Caroline E. Ortiz, RN, MSN, MPH, is a nurse whose full-time job is at the NY Blood Center.  She is also a supporter and practitioner of holistic approaches to health that include alternative/complementary therapies such as Reiki, Restorative/Therapeutic Yoga, and Aromatherapy.  Here, she shares with us some of her thoughts about how people should go about making smart decisions about their health.

Q. What advice do you have for people when it comes to making decisions about their health?

A. We should really all become comfortable with the idea that we have choices when it comes to managing out health.  I think that knowing that you have a choice is very good for getting rid of some anxiety about a health issue.  A person’s choices depend on the situation, their comfort level, and what resources they have.

Q. Can you describe an experience that really helped you to realize the importance of choice when it comes to health?

A. When I worked in Home Health Care in South Texas, I would say that 95 percent of the people I worked with were Spanish speakers only and elderly.  I remember walking in and taking care of people who were on 10 pills a day, sometimes even 20 pills a day! The crazy part was that they had no idea what each pill was for or why they were taking it, and they didn’t really have another choice.  And that image, that memory is really burned in my brain to remember that there is something else that we can do.  It doesn’t mean that everyone wants these alternatives or is interested in them, but for those people who are, more choices on how to be healthy, can really be beneficial.

Q. What advice would you give to people who don’t have a lot of resources, and therefore know about fewer ways to manage their health?

A. Many people have issues related to not having enough money/insurance, knowledge, connections with health experts, and access to other resources.  Despite this, a person can still have choices, but it is the individual needs to make the effort to look for more.  Whether it is your doctor, or a nurse, or other health care provider, there are a lot of people out there with great knowledge and great skill.  It is important to:

• Know how to get in contact with health care providers by asking people and through word- of- mouth
• Take the responsibility to ask health care providers questions, not only to better understand but also ask what else you can do
• Keep asking questions, (even the same ones) to other health care professionals, especially if the responses are not fulfilling  to you.

So maybe health information and sources are just not as easy to get as they could be, but you might be surprised at what your neighbor knows or what your doctor does on his “off time” that might be beneficial to you and your health.