Following Your Intuition

Do you listen to your body? Have you ever had a gut feeling that something is wrong? Can you trust your own judgement?  .

I strongly believe in being a responsible advocate for one’s self, and listening intuitively to one’s body. This is a fine line to tread, and should be taken very carefully. There are many factors involved; genetic disposition, environment, interactions between medications along with various other explanations. Taking all into account and carefully balanced alongside a doctor’s professional and expert advice, should mean you have all bases covered.

Giving a doctor all the facts is extremely important, for like a puzzle, if a piece is missing, it’s not easy to see clearly the entire picture. Working together, patient and doctor, open dialogue and honesty is paramount. Attending doctor’s appointments with your spouse (or someone close who really knows you), can make a huge difference if you are unable to express clearly and concisely to a doctor what you are experiencing, and he/she may have valuable insight from a different perspective.

When first diagnosed with Parkinson’s, I felt a little silly arriving for each appointment at the neurologist with my husband in tow. But now into my eighth year of living with Parkinson’s, I take everything with a pinch of salt, and so my husband accompanies me everywhere. I know if I forget to ask or report something, my husband will speak up. If I overlook anything I’m told during the short allocated time, I have a back-up memory to rely on! Apart from which my husband always keeps me well entertained with his great sense of humour whilst we sit in the waiting area, so why on earth wouldn’t I take him?

Life is no dress rehearsal, it's a live performance. Take a minute to read my latest article in The Huffington Post entitled: Presenting Gaucher and Parkinson's.