Dr. Linda Mundorff's latest book, Take Control: A Guide to Holistic Living, focuses on patients becoming active participants in their health and healthcare. By offering education on the body systems and tools for tracking health, Mundorff's book teaches the reader how to look for signs of ill health and how to best choose the appropriate medical practitioners.
As a seasoned registered nurse, health educator and naturopathic doctor, Mudorff has seen it all. She's the first to admit there are doctors who aren't listening, just as there are patients who expect doctors to "fix" them. These realities of health care combined with Mundorff's life experiences-her mother and sister both died in their forties from complications following misdiagnoses-have led her to realize doctors and patients have to actively work together to provide the best care possible.
We caught up with Mundorff and asked her a few questions about writing the book and the importance of its message; here's what she had to say.
Savvy Question (Cara): You wrote Take Control for your sister and mother, who both died as a result of misdiagnoses-was writing this book cathartic?
Linda: I was only 11 when my mother died. I remember coming home from school that day to find her on the couch, barely dressed; my younger sister crying hysterically. All I remember is being on auto- pilot. I was in shock for months. When my sister died all I could think of was, not again. My sister’s death was more difficult to deal with because I was older and I felt responsible. Why couldn’t I save her? I was a nurse and I knew she was sick. But I couldn’t make her understand how sick she was. She didn’t want to hear it.
While writing my book I came to the realization that grieving is ongoing. You think you are over it, but something, an event, a person, will trigger the pain all over again. Time doesn’t really heal all pain, just makes it easier to live with.
Savvy Question (Cara): Who should read Take Control?
Linda: Many (people) have difficulty trusting doctors and feel they must fight for control over their health. Many will utilize the Internet as a way to self-diagnose and treat (which isn't a good idea). At the other end of the spectrum are those individuals who completely rely on their health care providers to fix their problems.
I wrote this book with a primary focus, to help everyone develop self-advocacy skills in health care by introducing thought-provoking scenarios, basic anatomy and functional responsibilities of each of our body systems-for example, understanding the intricate relationship between our heart, or cardiovascular system, and lungs, or respiratory system. In addition, I provide examples of common self-help remedies that have resulted in severe harm and explore healthier alternatives to care for our mind, body, and spirit.
I want to remind readers that all healthcare providers make mistakes, and it is our responsibility as consumers to protect ourselves from being hurt by these errors. My book is concise, clear, informative, engaging and readable, and makes a person feel like they could have some control over their health. So who can benefit from this book? Everyone!
Savvy Question (Cara): You wrote that the book is for educational purposes; how can it be incorporated in medical care in a practical sense?
Linda: Practically speaking, no self-help book can take the place of good health care. That being said, my book will help my readers to become better educated and gain knowledge about a field that can be rather confusing and convoluted. For example, there are general practice doctors and there are doctors who have a specialty in say cardiology, or internal medicine, or pediatrics. How does a consumer decide what type of doctor is best for their family? The answer is highly individualized and decisions are made by weighing a number of factors such as the patient’s medical history, family history and current quality of care, amongst others.
I want to point my readers in the right direction so that the common sense and practical information they obtain from my book can be incorporated in not only finding the right type of medical provider but more importantly, to become a partner in their health care rather than a participant in it.
Savvy Question (Cara): What were the best and worst parts about writing this book?
Linda: The best parts were taking my 20-plus years of experience in healthcare and turning it into 297 pages of life-altering changes. The worst part was taking my 20-plus years of experience in healthcare and compiling that information into 297 pages of life-altering changes.
Savvy Question (Cara): What are five simple ways people can "Take Control" of their health care?
Linda:
- Know your blood pressure. If there is a change the patient is usually the one who catches it, and not the doctor.
- Ask about potential side effects of all medication.
- Ask about potential drug interactions between prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and herbal remedies.
- Ask questions. Bring a list of questions to ask your doctor and if you don't understand something ask the doctor to clarify.
- Get a second opinion. Doctors are human and make mistakes. Most insurance providers will pay for a second opinion.
