Taking the medicine bull by the horns
Taking the bull by the horns. It is a phrase that is pretty common, but, just in case you haven’t heard it, it means to handle something that is difficult to do with an air of confidence. But, have you heard of the medicine bull?
Let’s get talking.
The medicine bull is a symbol of your health. It is your physical health, emotional heath, mental health, etc. It is the same bull mentioned in the common phrase (aka a challenge in your life), but it relates specifically to your health.
So, what do I mean by take the medicine bull by the horns? Well, let me explain with an example.
If COVID-19 has taught me anything, it is that fear can be debilitating to us. Fear of the unknown can cause us to make choices that we normally would not choose to do. In doing so, we can put our lives or other people in danger or at-risk. One example is, at the start of the pandemic, the number of people experiencing heart attacks and seeking care in Emergency Rooms declined drastically.
The fear experienced throughout the pandemic caused individuals to risk their lives and avoid seeking life-saving care. This is not okay. This is not taking the medicine bull by the horns.
The truth is: no one is going to care about your health as much as you do.
When you read that statement, it may be hard to digest, but it is true. You are the only one that has control of your every thought and move every day. You are the driver in your life - no one else. So, when it comes to taking your health and wellness into your own hands, you clam up and agree to whatever is being said to you.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear about an experience that an individual had where they were told to do something and they simply agree with a “Yeah”, “Okay”, “Mhm”. This is driven by our need to conform. Our primal instinct to not stand out, to not speak up, to not engage in confrontation. We say “okay” to the person in front of us because we think it is the safest thing to do. We agree to make things easier.
Where this becomes an issue is where it relates to our health. This idea relates to an article I wrote previous about white coat syndrome, but this is not due to intimidation like white coat syndrome is.
This is related to our need to conform to the idealistic persona that our culture has built for us when it comes to health: trust your doctor, do what they say, don’t ask questions, be a good patient.
Let me say that again: be a good patient.
But, what is a good patient? I am sure there are many versions of this answer, but I do think the less common answer would be someone that asks questions, that tells a doctor to slow down so they can take notes, that says '“I don’t understand”, etc. Being that patient is taking the medicine bull by the horns.
You have every right to ask questions, ask for more time, write down notes, seek the care you need, google what you need in order to understand (be careful: google university can be a tricky place and will almost always tell you that you have cancer or will die no matter what your symptoms are).
Most importantly, do not be afraid to say that you don’t understand.
We have all been there, and the truth is that we don’t know all of the answers - patients or doctors. Everyone has unique experiences in life, which is why we have 5-star and 1-star Yelp reviews for the same restaurants.
Plain and simply put, your health is in your hands. Take that medicine bull by the horns, because you have the right and the power to do so. You just need to find the courage within.
Stay humble
- Emily
