Menopause Empowerment Guide | 9 What to Say and How to Say It When we are nervous or overwhelmed, it’s easy to get tongue tied or wish you were a turtle that could retreat inside your shell, however, your health and wellbeing is too important and your feelings should not be dismissed! Following are some tips, tricks and phrases you can practice prior to your appointment that may help you feel more confident so you can advocate for yourself and the care you deserve. 4 If you just don’t seem to be getting anywhere with your clinician and you’re not satisfied, ask to be referred to a specialist, for additional testing to be conducted or suggest that you reschedule your appointment for when your clinician may have more time to devote to the conversation. 5 If after all of your efforts, you are unable to get the care you deserve, please don’t give up! Consider consulting an online provider that is dedicated to helping manage the many symptoms associated with menopause. The following providers are not sponsored by me, The ‘Pause Life or the Galveston Diet, but could be a resource to help you manage your symptoms. 1 Set the tone at the start of your appointment by communicating any previously disappointing experiences where you feel your concerns were not addressed. Consider saying something like “In the past, my concerns have been dismissed by other clinicians. I want to be sure that doesn’t happen today”. 2 Sometimes, even with the best of intentions on your part, your clinician may continue to dismiss your symptoms. It is absolutely your right to ask for clarification or an explanation. “Please help me to understand why (symptoms x, y, z) aren’t notable. They are really disrupting (my life, sleep, relationships) and that feels really notable to me”. 3 When or if labs indicate (and your clinician agrees as a result) that “nothing is wrong”, don’t gaslight yourself! Instead stand your ground with something along the lines of “I’m relieved that my lab work looks good, but I know my body best. Can we think more broadly about what might be causing my symptoms and how they might be addressed?”.