Yay for Supplements!

 

I just want to take a moment and thank my recent doctors for being so open to offering supplements. I don't know if this is a change in doctors or just from being in a healthcare system rather than being covered by regular insurance, but I think it's awesome.

I'm going to add a disclaimer before I go any further; this is definitely NOT a med shaming post. I take equal amounts of prescriptions and supplements. Take whatever combination is necessary for you to improve your quality of life. And that can only be decided by YOU and your DOCTOR. Not some random jackass on the internet that has the cojones to tell you how to live your life. And definitely not some "well meaning" friend or family member that "doesn't think you need that", without a medical degree or full knowledge of what you go through.

Give me a moment to climb down from my soapbox... and let me back up a bit..

Years ago, when I met my primary, I was surprised that she aimed straight for natural medicine and checking if I needed supplements. I actually thought it was a reaction to my resistance to taking my "as needed" meds. But then she told me she actually went to a class to learn more about supplements. And *gasp* wanted to try things like acupuncture and chiropractic to fix things or figure out what's wrong rather than just throwing meds at symptoms.

Then I met my pain management doctor last year. Admittedly, I had been afraid to go because I didn't want more and/or consistent pain meds. He ended up being overjoyed that I was overjoyed that he wanted to start with supplements. And he gave me a list of them to give me a better chance at finding one that worked for me so we didn't have to skip to nerve blocks (nerve pain meds have been horrible for me in the past). 

Most recently, my new GI doctor spoke a long time with me about my reinvigorated GI issues. She was happy I fully work on all the free treatments (exercise, diet changes, reduce stress...). She then gave me a supplement suggestion to try first, and a prescription to try if that didn't work. And we'll regroup in a couple months. So far, the supplement only causes one side effect I don't like, but it's definitely not bad enough to convince me to try the prescription. I usually get much worse side effects from meds.

The thing is my prescriptions are absolutely necessary to keep me alive and functioning. My supplements, however, allow my body a better opportunity to do what it's supposed to do, to work efficiently, to help repair some things to prevent needing more meds. This last year has been the first since I was 13 that I didn't constantly need anti-inflammatories and pain meds. Or, more accurately, I haven't had to fight with my doctors about how I shooooould be taking them, but don't want to, and living at a pain level of 7 is just fine! I live at level 4 now and will freely admit that living at 7 was stupid... I wouldn't change the choices I made, but I do wish someone had thought to send me to pain management much earlier.