The days of blindly trusting our doctors are over. It’s not because our doctors don’t care – although that may be true for some – it is largely due to the bureaucratic hoops they must jump through to stay afloat.

Whatever the reason, patient advocacy – having an empathetic, educated advisor by your side – can mean the difference between regaining your good health status or withering – or worse.

Be it chronic disease, cancer, or other life-altering illnesses, you can create more joy and find healthier ways to manage your health issues so they don’t manage you. Your family and friends can be objective and resourceful, but only to a certain point. It’s natural for our loved ones to impart their own views instead of providing resourceful, objective options for you to consider.

Looking back on my battle with uncontrolled, undiagnosed seizures, I would have given anything to regain control of my body. As it turned out, I lost everything trying to salvage my good health.

For seven years, I endured countless medical tests and invasive, painful procedures to diagnose my seizure disorder. Pros at some of the top teaching hospitals in the country along with numerous medical professionals and facilities could not come to a conclusive diagnosis or treatment.

Averaging fifteen seizures a month – most gut-wrenchingly painful – others simply debilitating, I found myself trapped in a maze of medical mismanagement and mind-blowing drugs. Read the rest of this entry »