Yes, I am a doctor. And I know many of you have burning medical questions you’re dying to have answered by an OB/GYN, so I’m posting this entry to address this. I desperately care about each and every one of you and your health questions. I WANT you to Own Your Health- it’s a critical step in finding your mojo. And asking the right questions is a crucial part of getting at the root of your essence, your vitality, and your joie de vivre. But I need your help.
Here’s my quandary. I want to be available to you all, and if I could, I would answer each of your medical questions personally, I swear. This is what I live for—helping women understand their bodies, embrace their health, and feel empowered. The best thing I do in life (aside from raising my daughter) is sit one-on-one with women in my office and help them sift through the confusion, misinformation, fear, and overwhelming data related to their individual health concerns.
But I can’t do that on the internet. Not only can I not examine you, see you, feel you, I can’t get a sense of the ever-changing, beautiful, complex, rounded being that you are. Which makes it hard to answer medical questions on a website. Many of you have been asking and believe me, it tears me up to hear your stories. I’m blown away. You all have the most incredible stories! You’re so powerful and brave and amazing, and I want to help. But I need you all to understand that I’m just one doctor, in California, far away from many of you. To try to answer your big-picture questions with one paragraph answers diminishes both you and me. You deserve to find a doctor who will hear your whole story, hold space for you to be all that you are, assess you holistically, and help you find solutions to your health issues.
So forgive me. I could do an entire website that’s nothing but medical Q&A. I am here for you, in spirit, and my heart will be right there with you when you go to your own doctor in your own town, ask your questions, and really Own Your Health. Part of Owning Your Health is being accountable to yourself, which means that if you have health questions that need answers, pick up the phone, make an appointment, and assert yourself to make sure your questions are answered.
Most doctors are care-junkies, so it’s very hard for me to ask this of you. I really am committed to helping you all, but I want you to get the very best health care you can and not settle for some watered-down internet doctor.
It’s your health, baby. Own it!
Lissa Rankin, MD