Avril Lavigne, bedridden because of a mystery illness, told by top doctors it was all in her head.
Her experience is all too common.
Women are far more likely than male patients to have their unexplained maladies dismissed as emotional.
Unfortunately, fame and fortune can override a historical issue that many women confront when they have an unidentified sickness.
Lavigne’s illness was later discovered to be Lyme disease. One can’t help but feel that her emotional account is partly because of the attitude of medical professionals who prolonged the ordeal.
Be aware that bias or a poor medical skill set may not always be apparent to the patient. And while other professional opinions are a must, learning self-patient advocacy is vital.
Learning how to research health issues. How to size up medical personnel, choose the right specialist, and communicate is a must.
And doing so as enrichment and educational activity while healthy is an ideal stress-free way to learn.
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