

For example, a sanitized explanation of diabetes would explain that blood sugar is out of control and needs meds to manage it.

A full education would include the mechanics of the effects of high and low blood sugar, it’s immediate and long term consequences, and how medications interact with the disease and the rest of the body.

So how do you get educated? Keep asking WHY??? Be like a 4 year-old. Why is the sugar out of control? Why is the body not balancing it? Why does the medicine work? How does the medicine work? Why do I feel this way?

Where do you ask your whys? Start with your doctor. Ask for a dietician for education. Don’t stop there. Hit the internet and plug those questions into the search bar. Don’t stop there. Every appointment, ask a new question… even if you think you learned everything. There is ALWAYS something new to learn.

Be proactive in your health. Be proactive in your life. Take control to truly understand and get ahead of major complications of your disease.