- Find a doctor, allergist, and nutritionist that you like and trust. If you don't trust your medical care and they're not listening, get a second, third and tenth opinion if necessary. I went through three allergists before I found Prof Pete Smith, who saved my life.
- Be proactive. If you're feeling unwell or having the regular flare-ups or reactions, something is not right. It's up to you to follow-up with the doctor, ask for the referral, ask for what to research. While doctors and specialists are wonderful and can literally save your life, no one knows your body like you do, and if you don't prioritize your health, then no one else will.
- Take someone with you to appointments. I'm not sure if it's the same for you, but when I'm tired, stressed, sick and having an allergic reaction, I can't remember anything. One of my biggest symptoms of bad reactions is actually short term memory loss. Knowing this, I always take someone with me and take notes, which I then throw into a google doc to capture all the notes from that specialist in the one place. I have a rotation of family, friends, and partner that I take to appointments, and while it can be uncomfortable to ask, allowing for that level of transparency in your medical treatment, actually means people can support and understand what you're going through because they're sharing the experience with you.
And finally, remember to give yourself a mantra, a motivating, reassuring, mind focusing key. I remember times in my life where I could barely walk a block without needed rest, and one of the key things that made it bearable was this mantra: "This too shall pass".
With love,
Adrianna