You Deserve Professionals Who Care

I was struck this week by how important it is to trust your healthcare professionals. I see this in all aspects of my life. It has taken me a long time to find people that will work with me based on my values and vision. Not all professionals are the same. At the end of the day, everyone is human. They all come in with their own ideas and ideals. If they’re unwilling to put their ego aside and listen to you and your needs, it’s time to move on. 

This thought came to me while I was at physical therapy. I LOVED my physical therapist last year. I felt incredibly comfortable with her. Although she was supposed to work on my hip, she helped me in a multitude of ways. On days where my gait was wide, we’d work on balance. On days when I was struggling, she’d let me cry for ten-fifteen minutes before asking me how she could help that day. When I originally met her, I was in a completely different place in my medical journey. I was constantly being thrown curveballs in every direction. Seeing her every week brought me an incredible amount of comfort. 

Unfortunately, due to issues in her pregnancy, she was unable to see me after my hip surgery. I had to move on with someone new. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the physical therapist I was given but it wasn’t the same. We would work hard on getting strength back in my hip. However the encouragement and direction we were moving didn’t leave me with the same sense of peace. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to see my first physical therapist again. Immediately, I got almost giddy. I couldn’t wait to show her all the progress my left hip was making. She too was disappointed by the prospect of another surgery but had a similar attitude to mine. It’s better to do it now than be stuck in a worse situation in the future. She even said, “If you’re going to get surgery anyway, you might as well run as much as possible now.” That was music to my ears. That is exactly where my mind is at as well. Now, I get to see her again next week and once again physical therapy no longer feels like a chore. 

I feel this way with my primary physician as well. It’s always fun to see her. No, I’d prefer not to spend my time at the doctor but it’s nice to joke around. She knows my priorities and doesn’t argue with me when I feel strongly about my needs for certain things. She may discuss pros and cons of my thinking but she trusts my instinct. Everyone deserves mental health and physical health professionals that genuinely care for them. If you don’t have that, I would keep searching because they’re out there.

I hope you’re having an amazing day. I hope your day is filled with joy, positivity, and laughter and I hope you find peace, love, and happiness.