News: September 2025

When Your Doctor's Advice Becomes Dangerous

Waiting in the exam room at my recent annual check-up, I was looking forward to a collaborative discussion about my current health status and concerns. I soon realized the conversation was one-sided as the doctor came in and presented a long-winded lecture about why I was there and the purpose of annual physicals, as if this were my first.

Glancing at my labs from nearly two years ago, he noted that my LDL reading had been slightly elevated. Without asking a single question about my current habits, he told me to "eat healthier" and "do 30 minutes of cardio every day."

I realized I would need to interrupt him to get a word in edgewise. I tried to explain:

• I exercise nearly every day and my program is rigorous: intense strength training, Pilates, Barre, and cardio. (I recently scaled back after realizing I was overtraining - apparently, tacking HIIT onto a full-body strength day isn't the best idea.)
• I'm a massage therapist. My job is physically demanding.
• I eat a healthy vegetarian diet consisting primarily of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, Greek yogurt, and fish.

I also mentioned that I have a long history of anorexia, my current BMI is low, and that I struggle to maintain a healthy weight. I suggested that perhaps there might be another reason for my LDL reading.

His response? "Eat healthier and exercise more."

He continued his lecture until I interrupted again to mention my concerns about colon cancer screening, since I had a partial colectomy a few years ago. He looked surprised, so I mentioned that the surgery was done at that very hospital and should be in my chart. It was.

It took several rounds of interrupting and explaining my post-surgical health concerns before he finally agreed to a referral.

I left feeling like I had to fight for every scrap of individualized care. Worse, his standard exercise and diet advice wasn't just irrelevant to me, it was dangerous. If I were in a more fragile stage of recovery, it could have been enough to land me back in the hospital.

I detailed my experience in writing for the hospital. The doctor's response was defensive and dismissive, but the Senior Manager of Patient Relations/Patient Experience expressed his understanding, apologies, and assurance that the clinical leadership will use my feedback to "improve communication and patient-centered care across our practice."

Why This Isn't Just One Bad Doctor

Sadly, my experience is not rare - it's built into the way our healthcare system operates:

• Rushed appointments. Most primary care doctors have 10-15 minutes per patient - barely enough to skim the chart, let alone ask follow-up questions that matter.
• Box-checking over listening. Physicians are required to follow broad guidelines for insurance and liability reasons, which pushes them toward generic, one-size-fits-all recommendations.
• Fragmented records. Even within the same hospital, critical information can be buried or ignored because electronic medical records are clunky and time-consuming to review.
• Defensive medicine. Generalized "safe" advice is legally risk-free, even if it's clinically useless - or harmful - for you.
• Limited training in lifestyle factors. Most doctors get fewer than 20 hours of nutrition and exercise education in medical school, so their guidance often relies on outdated generalities.
• Volume over outcomes. The system rewards speed, not quality of care. There's no incentive to take the extra time to tailor advice to the person in front of them.

It's not always about bad intentions. But it is about a structure that makes thorough, individualized care the exception instead of the norm.

The Bottom Line:

Doctors aren't always right. Generalized advice isn't always safe. You are the expert on your own body.

Never stick with a doctor you don't trust. Keep looking. If something feels off, speak up. Ask questions. Get a second opinion. And if you've been brushed off, say something - to the doctor, to the hospital, to patient relations. Not out of spite, but because the system only improves when patients demand better.

The best healthcare happens when doctors bring their medical knowledge, patients bring their lived experience, and both sides actually listen. Anything less is a missed opportunity for better health.

Start Your Day Right: 20-Minute Self-Massage for Morning Energy & Calm

By request - a longer morning self-massage! Here's 20 minutes of morning goodness to start your day right!

The way you spend the first few minutes after waking up can shape your entire day. In this gentle yet energizing 20-minute self-massage, we'll ease out the tension that often settles in the jaw, neck, and shoulders overnight.

Together, we'll:

• Breathe deeply
• Stretch mindfully
• Soothe the nervous system
• Cultivate gratitude
• Set a positive intention for the day ahead

Let this be your daily ritual to wake up with kindness, clarity, and care.

What's new with me ...

August was packed with summer fun! Sienna and I had two weeks of beaches, swimming pools, playgrounds, hangouts with friends, and a spectacular trip to the Natural History Museum, visiting the Planetarium, butterfly exibit, and lots more.

Then Jesse, Sienna, and I flew to North Carolina for a visit with my family and more water and outdoor adventures. My seventh-grader is back to school tomorrow!

This means that I am back to work - and spots are filling quickly, so book your massage therapy or virtual wellness coaching session today!