3 Ways to Be Your Own Health Advocate

My lovely temporary soft cast

On Thursday I had surgery on my left foot and ankle. The short story is I'm getting a recently developed flat foot and it's resulting problems corrected. But, this is a blog, and blogs aren't about the short story.In July of last year I started to notice my left ankle ached, mostly at night when I was trying to fall asleep. There was never a moment where I noticeably rolled or twisted it, but my younger years as a volleyball player prepared me well for the identification of a sprained ankle. This started me down the journey that led to today. Between this and long-term shoulder problems, I feel like I've learned a lot about how to self-advocate with health care professionals.

After nearly seven years with chronic shoulder pain and dealing with this foot/ankle stuff, I've come to learn that the best person to trust with your health is yourself. Today's medicine seems to be moving in that direction, which is great. Make your health care a conversation, and work with your medical professionals to find the best solutions for you and your body.