I can get off of this medication, eventually, right?

How many times have you asked your pharmacist or physician that question? How many of you got the answer that you wanted? Not many of you, huh. Why? That is what you keep wondering. There are some good reasons for you to continue taking your medication(s) as you should. Should, now there is a word that we just don’t like and we feel that rebellion welling up inside of us. You know, that, “I’ll show you who is in control.” attitude. Why do we do that? Because, we are the one’s that are in control of ourselves and we are no longer children that have to obey. I totally understand that feeling, but, there is a bigger issue here. It is one of who is going to be in control of you? It isn’t the physician and it isn’t the pharmacist. They are or should be giving you the information to help you to learn to be in control of your chronic health issue. It is going to be one of two ways – The chronic health disease is going to control you and your future or you are going to control the chronic health disease by using maintenance medications EVERY DAY. Yes, there are some modifications or changes that you can probably make that will help you to decrease and in some cases, stop taking your medications. Are you willing to do what it may take to make those lifestyle changes?

Just because you can’t visibly see the damage being done inside of your body, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Just because you don’t “feel” anything while taking the medication, doesn’t mean that it isn’t working or doing it’s job. Think cumulative effects of what we are doing or not doing to our bodies. It is time for us to look down the road about 10 or 20 years and see the possibilities for our health. You may be feeling fine right now, how do you want to feel in 10, 20 or 30 years from now? What do you want to be able to do and do well? Prevention and maintenance is where our healthcare is headed anyway so let’s get ahead of the game.

I believe the next blog will be on some chronic conditions and how they will eventually have an effect on you.