Thursday 26 January 2012

Day 3 on Tums

We all know by now that I like taking my Tums...but I intentionally skipped my dinner dose on day 3.  Why? Because I was annoyed with having to carry a bottle of Tums in my purse, to and from work.  I left the bottle in my office.  Maybe I'll use a plastic baggie to carry around a small mobile supply.  

I approached a patient today to discuss his high phosphate and lack of compliance with binders.  He seemed embarrassed and admitted that he often forgets his Tums.  I tried to suggest ways of remembering to take binders but could tell that he felt I was lecturing him.  I tried a new approach - told him about my Tums challenge and suddenly he seemed to be paying more attention to what I was saying.  He seemed to take my advice more seriously when he realized I was speaking from experience and was also struggling to take my Tums regularly.  This phenomenon can be observed in the waiting rooms, where patients often exchange medical advice, often contradictory to what our team of experts has recommended.  As far as they're concerned, you're not an expert until you've lived through it.

Roshina

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