I Know What You Did To Your Back Last Summer

I was fortunate as a child to be shipped off to camp each summer.  Camp was a formative experience for me.  I remember my first kiss (omg!), having leeches pulled off my legs (O.M.G.) and my first disc herniation (oh gawd...).  These summer experiences taught me that summer, like love, hurts.  Also, that both can be a bit gross.  

But over the long winter, we forget our summer lessons.  And sure enough, the humidex rises once again, and there are offers of cottage weekends in Muskoka, and you forget that you haven't water-skied since you wore braces... and then I get a call on Monday morning.  Here's a useful summer-tip: program your chiropractor's number into your phone!  (416-482-1332).  Also!  Source out local chiropractors if you'll be away for a while!  And!  Get a pre-summer vacation adjustment!!

Helpful in September, I'm sure.

The point is, you did some foolish things last summer. In the interest learning from your mistakes, let's review the error of your ways - shall we?

1. You are being driven crazy
Driving is hard on the back. Now factor in cottage traffic bumper to bumper from Toronto to Gravenhurst, screaming kids in the back seat, and that jerk who keeps making you brake for no *@^%! reason... your cottage commute is wrecking your back.  Solution: invite your chiropractor up for the weekend!

2. You slept around.
Rosseau, Prince Edward County, Lake Huron - you aren't particular, are you?  If there is a cottage and a free bunk-bed, you are in.  Problem is, the cottage is where old beds go to die.  Nobody buys a NEW bed for the cottage, especially the guest room! Honestly, sometimes the aero-bed is your best bet.  Solution: if your back is in bad shape, consider if a stay on a 20 year old bed is worth it.  If you are on an inflatable mattress, make sure it is leak free. Waking up in a sagging air mattress with no chiropractor in town is a bad idea!

3. You didn't wear sensible shoes
Flip flops are not shoes. They are pathetic slices of rubber, precariously and disgustingly attached to your foot by a pitiful strip of plastic wedged between your toes. It's far too much foot to be shared outside of a beach.  I could actually forgive all this if it weren't for the complete lack of arch support.  Every summer I see nice young ladies (oh gawd, don't even get me started on the man-flip-flop... just... no.) coming to my office complaining of new low back pain, knee problems, ankle pain.  It makes for the easiest diagnosis and treatment when I see a flip-flop dangling at the end of the patient's foot.  Flip-flops are literally a flimsy excuse for footwear, and I officially forbid anyone reading this post to wear them.  What to wear instead, when your toes are aching to see the sun?  There are a lot of foot-friendly options.  Naots and Birkenstocks are always good, but any sandal with a modicum of support and foot-attachment is an improvement.  Down with flip-flops. Solution: time to go shoe shopping, and think: arch support. 

4. You ran into trouble
'We must learn to walk before we can run'.  Running is not simply walking faster.  It is complex, technical, and a unique challenge. Personally I hate running. Professionally I also hate running - it is hard on the joints and causes many problems.  But I understand that runners gotta run, and I aim to do my best to help them in their crazy exercisal pursuit.  If you want to run and never have, sign up for a clinic and learn how (the Running Room offers programs).  If you want to run but have joints that express their displeasure, consider modifications - different shoes, indoor vs. outdoor track, get treatment, wear orthotics.  But if you want to run and are totally unconditioned and unsuited for it - stay off the track!!

I really wanted to come up with a 5th example, lists are so much neater in fives.  But I think I made my point: Summer can hurt come fall. Solution: post-summer chiropractic treatment!

Pillow talk

I once made a joke about a pillow never leading one astray.  But ever since then, I've wondered: was I too flippant?  Did I make light of a serious subject?  It's kept me up at night, I've barely slept a wink.

Pillows are important!  The one you sleep with should be soft enough to make you comfortable, firm enough to support you, and attractive enough to entice you into bed in the first place.

