In this special episode of When Everything Changed, we hear from Kaiser Permanente physician, Dr. Ariel Ehrlich.The postDoctor Becomes Patient: When Everything Changed Podcast appeared first onNW Health Blog.
In this special episode of When Everything Changed, we hear from Kaiser Permanente physician, Dr. Ariel Ehrlich. When Dr. Ehrlich complained of food poisoning symptoms she decided to get her care at Kaiser Permanente’s Silverdale Urgent Care, which was 45-minutes from where she lives. During the drive Dr. Ehrlich’s gastrointestinal symptoms worsened into a different condition altogether: starting with charlie horse cramps in both calves to a completely debilitating full body muscle constriction, including her face.
Unable to communicate with her family or the medical team, Dr. Ehrlich felt totally vulnerable and alone. She applauds the nurses, technicians, and providers at the Silverdale Urgent Care for their prompt, compassionate care during a time that left her feeling out-of-control. It was this experience that prompted Dr. Ehrlich to reflect on her own patients and the complexities in patient-provider communication. She is more focused than ever on practicing with empathy and respect for patients wherever they are in their health journeys. This experience had an emotional impact on Dr. Ehrlich and her loved ones, and served as a constant reminder to all that turning points in your health can happen at any time, maybe even when you least expect it.
In this episode we discuss:
* The complications that can occur with gastroenteritis (stomach flu).
* How Dr. Ehrlich felt about going from doctor to patient
* The significance of a compassionate and thorough medical team
Thank you for listening!
Did this story move you? If so, please share it. Do you have a health turning point story? Email us at wheneverythingchanged@ghc.org. When Everything Changed is a production of Kaiser Permanente.