It was my distinct pleasure to be a guest on this amazing podcast with two esteemed colleagues in Ohio and Utah, Dr. Kara Wada and Dr. Beth Vukin.
Their podcast “Lessons We Didn’t Learn In Medical School” is truly one of my favorites. In this episode, we peel back the complex layers of diagnosing autoimmune diseases from the perspectives of patient and physician. Dr. Wada and Dr. Vukin understand this fully as they, too, have autoimmune conditions.
Many autoimmune diagnoses take time. Lots of time. They often can’t be rushed. Physicians need to be curious detectives. Partnering with patients on a diagnostic journey is essential—patients need to feel hopeful and they need to feel heard. The very nature of most autoimmune diseases is such that quick fixes don’t work or don’t exist.
I was asked ahead of time to suggest three take-away life lessons, and here they are!
- Making an autoimmune diagnosis is typically a marathon, not a sprint.
- Autoimmune disease validation comes in many, often surprising, forms.
- Diagnoses can morph over time, and the “moving target” scenario can be fatiguing.
Time flew by and I just know you’ll enjoy this one!
Click here to go to the podcast.
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Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD is an internal medicine physician who provides telemedicine medical consultation and advocacy for patients in WA state, and professional career pivot navigation support for physicians in the US. Find her at myMDadvocate.
Her book, The Menopause Menu, is an all-in-one giftbook, medical guide and recipe book for navigating menopause.