I not ashamed to admit that I have spent the night with more than a few in my past. Some were one night stands - regretted as soon as I woke up in the morning with a stiff neck. Others were longer affairs, pillows I'd grown quite attached too, but sadly our relationship had run its course and the time came for a new pillow. Then there were the pillows I met while I searched for 'the one'.  You know the types.  Pillows you stayed with for too long when you knew they'd only continue to hurt you, the pillow you met that crazy weekend at a friend's cottage, the cushions that lured you in with false promises of peaceful slumbers.  And let us not even discuss those pillows from the 'experimental phase' (I'm thinking of you, water pillow).

I'm happy to say that I think I may have finally found the one. My current pillow is supportive but not rigid. Giving and soft but strong enough to maintain its identity. It is blue and orthopedic, and not the type of pillow I thought I'd spend my nights with - but the head wants what the head wants.  Strange bed fellows indeed!

Between us, I've been tempted lately to upgrade to a fresh version, but suffice to say, I'm sleeping well these days. Well, aside from the crying baby - but that's a whole other problem.

Your perfect pillow is out there!  
Hope you find each other.

miss me?

The secret to being a successful chiroblogger is to post, post, post!  But I have neglected to do so; last year I abandoned entire months, giving the impression that I had nothing to say when I've got LOTS to say.  I'm constantly composing posts in my head, but all too often, my thought-blogs vanish before they begin, and I'm left blogless, giving you the impression that I don't care.  So I realized I best be posting promptly or surely my loyal reader will abscond, and then what?  What is the writer without her reader?

And suddenly it is 2011.  And while the technology I need has not yet been invented (some sort of brain-computer wire to download my thoughts to my computer),  I am starting this year off write!  For example, I have already written next year's New Year post, thanks to last year's procrastination.  And how better to actually start this year off than by posting in February?  So here I write, I chirotype and chirobabble... and as an apology for my inexcusable absence, please accept:

Dr Fagen's winter-spinal-survival guide

1) GO SOUTH!  And go far, too. Because apparently it snows everywhere now!  Is this creeping anyone else out?  I get the sense we are entering some sort of ice age and I can't tell but maybe this has something to do with global warming?  It's freaky and freaking cold.  So go.  And take me with you.  Normally I'd suggest you take an ice pack for the long, long drive, to address any joint inflammation or injuries that can happen on such a long journey, but sticking your hand out the window and collecting a ball of snow will work too.  Apply to newly sore joints for 10 minutes at a time, say 3 times daily.  Once you've reached your sunny destination, just use the ice from your mojito.  

2) Snow shovelling is for the spineless.  Really, there is no delicate way to say this.  The best way to shovel snow is to GET SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT.  Now this, readers, is news you can use.  Sure, you can lift with your knees and keep your back straight and push rather than lift the snow, but you know what?  SNOW IS HEAVY and HEAVY CAN HURT YOUR BACK.  Especially when it doesn't. stop. snowing.   So ignore my advice if you will, go ahead and follow other chiropractor's suggestions, but explain me this: how are you supposed to both "shovel regularly during a snowfall before it accumulates" and also "take frequent breaks", and of course, "stretch before and after"... don't you people have THINGS to do?  And don't even get me started on electric snow blowers, see global warming above.  

3) Rush slowly.  News flash: ice is slippery, and gravity is relentless.  The lessons here are obvious: a) keep your walkway clear  b) wear appropriate footwear with lots of traction c) walk slowly and with caution!   oh and d) slips happen.   Lets all be grateful for the little slips and falls, for they remind us that we are vulnerable and that this time, we avoided a big one.  And also, see your chiropractor!  A well adjusted spine can better handle the stress of a fall, and if it has been a while since your last adjustment, well, we are great at fixing things too. 

4) Footwear deserves a whole post, nay, a whole blog of its own... but for the sake of WINTER SURVIVAL let me get the basics down.  Your footwear should be, in no particular order: warm, waterproof, traction-y, attractive, lightweight.  This is not possible, no footwear has ever in the history of the universe been all these things - practical and cute are the dichotomies of the boot-world, mutually exclusive and ever-elusive.  The answer to this, of course, is to purchase many many pairs of boots, each fulfilling a particular function.  

