General
Sick care vs. health care
Someone i follow on instagram posted a quote last night where she said western medicine, while at times life saving and so needed, is primarily sick care. It's not about wellness. True wellness doesn't happen in medications and band-aid solutions. And from my personal experience in the medical world, it's often about quick solutions instead of getting to the root of the problem. That's why I feel like the medical industry as a whole is failing in chronic illness care - because it can't be easily fixed. I love that the medical system exists, that it kept me alive when my body was shutting down, that my medications do wonderful things to my body and help me accept a liver that didn't originally grow inside me. It's crazy what medicine can do! And I'm also realizing I'm in a place of healing now. And it's like that quote, you can't heal in the same environment where you got sick. I love my transplant team, but I also am realizing I have a life now, and I get to live it, and my health is up to me.
I always say to myself as I'm recovering that this is a healing pain, not a dying pain. And I want to take that same approach to medicine. I'm healing now, therefore I need wellness care. I'm not dying, in need of sick care.
I'm not ditching the medical system or throwing my pills out the window, but I do find that things like getting a good night's sleep, exercising, eating healthy foods, getting outside... all contribute to my overall wellness. I can't keep myself from getting a transplant but I can now step into the role of preventative medicine and do what I can to protect my kidneys, my skin, even my new liver.
What's your opinion on this sick care vs. wellness care idea? How have you seen the model of sick care in your medical journey, and what for you contributes to wellness and healing?
1 - 2 of 2 Replies
I think my success for 17 years is honestly the combination of the two. Using sick care to help me get and maintain my transplant while practicing wellness care. I believe in finding that balance.
Transplant Patient
@ChefAmanda absolutely! It’s all about finding a balance. I love the medical care that saved me when i was sick, and my anti rejection drugs that keep me alive. And also I need wellness care to really heal