You are your own best advocate of your health. The government, your doctors, the pharmaceutical companies, your friends, and your family all may have the best intentions for you, but you are the one most motivated to help yourself. And, you are the one that knows the most about what is best for you.

My neighbor had breast cancer a couple of years ago and had chemotherapy as treatment. She ended up in the hospital from a severe reaction to it. Recently, her doctors recommended chemo again for a new cancer. She didn’t want to do it, but her doctor and husband encouraged her to do it. So, she did. She ended up in the hospital again, this time with a mild heart attack. Even while she was in the hospital from the heart attack, her husband told her she should still continue with the chemo. She knew, as she had known before, that chemo was not the right course of treatment for her. She is now following her gut and not doing any additional chemo treatments.

This is not about the pros and cons of chemo; this is about trusting yourself to know what is best for you. My neighbor knew that chemo was not right for her, but she let herself get talked into it with near fatal consequences. My sister had stage 3 breast cancer and is 12 years cancer-free. She had very aggressive chemo treatments and would be the first to tell you that these treatments saved her life. There is not one right solution for everyone. We are all different in our biochemical makeup and, as a result, we will have different reactions to treatments.

Remember that you are the expert of your own health. You know what is best for your body. Trust yourself. See your doctors as partners in your health care. Listen to what they have to say and decide for yourself if it is right for you. Doctors and hospitals are not without error. Almost 100,000 people die each year from infections they acquire in the hospital and nearly as many die from medical errors.

If your doctor tells you to do something that doesn't feel right to you, follow your instinct. My dad recently went to a doctor who wanted him to sign a document that said he would do exactly what the doctor told him to do. If he did not sign the document and adhere to the recommendations, the doctor would no longer treat my dad. My dad went elsewhere.

If your doctor does not make time for you or listen to you, find another doctor. Studies show that the care we receive from health care professionals can affect our healing. For example, one study was done where patients were either treated by an anesthesiologist that had a warm and caring bedside manner or a cold and cursory one. Those patients who got five minutes of extra care and attention before their surgeries needed only half the pain medication and were released from the hospital on average over two days sooner than the patients who had been addressed in the more cursory manner. Demand the care you deserve and don’t settle for anything less.

Do your own research, ask questions, and talk to others. As the old adage goes, “Listen to everyone. Follow no one.” Or better yet, “Listen to everyone. Follow yourself.”

Are you ready to take on the role of expert of your health?