5) Stay active!  To best enjoy the winter season, be sure to get out and enjoy the few daylight hours that we are afforded.  They say that winter activities like skiing, snowshoeing and luging are wonderful for the body and mind, but 'they' also said that leggings couldn't be worn as pants, so I'm hedging my bets and staying indoors.  I did join a gym, mind you, so remember that you can be active and warm.  Don't be a luger.  Get off your butt!

6) Hang out with a kid.  If this doesn't warm your frozen heart, nothing will.

You like me! You really like me!

Chiropractors often get a bum rap (which is, incidentally, different than a bum wrap, which I perform a few gross times a day on my toddler).  But I digress, and the first sentence is far too soon for digression.

We're not universally well-liked, us chiropractors. Sure, many of you love us.  Some of you know people who love us.  More than a few of you have told me that your friend swears by us.  And being sworn by is a hell of a lot nicer than being sworn at, which unfortunately is what a choice few of you do... perhaps under your breath, or on your blog, or directly to my face after three too many drinks.

I make it a point to take very little personally.  Don't like my shirt?  Big whup. Don't like me?  Meh, plenty of other people do.  Don't like chiropractic?  So don't come running to me when your foot hurts (free tip: don't run if your foot hurts!).  Seriously - I understand that Chiropractic may not be everyone's first choice for therapy.  If it works for you, great.  If it doesn't, something or someone else will.  I'll even help you find it!  Acupuncture!  Swimming!  Meditation!  Massage!  Physiotherapy!  Ayurvedic medicine!   The world is your clinic!

Background: Growing up, I played the 'peace keeper' role in my family.  (My parents ultimately divorced.  I never said I was good at my role, just that I played it).  As such, I have an innate desire to make us all get along... and when I'm faced with an unliker... I just want to know... WHY!??!

Perhaps you had a less than stellar past experience with a chiropractor.  Maybe she didn't explain what she was going to do before she did it (Hi, I'm Dr. Sheila - 'CRACK'), or maybe your chiropractor rubbed you the wrong way (get it?).  Perhaps you just didn't enjoy the experience.  But before you break it off with chiropractic, I urge you to remember that chiropractic is personal ("it's not you... it's me, doc").  Each doctor's hands are different, not to mention their approach, demeanor, practice style and philosophies.  We are an eclectic bunch, and the chiropractor of your dreams could be just around the next corner!

Maybe you had a few treatments and didn't see the results you hoped for.  It is of course possible that your injury didn't respond to chiropractic treatment, but check your expectations too; believe me, nothing is more rewarding when a patient rebounds off the table all 'hallelulah' and 'i'm cured!', but long standing problems can take a while to unravel!  Be a patient patient, and make sure you are holding up your end of the treatment 'deal' (are you really doing your stretches every night?). 

Sometimes people tell me they are scared of chiropractors.  This always seems odd to me, because the chiropractors I know are among the most gentle, caring people I've ever met.  And yet, there is this fear...  To the chirophobes, I say this: communicate.  Tell me what makes you nervous.  The cracking sound?  Just gases escaping from the joint.  Worried that it will hurt?  People usually report relief, and your doctor will work within your comfort level and tolerance.  Uneasy about neck adjustments??  Remember, cyber-friends, it is your body.  I'm not going to do anything to you that you don't agree to - it is called 'consent', and it is taken very seriously.  If you are hesitant but open-minded, talk to me, I've got a lot of tricks up my sleeve, and one of them is bound to do you some good.  Give it a chance, all you have to lose is your pain!  Besides, feeling better has a funny way of putting you at ease.

But what to say to the people who have closed their minds to chiropractors?  Those who've declared that no adjustment shall cross their spines, who choose to remain unadjusted over becoming well-adjusted?  I say... your body, your decision.  I'm no chiro-evangalist, and I'm not interested in trying to convert a non-believer.  If you should have a change of heart (as often happens when you can't turn your neck) I will welcome you with open arms.  People are usually very good judges of what they need and when they need it.  If and when the time is right for us to meet, you'll know it.

