Are you Asking the Right Questions?

Do you ask questions when you visit your physician? Do you fully participate in your own health care decisions? Do you read and study what is going on in studies and published papers in peer reviewed journals? Or are you like my friend?
I have a friend that blindly follows whatever his Doctor says. Never asks questions, never asks why or is there an alternative. Just follows along blindly doing whatever his doctor tells him to do. Now, I am not against doctors, just against people who do not take an active role in their own health care decisions.
My friend returned home from a long trip to find that his stomach was bothering him at night. He went to his doctor complaining of nausea and such. Rather than asking questions of the doctor and the doctor asking questions of my friend, all that happened was a prescription for some "stomach" medication that my friend has no idea about why or even what it's purpose really is.
I asked my friend what the medicine did and my friend had no information. Really?! And to top it off, the doctor told my friend to stop all vitamins and supplements. I asked my friend if food was allowed since vitamins were not allowed and vitamins come from food!
My point here is to ask questions, make yourself into your own personal wellness advocate. Don't just take something that is offered without asking what, why, how long, side effects and so much more.
You have a responsibility to yourself to be involved in your wellness as well as disease care. Doctors in the USA are trained to take care of diseases, not wellness. Their business is disease care and our goals are wellness care. I focus on how to stay in wellness and not get into a state of disease. Stay well and stay informed! Your health is your responsibility and taking care of your one true home, your body, is paramount to your continued wellness!