Just What the Doctor Ordered : 4 Tips When Self-Treating Illness

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

I’m not a doctor but I have been in my fair share of hospitals, and I do know that for medical treatment to be successful, the patient must extend his or her complete cooperation. I’ve seen my share of family illnesses and diseases – from watching a friend go through five failed IVF cycles to sitting by helplessly as an uncle suffered from colorectal cancer, I’ve been through it all. One thing I’ve realized in all these years is that each doctor is different, both in the way they treat and interact with their patients.

I’ve seen physicians who leave the bulk of the routine work to their minions and junior support staff, and I’ve also been treated by doctors who do everything themselves. In the midst of all this, you find yourself becoming more and more adept in the art of conversing with doctors, from asking questions related specifically to your ailment to clarifying general health doubts. I’ve put together a list of common advice that most doctors dole out; you could call them general wellness tips or pointers to help you recover quickly from an illness. Either way, here they are:

• Stay free of stress: I’ve heard this being repeated time and again as my friend struggled to get pregnant. At times, this advice seems ironic – the whole fertility treatment drill is loaded with stress; it’s invasive, expensive and the outcome is never guaranteed. And when the doctor tells you to stop stressing yourself out, you want to laugh out loud. But there’s more than a grain of truth to this positive piece of advice – stress is a killer that can wreak havoc with your general health and prevent your body from working the way it should. So do what it takes to avoid stress, especially when you’re trying to get pregnant or recovering from a major illness.

• Remain positive: Hospitals are depressing places, even to those who’re just visiting. And this is why it’s important for recovering patients to keep their spirits up in any way they can – watching sitcoms on TV, reading humorous books, asking people to stop by and cheer you up with lively conversations, and so on.

• Follow instructions: Some surgical procedures and treatments require complete post-operative rest while others necessitate that you get out of bed and start your therapy at the earliest. If your doctor’s asked you to take it easy, don’t run five miles a day like you used to do before your surgery, and if he or she’s asked you to stick to a rehab program, follow it religiously so that you get better sooner.

• Don’t pop pills on your own: Medicines are dangerous when taken without medical supervision, even if they’re available without prescription. Don’t get into the habit of popping random painkillers each time your pain gets worse or discontinuing any drugs without talking to your doctor first.