Unsure where you stand on this issue?  Take advice from this pillow I found - when has a pillow ever led you astray?

Friends with Benefits

There are perks to working here, in addition to being located between a chocolate shop and a nail salon.  Great patients, warm atmosphere, the wonder of witnessing human bodies heal.  But best of all?  Being surrounded by excellent therapists, and getting treated by them.

Why, just recently, I found myself with an afternoon of cancellations.  "Perfect!" said the successful businesswoman that I am, "now I can get an acupuncture treatment!"  And so I lay down in the cozy downstairs treatment room, and let Lisa Quaning lovingly stab me with needles as chimey music played in the background.  I lay in the dark, silently retreating into my mind and back out again, resting.  When Lisa returned about an hour/a lifetime later, and proceeded to... I don't know, massage and move and do nice things, well put a fork in me, I was done.  Done.  I find her acupuncture treatments to be draining and rejuvenating at the same time - does that make sense?  Redrainevating, perhaps.  Balancing, for sure.

And so, I am happy to announce that this month's RHCC therapist of the month is.... Lisa Quaning!

Lisa is Zen.  She embodies warmth and calmth, and you feel better for being in her presence.  She studies Buddhism and practices Qi Gong, but isn't too enlightened to pore over a celebrity gossip magazine.  She eats very healthy most of the time, but wonderfully unhealthy now and then.

Lisa heals.  Her acupuncture treatments are gentle and pain-free.  Her advice is do-able.  Her approach is non-judgmental and open-minded.  She's got a great sense of humour, a funky fashion sense, and always rocks an awesome hair-do.  Those last few things may not seem to have much to do with healing... but who are we to say what heals and what does not?  For a while Lisa had green hair, and my back felt great.  Coincidence?  I think not. 

I'm hard pressed to name anyone who practices what she preaches more thoroughly and honestly than Lisa Quaning.  Awakening before dawn, consulting with her mentors and emailing with her monk (i know, that seems funny, huh?), exercising and meditating... Lisa will never suggest you do something she herself doesn't do or hasn't done.  She herself walks the same path of self-improvement, and she never forgets this.  No arrogance; Lisa heals with you.

When I think of acupuncture, I think of balance.  I often recommend acupuncture for problems that affect body systems, especially where perhaps western medicine cannot pinpoint or easily fix the problem.  You know, where nothing's wrong... but something's wrong!.   Things like irritable bowel syndrome, infertility, headaches.  Something is out of balance.  And acupuncture is often just what the... uh, acupuncturist ordered - non-invasive, no side effects, safe, effective.

When I think of Lisa, I also think of balance.  She brings balance to my body and balance to my clinic.  I am honoured to work with her, pleased to refer my patients to her, and so very glad I know her.

Mod Squad

Everything in moderation!

I really hate this expression. It is completely arbitrary, instant justification for doing things, usually bad things.  Rarely does someone justify their extreme carrot consumption this way.  I've been known to nag my diet soda-drinking family members from time to time (fine, all the time.  I'm a hoot at family gatherings).  "Diet soda is evil!  Bad for your health!".  Their response to my loving concern?  "Everything in moderation, Michelle" and "mind your own business, Dr. Bossy".

Look, I get it.  Sometimes we choose the low road, the bacon cheeseburger path more traveled by, if you will.  And so long as one balances ones vices with virtues, one just might make it after all.  There can be joy in indulgence and misbehaving and sure, the occasional (gasp!) chemically sweetened caffeinated brown fizzy water.  I'm all for making poor choices now and then, so long as they are acknowledged; don't pretend they become good choices just because you plead 'moderation'.

What exactly is moderate?  One (insert vice) a day?  A week? A lifetime?  Horace Porter advised us to "be moderate in everything, including moderation", which really clarifies things, though he also teaches that "a mugwump is a person educated beyond his intellect", and I don't know what to do with that either.  Perhaps I'm the mugwump. 

