When I started meds, I was getting nausea, diarrhea and a lot of headaches. But my doctor didn’t want to change my meds, because he didn’t want for me to run out of options. So he prescribed other drugs to deal with the side effects. ‘Your numbers look good,’ he’d say. ‘Let’s keep doing what we’re doing.’
My lucky break
Finally, in 2006, my partner changed jobs and we had a change of insurance. I found a new doctor, let him know what was happening and said I wanted to try something different. He said there was a new drug out with a lower dosage. But he wanted to do blood work before and after the switch to make sure everything was OK.
Ready to jump
My new doc did a pretty thorough exam: electrolytes, kidneys, triglycerides. He took the time to explain these things. He was paying attention to my overall health!
After the leap
I tried the new regimen. A week later, I was feeling less nauseous and had less diarrhea. Blood work showed that everything was good and stable. I’ve been on that regimen since, and everything’s been great.
My life 2.0
Not having side effects was a bit of a shock for me. I assumed they were a part of life. I’m much happier. I started a business. Now I tell everyone: Expect more from your doctor and your treatment. It’s important you find a place where you’re comfortable, you can interject, and you can learn.
