Healthcare Providers

In honor of Ash Wednesday –the day after Fat Tuesday and the beginning of Lent—I thought I might share the spirit of a recent report published by the Consumers Union of the United States.  Why?  Because if you believe the statistics, about one third of you who are reading this post made a health related resolution last evening and believe it or not, most of you are far more likely to keep that resolution than the similar or same one you made this past New Year’s Eve.

So consider this post a public service:

If you’ve vowed to quit drinking –at least through Lent—be aware that there is a high probability you will feel much better as a result. But be warned: Quitting drinking will most likely result in an unexplained weight loss and a general surge in your personal productivity. And if you’re taking any prescribed medications, you may find that they actually work.

If you chased your last shot of tequila last evening with a cigarette or four, five, etc., and you woke up this morning fully resolved to never again smoke, good for you. Not only will food taste better to you, but you will taste better –if that’s important. It may even have an impact on your partner’s libido. The residual benefits seem endless, but they could be startling to your system. Bottom line: If you’ve successfully quit smoking, you might want to let your doctor know, especially if it was last night.

In both cases, and all kidding aside, don’t keep these and the other following “secrets” from your doctor:

You’ve lost your job or you’ve started a new one: The stress related to job loss or starting a new job is relevant. And if you’ve lost your job, a consumer reports survey indicated that a whopping 28% of us stop filling our prescriptions and taking our medication. Your doctor needs to know.

You’re forgetting things: Forgetting things is not necessarily a sign of some scary disease –like Alzheimer’s. It may be something far more treatable. And it may help speed and/or confirm the diagnosis of something else that’s been bothering you.

You’re seeing someone new or you’ve just left your significant other: You don’t have to be having an affair to qualify. Maybe you were seeing another doctor for what you believed was an unrelated problem. Maybe it was a specialist or you came back from a vacation with a”bug” and took heavy doses of an antibiotic based on the experience of your travel friends. Or you pulled a muscle in your back and “borrowed” some pain killers? Tell your doctor –even if it’s just an affair.

You’ve lost your sex drive: If it’s not your partner’s choice, and you’re not taking certain psychiatric drugs, including anti-depressants or blood pressure medication, or pain killers –or even if you are—you need to have a candid discussion with your physician about it. Regardless of your partner’s claims to the contrary, you are right, not having a sex drive is a matter of concern.

OK. I had a little fun with this post this morning, but I hope the points are well taken. Many of us “gear up” to see our physicians and not only rehearse what we’re going to say, but how we’re going to say it.While there’s nothing wrong with being prepared, I suppose the point being made here is to prepare yourself to be totally candid with your physician –and to not exclude from those discussions the personal things that are going on in your life –the good, the bad and the ugly.

From what I keep hearing, it’s been a rough couple of years for 99% of us, especially your doctor, so he/she should understand and you’ll get a better result.

Happy Day After Fat Tuesday!

—Tom Finn

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