So what's a modern moderate to do?  Well, for starters I think we can learn, edumacate ourselves, distill  facts from fiction. For example, bread, it turns out, is very tasty in moderation.  But with so much hidden wheat in our diets (it is in EVERYTHING) true moderation is rare without making a concerted effort; avoiding tasty, tasty bagels isn't enough.  And wheat is highly allergenic - a major gastrointestinal irritant - no wonder wheat products  are the first to be eliminated in most cleanses. Sweeteners? The epitome of artificial. I can't see what these have to offer anyone, and therefore I can't see any benefit or level that is moderate. I may suck back a diet coke a few times a year (what else goes with a big m.ac?), but with the full understanding that this is negative good for me, not moderately good for me in any way. Another example of moderation gone awry is soy.  If health food had a mascot, it would be soyman, the tofu wonder.  But soy products confuse me - they start out as a whole food, soy beans, then are processed beyond recognition into sludge and by-products and tofurkey.  If you think soy is just for hippies and nary a tofu morsel hath passed your carniverous lips, think again meathead - much like wheat, soy is everywhere.  Most processed food contain soy oils and proteins, most animals both domestic and dinner plate-bound are fed soy, and it is even found in such foods as edamame and miso soup.  Consumption has gone beyond choosing soy 'milk' over dairy products and moderate consumption doesn't really exist.  Curiously, soy is also implicated in many food allergies.  One has to wonder if it is the ubiquity of these products that leads to such widespread intolerance?

Even the 'experts' don't seem compelled to define moderation, and my research leads me to believe that moderation is quite boring.  Moderate drinking doesn't get you drunk.  Moderate exercise allows you to still hold a boring conversation.  A consult with the esteemed Dr. Google advises me to moderately drink 1 - 2 glasses of red wine a day to prevent Alzheimers, moderate my caffeine consumption by sipping no more than 3 cuppsa joe (or... 6 colas!), and I'm told that moderate egg consumption can be good for my health - the only guide being that I shouldn't eat '12 of them'.    Moderate politics may be the answer, but that won't pay for a mansion in Wasilla.  Go big or go home, people. 

And finally... everything in moderation?  EVERYTHING?  EggsChocolateExerciseSexSaladWorkAntibioticsLoveMethamphetamines?  Do what you want, just don't do it too too much?  Look around.  Collectively, we are a fat, unhealthy, addicted, angry people.  I think we've proved ourselves incapable of effectively judging moderation.  But here's the thing... it is YOUR body. You have every right to swill down diet sodas and bacon, you can drink as much coffee or booze as you want, smoke whatever you've got as often as you'd like. Indulge in your vices, tell your tea sipping friends to go to hell and tell me to mind my own business. I may not endorse your decisions, but I respect your right to make them.

Afterall, it's your life, and we all know moderation is the key to life.

Quit your swining...

Hi! How are you? Are you going to get the H1N1 shot?

Lately, this is what passes for conversation. Never before have I used the words "shiraz" and "squalene" in the same sentence, but you asked what my weekend plans were...

Ah, vaccines. They kill us/save us, depending on who you ask. They are either the greatest example of medical advancement or proof of government conspiracy - pork barrel politics, if you will. I've heard the Illuminati are involved, but one can't be sure.

I have many conflicting emotions over this issue. I feel at once:

• concerned. I don't go looking for viruses just like I don't go looking for trouble. I avoid them like the plague! Sometimes, however, they find me, virus and trouble both. I'm concerned enough to keep hand sanitizer at the clinic front desk. I'm concerned enough that I wash my hands even more than normal, and then sometimes spray alcohol (rubbing, not schnapps) on them for good measure. I'm concerned enough that I've bookmarked this site, which tracks the number of deaths associated with H1N1 in Canada.

• skeptical. Did you click the link above? Uh...101? Out of 33,834,093 people? I am so sorry for each one of the victims and their families, but I wonder if we are exposed to more FEAR than virus?

