When I Was Overprescribed Antibiotics, I Learned These 4 Keys to Advocating for My Health
Key takeaways:
After developing a cold that she couldn’t shake, Wendy Hayum-Gross got sicker and sicker.
She took several rounds of antibiotics in a short period of time and ended up being diagnosed with the bacterial infection C. diff.
Today, Wendy advocates for her own health, as well as that of her loved ones by accompanying them to doctor appointments and studying their test results.
In spring 2016, Wendy Hayum-Gross developed cold-like symptoms and went to her family physician to make sure something more serious wasn’t going on.
The doctor prescribed her antibiotics, but she didn’t get better. A couple weeks later, she went to urgent care and was prescribed more antibiotics. After just a few days, she began to feel even sicker than she had when she initially sought treatment. She was running a fever and having stomach problems.
So Wendy, 61, who lives in Naperville, Illinois, went back to her primary care doctor. The diagnosis: a stomach bug on top of a respiratory illness. The doctor told Wendy to give it time, so she went home to rest. She also began yet another round of antibiotics — which meant three courses in just a few weeks. Wendy didn’t realize it at the time, but this chain of events would lead to a new future as a health advocate.
Misdiagnosis and too many antibiotics
In the days following her doctor appointment, Wendy started keeping track of how often she was going to the bathroom. She ended up having 27 bowel movements in 24 hours, and she knew something was wrong.
“My husband saw me getting sicker and sicker, but we couldn’t figure it out,” Wendy says.
So she returned to urgent care. This time, “the doctor literally started backing out of the room, and he came back all gowned up,” she recalls. “He said, ‘I’m almost positive you have C. diff, and it’s highly contagious.’”
The doctor was right. Wendy did have clostridium difficile, or C. diff, which is an infection that sometimes occurs after taking antibiotics. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. If not treated promptly, C. diff can lead to complications such as dehydration, sepsis, kidney failure, and colon rupture.
The urgent care doctor who diagnosed Wendy told her to stop taking the antibiotics and to instead start one called Flagyl (metronidazole), which had made her sick about 30 years prior. Wendy told the doctor about her previous bad experience, but he said that since it was so long ago, things should be fine this time around. She went home and started taking it — and within 48 hours, felt sicker than ever.
“I remember getting up in the morning, and I hadn't felt good for a long time,” she says. “I went to urinate, and it looked like Coca-Cola. I was doubled over.”
She lay in the foyer of the house waiting for her husband to take her to the emergency room. It turned out she had kidney failure and sepsis. She told the doctors at the hospital that she didn’t think she could continue taking Flagyl, but they didn’t immediately take her off of it. That night, Wendy recalls, a nurse looked at her and said, “You’re not doing good,” and agreed she couldn’t take any more doses of Flagyl. The next day, she started taking a different antibiotic — vancomycin (generic Vancocin) — to treat her C. diff infection.
You don’t need antibiotics every time you are sick. But when do you need them?
What are patient rights in healthcare? Knowing your rights can help you make informed decisions.
Can a patient advocate help? A trained patient advocate might be able to help you get answers to your health questions.
The importance of speaking up
After starting on the right medication, Wendy began to feel better. But it took 6 months until she was fully back to normal. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that she felt like so many doctors dismissed signs that she was as sick as she was.
“There were so many places along the path where someone could have noticed [how sick I was],” she says. “It taught me that you have to speak up if things aren't going well or if you don’t feel like it’s making a difference. There’s such a fear in our society of hysteria or being considered a hypochondriac.” At the time, she says, fear kept her from pushing back against her doctors.
The experience changed how Wendy approaches healthcare. These days, she asks her doctors a lot more questions. She reads medical journal articles to learn more about her health problems and treatment. Wendy does the same for her family members, too. In addition to advocating for her own health, she’s committed to being an advocate for her loved ones, and she makes it a point to educate herself about whatever ailments they’re dealing with.
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
Tips for advocating for yourself
Wendy, who’s a psychotherapist, sees a lot of clients who have chronic illnesses. She shares her favorite tips for being your own health advocate with them. Here are those tips:
1. Pick a medical buddy
Whenever possible, take someone with you to doctor appointments, Wendy advises. That person should also help you review any notes from your doctor and results uploaded into your patient portal.
“When you have blood tests done, they can read the results with you, because a second set of eyes might see something that you miss,” Wendy says. Plus, if you see something concerning, your buddy can help calm you down until you get the facts.
2. Don’t worry about what medical professionals think of you
Sometimes, people are on their best behavior and nod along with the doctor because they don’t want to seem difficult, Wendy says. Don’t let your desire to be liked stop you from asking tough questions or pointing out that something doesn't seem right. Remember: You know your body best, she says.
3. Ask questions with a curious tone of voice
It can be helpful to ask questions in a way that shows you’re inquisitive and eager to learn more, Wendy says. For example, she says, you might ask: “I’m a little confused. Does this mean what I think it means? What exactly does that mean?” Tell your doctor you feel strongly about understanding your condition and care plan, and don’t leave the appointment until you have clarity.
4. Get second and third opinions
Wendy had a minor knee surgery last spring, and a month later, her leg swelled up. Though she trusted her doctor, she got a second and third opinion on her recovery. Doing so is a great way to make sure that your healthcare team isn’t missing something important, she says. Consulting with multiple doctors gave her valuable peace of mind.
Why trust our experts?
