As I sift through the litany of medical mumbo jumbo that is currently on my plate, I have been thinking a lot about a recent speaker I heard. Dr. Jennifer Ashton was one of the many fantastic speakers at this year’s Fitness Magazine Meet and Tweet event.
Retiring stiff paper gowns and unrelatable medical advice, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a Board-certified Ob-Gyn, author and TV medical correspondent, breaks the barrier between doctor and patient. Affectionately referred to as your all-in-one ‘BFF’/Ob-Gyn, Dr. Jennifer Ashton marries an unparalleled medical background with an accessible ‘girl’s-girl’ attitude. Though Dr. Ashton can easily speak to the latest beauty and fashion trends, this Ivy League graduate means business when it comes to women’s health.
Our morning began right away with a round of speakers and admittedly I have trouble sitting still, so I was bopping around a bit and whispering to my friends.
Jess and Theodora, Some of the lovely friends whom I was distracted by!
UNTIL Dr. Ashton began speaking. Dr. Ashton just gets it, she understands women and she understands how to make it all work. She had so many fantastic things to say, but here are some of the highlights.
- Look in the mirror and see your inner heroine
- Get to the point where you can THANK your body and KNOW its strong
- Commit to fitness and have the dialogue that you know your body will not let you down
- Don’t confuse external beauty for internal health
- Life is an olympic event and you have to train for it – everyone prepares for their own event
- Overall wellness consists of 3 things movement, rest, nourishment. That is the trifecta perfecta – always go back to those basics
I love that. I feel intimidated Every. Single. Time. I’m in front of a doctor, it’s the little girl in me who was taught to respect my authorities. I’m afraid to push back on my doctors, afraid to take up too much of their time. I feel that they always know best, when in reality they don’t know my body better than I do. The thing is that until I break down the walls of doctor-patient formality I will never be able to be fully taken care of.
Yesterday I went to a new GI and although it was a tough appointment for me, I really did lay it all out there for him. End result, he basically told me that I am in full denial of how much I’m actually dealing with and how far away from “normal” I actually am. Those are tough words to swallow. However they are said with the intention to understand my illness and help me feel better. I honestly have never taken the time to tell the full story of my health to one single doctor, its always bits and pieces and slightly rushed through. Yesterday when I stepped into my new doctor’s office I took a deep breath and thought of Dr.Ashton’s words …
I ended up being there almost 2 hours. I came out with new medicines to try and a new diet to stick to. It was scary and I’m still scared to face the changes I’m dealing with, but I feel like I have a doctor that is on my team and who wants to be accountable for finding a better me. That is invaluable right now.
I want to “Get to the point where I can THANK my body and KNOW its strong” again.
Jennifer has 2 books
Which can both be purchased on her web site jenniferashtonMD.com
Your turn … what are the tricks you use to overcome fear at the doctor’s office?
*A special thank you to Fitness Magazine who hosted me at this event, this is the second year that I attended the Fitness Magazine Meet and Tweet event. Last year I was a newbie in the blog world and the amount of people/amazingness was overwhelming, awesome but overwhelming. This year I felt a little more prepared and ready to soak up all of the fitness love around me. It was spectacular and I’m blessed to be a part of it! *