• apathy. All the information and misinformation becomes jumbled in my brain, and then I remember that I do not currently have a flu, swine or not, and that to date, I don't think I've ever had a serious flu, of any combination of letters and numbers. I simply don't feel like I'm going to DIE from the FLU tomorrow, and so apathy sets in, and I admit I'm inclined to wait a bit, and see what happens.
  

• suspicion. Something's not kosher. Squalene in the vaccine... a few weeks of testing... deadly pandemic vs. mild flu variant... everyone either wants my money or my arm or my defiance.
  

• fear. I'm suddenly in the position of having to make a decision for another person. At 9 months old Oliver hasn't yet decided what he thinks of flus and vaccines and all things porcine. But he's awfully little, and I dislike the prospects of him facing such an intense virus and such an intense vaccine.

• phlegm. This isn't really an emotion per se, but Oliver and I have runny noses, and I'm loath to ask our bodies to fight an injected version of a virus (among other things) while we are currently fighting a virus. Give a body a break.

• ennui. Swine flu? H1N1 still? Isn't this soooo last spring? Can we get over this? Let's talk about something more current. Like the balloon boy.
  

• concern again. Sure, it's just a virus. But... it seems to be a fast virus. And an unpredictable virus. And a nasty virus. Fast, unpredictable and nasty, the kind a nice girl like me was told to stay away from.
  

So here we are. I'm still unsure of how my family will proceed, but we're formulating some plans. There are strong arguments on both sides of this issue, and I think in the long run we benefit by dispensing information and letting the individual decide what is best for themselves. Those who chose to vaccinate feel safe knowing that they are protected while contributing to 'herd immunity' (though the reference to 'herds' is a little touchy (incidentally, a herd of pigs is called a drove. Who knew?)). Those who decline the shot feel better about avoiding the less savoury vaccine ingredients (thimersol, squalene... yum!). We are all playing the numbers game, irrespective of which side we are on. And people aren't exactly dying in droves (catch that?).

Catch that?? The odds favour us, irrespective of what we do. Some people will have vaccine side effects. The vast majority will not. Some people will become seriously ill with H1N1. The vast majority will not.

The point is, we're going to be ok. Breathe. We. Are. Going. To. Be. OK. So make your decision using research and consideration and instinct, get on with your life, and quit swining about it!

I love food...

When I met Devon Strachan, a holistic nutritionist who ALSO loves food... well, it was like a match made in heaven... or a kitchen... or a restaurant. The point is, I love food, she loves food, ergo, I love Devon. She and I will sit down and start to chat about food, real food versus the fake food we tend to eat, how to cook food, how to use food to be more healthy... food, glorious food, and whad'ya know, it is 2 hours later, and boy am I hungry.

So I did the only thing I could - I made her a part of the team at RHCC.

And the best part? Each week, she brings a snack for everyone to try. A healthful snack. An easy-to-make snack. A delicious snack. But most importantly, SHE BRINGS A SNACK.

Today Devon treated the patients of RHCC to the following concoction. If you weren't in the clinic to sample Devon's version, feel free to make it yourself at home!

Olive Tapanade
How to make it:
Blend 1 can black olives, 2 cloves raw garlic, 2 tablespoons caper juice in food processor .
Remove goat cheese from fridge to soften.
Spread thin of layer goat cheese on the bottom of the bowl,all of the olive spread, a second think layer of goat cheese, top generously with capers.
Serve with whole grain bread or crackers!

Why to make it:
Olives: good source of vitamin E
Capers: powerful antioxidant
Goat cheese: promotes good bacteria in digestive tract
Garlic: naturally anti-bacterial

Unfortunately we were too hungry to take the picture before diving in... enjoy!

Fight The Good Fight

I am a pacifist. Actually, lately I suspect that I'm also a pacifier, though I try to encourage the baby to not loiter too long after eating. The point is... what was the point? Oh, the point is that I haven't slept in a long time and can no longer hold a train of thought.

