Looking for Wellness In All The Wrong Places

Carol Ebert, MSN, RN

Now about the appointment. It lasted only 15 minutes with the physician already running behind after a longer first appointment that he couldn't control, and he reminded us several times about wishing to have more time to meet with us but was rushed. And even when he heard about my husband's cardiac arrest at age 12 that led to being cut open at the bedside for open-heart massage (yes - this was before CPR was invented) and he lived to tell the tale, he really wanted to hear the full history but was still too busy to listen to it all.

Imagine that physician's frustration of not being able to hear about a critical health history piece that may have had a big impact on the cardiac episode my husband was currently experiencing. So I did feel sorry for him, but more than that I felt sorry for our present financially driven healthcare system that has allowed this to go on - and on - and on.

I also realized that even tho that physician was destined to spend all his time in front of the computer reviewing history and ordering tests, I so wanted him to talk about the fact that perhaps weight loss and healthy eating might be part of the plan for preventing these symptoms. Yes my husband is noticeably overweight and eats all wrong (in my opinion) and carrying around that extra weight is certainly contributing to shortness of breath when he climbs stairs.

But I also know that physicians have great power when they give advice to patients (more than the advice that comes from the spouse) so I was hoping he would suggest weight loss to my husband. But of no avail. No time and no knowledge of what to say when it comes to prevention. And so I couldn't expect that to happen. But I still have hope that things will change, but not soon enough for my situation.

So why do we look for wellness answers in the wrong places? With providers like physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants who are all beholding to the medical model, this is not their area of expertise. They are all about tests, drugs and surgeries. What courses have they ever had on wellness and in fact, how well are they personally? But we still seem to think they are the only place to go for health information. Important note: please still use physicians and medical practitioners when necessary and in most cases as your first line of defense. But after that, may I suggest another expert that we need to add to our "toolbox" for improving our health.

Wellness Coaches, like me (yes I am biased) who are able to provide

Lifestyle assessments to pinpoint areas within your control that you can take action on without consulting a medical practitioner
Lifestyle coaching to explore your issues in depth, help you create a plan of action and keep you on track so you move forward successfully
Assistance in finding options for you to explore that can help you improve your health
Support so you don't have to travel your health improvement path alone.

Yes this is a bonafide profession and needs to be valued as such. Often people think of us as counselors or therapists, but we are not. We are lifestyle experts with years of training who focus on you as the change agent and we support your ability to make the right decisions for yourself to move forward at your own pace. My experience from years of coaching employees showed me the power of successful behavior change when we are in control of our own destiny and not told what to do by someone else.