I always have a list of things to talk about when I go to the doctor.
“Should I be worried about feeling less energetic?”
“My sleep is changing. What does that mean?”
“Has this lump changed any?”
“Why does my skin have these bumps?”
“Is this normal?”
By this time, my wonderful doctor has come to expect this endless list of questions from me. She sits waiting for me to launch into my worries. Most of the time she’s able to easily soothe my fears by telling me what to do differently, what to focus on, and what to let go of dwelling on. (It always stings and makes me feel better when she says, “This is just part of the age you are now.” Nice.)
All the while, she’s looking over the notes from the nurses with my temperature, blood pressure, and who knows what else. (I’m sure someone has written, “Why does she insist on taking off her 3 ounce flip flops when she gets on the scale?”)
It amazes me that I can have a huge list of worries about potentially complicated health problems, but yet the same simple basics are what let my doctor know if there’s something for me and her to worry about.
While I’m worried that I may have some unknown cancer growing inside me, she’s poking around my lymph nodes.
While I’m worried about some heart condition or my lungs giving out on me, she’s listening to my breathing with a cold stethoscope on my back.
While I’m worried about how many women I worked with at one particular job had breast cancer within a short 5 year span, she reassures me with what facts we do know about breast cancer risks.
While I’m worried about driving her crazy with my barrage of questions, she assures me this helps her to guide my health better and that she wishes everyone was concerned about their wellness.
Because my doctor does this every day, she knows what things are normal, which things to take with a grain of salt, and what concerns merit a few more questions- really simple basic questions at that.
“Does it hurt here?”
“Have you experienced any dizziness, diarrhea, or had a sore throat? ”
“How long has this been going on?”
After my check-up each year, I walk out of her office with a spring in my step, feeling hopeful, at peace, and more in control of my life.
And then it hits me, “I’m the same way with my clients. They come to me with a list of worries and fears- questions about what’s normal, what’s healthy, and what they should do. I instinctively know what they should do differently, what they should focus on, and what they should let go of dwelling on.
And, just like my doctor, there are some simple questions that I ask that let both of us know how to do that.
If you’ve got a list of questions about your stress, your worry, your life, and your health that you want answered, then I invite you to join me next week as my office celebrates National Stress Awareness Day. I’m going to be answering some of those questions that you have on your list- along with giving you some pointers on what to do differently.
To join us, all you have to do is sign-up below. And if you would like to learn more about the event, click here.