Oh! No. The point is, I generally avoid confrontation. If you are going to yell at me, I'll probably just give you what you want to save my eardrums. Please don't tell my child this, though he likely suspects my weakness for shreekiness. Take last night, for example, when I felt that 3 hours seemed like an appropriate amount of time to swing a person. My 10 lb 14 oz opponent disagreed. We compromised, concluding that I'll just swing him in my arms until he starts high school, and he'll never cry again. And it's fine, really it is!

There are some times though, when I cannot walk away from a fight, when standing up for myself becomes not just a matter of principle, but my well-being and possibly my survival. This is when the discussion turns to my health. There are no people more worth fighting for than myself and my family, nothing more important than our health, and no doctor or facility that will ever back me into a corner. Which is not to say that I go around looking to fight endocrinologists or to imply that I enjoy going head to head with psychiatrists. I have deep respect for those in the health professions, especially in Canada where the vast majority are overworked and underpaid for their efforts. Actually, Canada is a big part of the problem. Canadians are the rest of the problem. Oh, Canada.

Because of our FREE! and wonderful health care system, we wait in long lines to see a doctor and are just grateful to be seen. We are less inclined to realize our rights, since we aren't paying for the service (directly) and, well, the doctor knows, right?

But what about when the doctor isn't right, or the treatment just isn't right for you? What if the wait time is too long? Maybe the specialist you were so lucky to get into didn't listen to you or rubbed you the wrong way? Well, then you remind yourself that your tax dollars pay for these services, and you speak up. I realize this is easier to do when you have the vocabulary and training behind you, certainly hospital staff are less likely to think you are just a pain in the butt when tell them you have an acute gluteal antalgia, but even the less eloquent have rights. You are entitled to a detailed and thorough examination and explanation of your problem. You deserve to know your treatment options, including what happens if you don't accept a proposed treatment. You are entitled to seek a second and even a third opinion. You should be free to ask as many questions as you have, even the stupid ones. You deserve to be treated with respect and empathy. We need to understand that when we visit a doctor, we are hiring him to do a job, paying with our tax dollars instead of our wallet. We have rights.

I recently exercised my right to fight the system. A day after checking out of the hospital with my new son, I had to return. The baby was fine, but I was only a few degrees away from having cat scratch fever. The doctor recommended antibiotics, which after confirming that they were compatible with breast-feeding, I agreed to take. It was further recommended that I stay the night, and since I had no plans except to hallucinate my fever away, I also agreed. Then I was told that while I was welcome to stay chez Women's College, for FREE! natch, my 4-day-old son was not welcome, since he had already checked out. The hospital claimed that there was nothing they could do, it was impossible, their hands were tied. This was the best option they could come up with.

And just like Dee Snider, I wasn't going to take it.

To separate a newborn from his mother, his comfort, and his food source because of administrative 'impossibilities' was unacceptable. So much so, that I was prepared to take my medication, go home with my infant and return the next day for my next dose and follow-up, a plan the hospital did not like. After negotiations and help from my husband and midwife, we came up with an acceptable solution, one that satisfied my medical and personal needs. But I wonder what a more timid or 'compliant' patient would have done, and I feel for the patient who doesn't know that they can say no or request a different plan of action.

Fighting for your rights doesn't mean being belligerent or demanding, but rather it means tactfully insisting on getting the care you need. In my health history, this has meant 'hiring' a neurosurgeon, a midwife and an obstetrician, a family doctor, and many, many chiropractors. These experts have helped me to manage different concerns, but always it is me who is ultimately responsible for my health decisions and outcomes. I have declined some medications and taken others. I have refused some tests and demanded others. I have asked for help getting earlier specialist appointments when my body told me not to wait and been a patient patient at other times. I do my best to make my doctors aware of my expectations, my needs, and my preferences, and this way I have been best able to look out for myself, and know that I will always be OK. I hope that you can say the same.

As the Beastie Boys teach, "you've got to fight for your rights"...to party... but it still applies. Give a new mother a break, this was the best closer I could come up with on 3 hours sleep, besides, I'm busy swinging my son.