I’m taking a healthcare class because I am a healthcare administration major. It is so interesting not only because I love all things medical but because I can relate it to my CF life. I find it amusing that my professor talks about people with “chronic illnesses” as if they don’t exist, as if there isn’t one in the room. To him they are just people part of the healthcare system. He doesn’t say anything negative, it is just interesting to see other people’s perspective about it in a business aspect.
We talked about compliance. How if you do not comply with what your doctor says, specifically when you have a chronic illness, your condition can worsen and get exacerbated, leading to needing more care and more costs. He called compliance an “issue” and I chuckled to myself because I knew that for me, compliance is not a problem.
I understand completely about compliance. I’ve experienced it first hand, if I don’t comply, I get sick, and sometimes even when I DO comply, I get sick. But the basic model makes sense, take your medicine, do what you’re supposed to, and (for the most part) your chronic illness is in control. When I was younger and I didn’t comply, I got sick, I went in the hospital. I’m so glad it has clicked now. Yeah some days I don’t want to do my treatments, but I just do it because I know that it means I’ll feel better that day. Compliance Compliance Compliance. By doing what I’m supposed to I’m not wasting my doctors time, I’m not wasting my time, I’m not wasting my family’s time. And if I do get sick, then at least I can say I did everything I was supposed to to prevent it. Compliance may be an “issue” with some of the population, but it’s not a personal problem for me!
