and from another O magazine article...........

[Guest guest]

Actor Evan Handler battled and conquered acute leukemia. His extreme

pushiness and aggressive, persistent style, he believes, saved his life. As

to dealing with health care proffesionals, he says:

You have to keep constant surveillance. Information is power. The more you

know, the better equipped you are. Don't be cowed into silence by uniforms or

vague references to " procedure. " You can be courteous without being meek. He

recommends bringing an advocate with you to appointments; making noise;

getting over the fear of being regarded as demanding. Ask for what you want,

100% of the time, and be willing to hear " no " and willing to negotiate. It

sounds simple, but asking for what you want is difficult to do. You can

always say " that doesn't work for me. " Don't know why that's so difficult to

say, but it just has to be overcome.

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I don't know why, either, but it is. Even for me, and I am a strong advocate

for myself and my good health, and generally not intimidated by doctors or

nurses or authority figures in general. I think it may have something to do

with the perceived difficulty of getting the other person to listen and hear

what you're asking for. It sometimes seems like " ya can't fight city hall "

when it comes to getting what you ask for, and most folks tend to just give

up. It's easier and less stressful.

Carol A