Speak Up For Your Health

Roxane has been on a nine month journey with pancreatic cancer and now has only days or weeks to live. She explains why she chose to get aggressive treatment early on and later decided to stop treatment and transition to hospice. Roxane's story and optimistic outlook are uplifting because she is living every moment...while she's dying. Key Takeaways Use every living moment wisely. Even if you're getting aggressive treatment and have hope that cancer treatment will be successful, take advantage of all the time you have. Address the details that give you comfort and control; this will eventually decrease the burden on your family. Hospice is not something to be afraid of. Studies have shown that patients in hospice actually live longer than those with a similar diagnosis who don't receive hospice care. Unfortunately, over 1/2 of all patients are only in hospice for 17 days or less because patients are referred so late in their illness. Get in touch with Archelle Email: [email protected] Instagram:  https://instagram.com/speakupforyourhealth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakupforyourhealth

Is obesity a mental health issue? Is it “right” for people to take the new obesity drugs if they aren’t obese but simply want to lose weight? This episode is not a patient story, but the perspective and experience of a clinical health psychologist who specializes in eating and weight-related issues. Dr. Robyn Pashby talks about the vicious shame-blame cycle of obesity and how patients have autonomy when discussing weight with their doctor. Key Takeaways: Erase a FAULT mindset. Yes, obesity is complex…but it's not someone's fault. Shaming and blaming yourself – or others – simply makes it worse. This bias is embedded in our society, but you have control of your own mindset. Ask for consent. Robyn talked about the importance of clinicians asking permission from patients before talking to them about their weight. But, asking for consent also applies when you approach a friend, a sibling, a parent, a spouse, or even your child who is struggling with weight or body image issues. Ask their permission and be ready to accept and respect “no” as an answer. Links: More about Dr Robyn Pashby: www.healthpsychologypartners.com Robyn's Instagram: @robynpashbyphd Get in touch with Archelle Email: [email protected] Instagram:  https://instagram.com/speakupforyourhealth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakupforyourhealth

Doctors often talk about the medical complications associated with obesity, but it's rare to hear from patients about their experience with this condition and how hard it is to navigate through the healthcare system. In this episode, Joe shares his story about finding the right medical care (including the use of weight loss drugs) and losing over 100 pounds.  Links Survey of medical school deans and obesity education: https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12909-020-1925-z.pdf NYT Article, "One Size Fits All…." https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/health/weight-loss-obesity.html?auth=login-google1tap&login=google1tap Mediflix Documentary: https://www.mediflix.com/topics/obesity-weight/video/heartfelt-unraveling-the-link-between-obesity-and-heart-disease-e1?utm_source=LI&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=1-12-2023 Email: [email protected] Instagram:  https://instagram.com/speakupforyourhealth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakupforyourhealth

Listening to guest's stories taught Archelle even more about how to advocate. Key takeaways from the first 10 episodes of Speak Up For Your Health. Links Email: [email protected] Instagram:  https://instagram.com/speakupforyourhealth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakupforyourhealth

Is childbirth a natural event for moms to direct...or a medical situation for doctors to control? Georgia, a labor and delivery nurse, had the experience to know how she wanted to deliver her own children, but it took a few rounds of advocating before she got it.  Links:  https://www.who.int/news/item/15-02-2018-individualized-supportive-care-key-to-positive-childbirth-experience-says-who https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2019/02/approaches-to-limit-intervention-during-labor-and-birth Instagram:  https://instagram.com/speakupforyourhealth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakupforyourhealth

A new cancer diagnosis often comes with shock, fear, and then dozens of micro-decisions. They range from “Do I need a second opinion?“ to “Is there something less aggressive we can try first?” And, for some, "This isn't the treatment response we expected, now what?" Some patients weigh in on every decision; others defer to their doctors. At age 42, Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer and weighed in every step of the way. How involved would you be?  Key Takeaway: Weigh in. Weigh in with information. Know the statistics on your specific cancer. Compare data on the risks and benefits of each treatment option, including the option of doing nothing. Weigh in after knowing all the alternatives, including clinical trial alternatives. Weigh in with insight and support from a patient care community. An online community is usually the easiest way to connect with people who share your health condition.  Links:  Clinical Trials: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ Rebel Health: https://susannahfox.com/rebel-health/ Instagram:  https://instagram.com/speakupforyourhealth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakupforyourhealth  

Each year, 400,000 hospitalized patients experience some type of preventable harm – and this does not include the near misses that don't result in a negative event. In Part 2, Kris kept a close eye on Dave's care even though he was stable, and she didn't hesitate to ruffle some feathers when preventable harm made her lose trust.  Key Takeaway: Keep advocating throughout the entire hospital stay. While doctors, nurses, and hospital staff try really hard to get things right, oversights and mistakes happen. When necessary, escalate. Calmly but persistently ask questions, demand answers and actions. If you ruffle some feathers, it's okay.  Losing trust in the medical care being delivered is stressful for everyone. Take action to get things back on track. Sometimes the only option is to transfer to another hospital.  Links:  Instagram:  https://instagram.com/speakupforyourhealth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakupforyourhealth  

Do health care "miracles" actually exist? Or, are they the result of quick action and persistent advocacy? Kris and Dave, both 53, were enjoying their favorite TV show when Dave had a sudden cardiac arrest. Kris' choices - in that moment and during the next 2 months – determined Dave's fate.  Key Takeaway: Plan, Do, Act Get CPR certified. Studies consistently show that people who live in communities with higher rates of CPR certification have higher rates of survival after out of hospital cardiac arrest. Complete an Advanced Directive before you ever need one. In fact, everyone over the age of 18 should have one because bad things can unfortunately happen at any age.  Know your loved one's medical history and the medications they're on. It could save their life.  Links:  HospitalCompare: https://hospitalcompare.io/ Instagram:  https://instagram.com/speakupforyourhealth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakupforyourhealth