Doctor, Doctor, give me the news.

Doctor doctor give me the news……

Yep, we all go to them for much needed answers and advice and doctors absolutely have their place in our modern world. However, I like to think that before we head to the waiting rooms of our doctor’s clinic, we might stop to try and work things out ourselves first. After all, we do understand our bodies best, because they are ours. But more often than not, we are not paying attention to the signs and messages our bodies give us, and so mild complaints become chronic issues before too long.

I’m speaking from first-hand experience. I have had multiple operations for varying conditions (and I’m extremely grateful for my doctor’s and surgeon’s amazing work); however, I would have had even more operations had I gone solely on the advice of specialists.

Case in point – I suffered for about 2 years on and off with a blocked nose. I had no idea why, and in hindsight, it’s because I was just going through the motions and presuming that I had sinus or something like that. And so started my 4-month addiction to nasal spray (God I loved it!), little did I realise that my nose started to rely on the spray like a habit and soon I was spritzing all day long. My GP got me off it quick smart and sent me straight to the nasal specialist. I kid you not, within 10 minutes, I had been diagnosed with nodules which had to be removed immediately, at which point he booked me in for surgery. Hang on, I just wanted to know what was going on and now I’m going under? Suffice to say I cancelled the surgery the week later as I felt pressured and started to feel like it was a big business that was pushing me to become yet another patient number.

So I stopped, finally paid attention to my body and listened. I realised that after I drank a glass of red, I would start to get blocked up. This happened every time. So I started reading up on it and uncovered the big wide world of sulphites and that I was intolerant to this preservative which appears in so many foods (that one’s for another day). My GP confirmed it and so no operation was required. I then modified my intake of sulphite-laden foods and drinks, my nose cleared up fairly soon thereafter and has been happily breathing freely ever since.

Moral of the story – I paid conscious attention.

Do you have a similar story or do you feel it’s time you started paying attention to what your body is telling you?