Playing Catch- When your healthcare team drops the ball

When it comes to chronic healthcare, there are a ton of moving parts. While I am a strong believer in assembling a medical team you can depend on, someone has to take the lead. That someone needs to be you. No one on your team is ever going to know your journey as well as you do.

This week I am once again playing catch for my medical team. A ball was dropped, luckily I saw it rolling around and brought it to the attention of my rheumatology team. I am overdue for blood work to monitor my body’s reaction to the new medication. If I hadn’t known what to expect, I may not have even noticed.

Times like this are the very reason I advocate for becoming an expert on your own care. Though it is unlikely I will ever be a doctor myself, it IS my responsibility to know what should be happening to ensure I have the best possible patient outcome. That means being aware of what to watch out for, when tests should be run, and which symptoms to call about. Taking the time to ask questions and read through the information your care team provides can help you prepare for most situations. The experience and expertise of other patients can also be extremely helpful. The bottom line, if you aren’t sure, ask someone.

The truth is, everyone involved is just human. Busy humans, juggling large loads. It isn’t at all surprising, in our fast paced medical system, that the occasional ball drops. As long as I keep playing catch, speaking up when something hasn’t gone as planned, that won’t be a problem. If it becomes a habit for someone on my team, I will draft someone new for the spot. No hard feelings, I just need the best team I can assemble.