You ever wake up and you're thinking, I just don't feel like me today. I just don't have it. But I can't quite, like, put a name to what I'm feeling, but, like, my energy is off. You know? And there's a symptom that may seem to be lingering or just a sense that I'm just not me today.
We're Jerry and Claude on WGTS ninety one point nine. It is time for the health minute. And if you're feeling that way or you felt that way, it's a good time to be tuned in because Doctor Neil Roy is here. He's the chief medical officer at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, and he wants to give you a little bit of peace of mind and start the conversation. Know? It doesn't have to be scary when you talk to your doctor. So, doctor Roy, what are three things that you wish your patients would say to you?
Yeah. That's a really good question. Most physicians we speak, unfortunately, like physicians. So one of the things we wish our patients would tell us is they don't understand something we're telling them.
It is not something to be ashamed of or embarrassed of. We've spent our entire lives essentially learning a different language.
So if I'm saying, hey. Your pathology is secondary to your right ventricle, not functioning appropriately, leading you to be short of breath, and you don't understand what that means, it's okay to say, hey, doc. Can we talk about this a different way? That really helps.
Then asking more questions about their treatment plan. A good example is if someone comes and sees me and they have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, I can easily say, hey. Here's one medication for diabetes, one medication for blood pressure, one medication for high cholesterol. If the patient doesn't say anything or doesn't engage in a conversation about what the goals of the medication are, what the medication side effects are, and what the duration of treatment will be, it's easy for me to just move on with my day.
Whereas if the patients ask questions regarding, hey. How long am I doing this for? What is this for? What are the goals of this care?
We can often come up with alternative solutions. Things like diet, health, supplements can all contribute to help the patient get better and have conversations that can lead to the underlying problems not happening.
So that can lead to conversations about nutrition, wellness, sleep, and really prevent going to medication as a first line solution.
Okay. So why do you think some patients struggle to ask these questions?
I think, societally, we tend to have a lot of guilt and embarrassment about not knowing something. You know, I take my car to the mechanic, and I don't know anything about cars. So the mechanic is like, hey. We have to replace this, this, and this. And I'm like, okay. I'm too embarrassed to ask, you know, how does the catalytic converter work? Because I don't wanna come across foolish or look embarrassed.
So having the confidence to say that and be your own advocate goes a long way. I've tried to do this with simple things. A plumber came to my house to fix a sink, and I'm asking him, hey. What's the purpose of that gasket?
I'm not gonna try and fix the plumbing next time myself, but now I understand what led to that problem. And I know that if I put, my children's uneaten food in the garbage disposal, it's probably gonna break. And I know how my plumber is going to replace that garbage disposal because I asked those questions.
We, as both patients, and physicians, are really our own advocates, and asking questions unabashedly will make that relationship stronger. Your physician or APP or physician assistant or nurse practitioner will never be upset at those questions. That is our job. We've heard it all, and it makes our relationship as a doctor and a patient a much stronger one.
And what's one thing patients should always remember?
The most important thing to remember is that the question unasked is a question unanswered. And you as a patient are your biggest advocate. If you're googling something, if you're checking something on ChatGPT, have that conversation with me as opposed to not even listening or asking.
If you're hearing about, hey, I heard this herbal supplement is good for my cognitive function. What do you think about that? If I don't know, I'll look it up, and then we'll have a conversation, and I'll be better able to serve your needs.
So you as the patient are your biggest advocate.
Thank you so much, doctor Neil Roy. Man, you're right. Like, if you wake up and you're not feeling yourself, it is okay and necessary to talk to your doctor. He's a chief medical officer at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center. You can catch this Health Minute and others at our website, wgts919.com.
And, of course, I wanna say thank you to Adventist HealthCare for sponsoring this Health Minute.
