Self-Advocacy & Being Proactive: A Gentle Reminder to Schedule that Healthcare Appointment
When thinking about self-advocacy as it relates to chronic illness, we typically think about getting what we need from others, including our healthcare providers, employers or people in our personal lives.
It can be easy to forget that an important part of self-advocacy also relates to being proactive ourselves.
One way that we can do this is to own what we can do for ourselves with respect to scheduling our healthcare appointments and tests.
Sometimes that is not fun.
For example, when we have so many medical appointments to go related to our noisiest chronic illness symptoms, it is hard to muster the desire or energy to book the other tests and appointments that are recommended for other aspects of our health. I am talking about mammograms, colonoscopies, pap smears, scans, check-ups and the related blood testing, EKGs, etc.
No one likes any of these tests or appointments, at least I don’t. But, regular check-ups and screening tests are widely viewed as necessary to catch medical issues early and to keep us as healthy as possible.
For those of us who have had rigorous treatments like chemo and radiation, we are more prone to side effects due to the resulting direct and collateral damage in our bodies. We may have higher risks of other cancers. Personally, I have earned myself a bunch of extra regular screenings and tests because of my cancer treatments and, now, my age. But, having the chance to continue to live a fulfilling life makes these uncomfortable tests and appointments worth the hassle.
A major part of thriving with chronic illness is to take an active role in your health and life, not a passive part of it.
Taking responsibility for making sure you are up to date on regular screenings and check-ups is a big part of that. And, the beautiful thing about these regular appointments is that scheduling them and showing up for them is completely within your control.
6 Tips To Help You Make It Happen:
1. Keep Track of Your What Is Due And When
If your healthcare provider does not send you specific reminders, it is important to take time to notice what appointments and testing you need to schedule and when. For many of us, follow-up appointments and tests have been delayed due to the pandemic. Now might be a good time to evaluate whether something has slipped through the cracks.
2. Connect with Your Motivation
Tune into why you want to maintain your health and what it makes possible in your life. Realizing that you could be the one to save your life by showing up for a cancer screening test can be a good motivator to schedule that appointment.
3. Use Certain Dates As Reminders
Recognize that certain dates in the year might prompt you to think about scheduling your appointments and screenings. For me, I usually think about putting something in my calendar on the date of a check-up, around my birthday, the beginning of the calendar year, or some other date where my schedule is shifting.
4. Think of Appointments and Tests as Maintenance
Check-ups and medical tests are analogous to car maintenance. Keeping things running smoothly requires regular maintenance and testing. Regular maintenance is necessary to keep things going, and just part of the responsibility of owning a car. It’s adulting. You just need to do it to avoid bigger problems down the road.
5. Plan How to support yourself
Brainstorming ways to get yourself through a tough appointment or test can be really helpful in the moment. In the case of an appointment, you can prepare in advance. Download my free Appointment Planner to learn my tips for getting the most out of your visit. In addition, there are ways to help calm or distract yourself while you are getting a test or procedure done. Think about ways that feel supportive to you (i.e., listening to music or a podcast, visualization, meditation, mantras, etc.).
6. REward yourself
If you are motivated by rewards, reward yourself with a little something. This might be an instant reward like grabbing a tea or a snack post appointment. But, it could really be whatever makes sense for you to treat yourself for getting through something difficult. If rewards are not particularly motivating for you, it might be enough to feel the relief of having it off your list for another year or more. You can spend your mental energy thinking about something else!
Appointment Planning
For a free download to help you prepare to get the most out of your healthcare appointments, download my Healthcare Appointment Planner.
My Story.
I have needed to schedule quite a few tests and doctors appointments this year. I seem to be moving into a different zone of prevention and health screening due to my age and the long list of side effects from my past cancer treatments.
Apparently, damage from my past cancer treatment plus time equals higher risks for other cancers, cardiovascular issues, gut issues, bone density issues, etc.
But, my past cancer treatments plus time also equals me being a more determined and knowledgeable cancer survivor.
Because I want to stay healthy, I am doubling down on commitments to the healthy habits that seem to be helping me stay out of trouble. One of those habits is staying up to date with cancer and other health check-ups and screenings.
In order to do this, I had to overcome one of my biggest fears - getting a colonoscopy. Eeww.
The idea of a test like that has been terrifying to me. I have had horribly painful and unpleasant procedures done over the years, and, yet the idea of a colonoscopy was more dreaded. But, I have to say that I am glad I did it. The best part is that I don’t remember a thing about the actual procedure thanks to the sedation. I felt no pain.
I will admit that I requested the maximum amount of whatever anesthesia drug helps erase your short-term memory. The anesthesiologist probably did not take my request into account. But, I will also admit that my short-term memory was impacted for at least 24 hours post procedure. Apparently, I asked the same questions multiple times. But, hey, if that is what it takes to get me through it without remembering the procedure at all, I will take the temporary mind eraser.
For me, the reward for getting the procedure is that I can worry less. It is over. I am okay. I didn’t feel anything. And, I know what to expect next time - a few years from now. I can move on and try to make sure I continue to do what I can to keep my gut healthy.
Doing What You Can To Be A Survivor.
While a certain amount of being a survivor is luck of the draw, a certain amount of it is based on taking your health very seriously. Please take this post as a gentle reminder to schedule that appointment or test that you may be avoiding.
There is no time like the present, and no present (i.e., gift) quite like more time enjoying life.
Are you up to date on your healthcare check-ups and related testing?
If you have been putting off scheduling a doctor appointment or a medical test, I invite you to take this moment to take action and get it scheduled!
Does this resonate?Please share this post with friends! Click the menu on the right to share on social media.
