A few months ago, I popped a blood vessel in my eye.
I was in the middle of amigrainea common experience for mebut the eye thing was new.
Was I having a stroke?
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I wanted a qualified medical professional to tell me I wasnt dying.
The telehealth doctor I called spent most of our 10-minute virtual appointment assuring me that migraines arent fatal.
Ihavechronicmigraines, but I felt too sick, too scared, to give a coherent medical history.
I needed him to evaluate this new development in the context of a lifetime of migraines.
This telehealth doctor was one of eight medical professionals Ive seen about my migraines in the last year.
Jessica Ailani, M.D., works with patients like me regularly.
Shes a neurologist and the director of the Medstar Georgetown Headache Center, a clinic where Ive received treatment.
The category includes chronic migraines and chronic pain, as well ascancer,diabetes, and more.
Managing these conditions usually requires visiting a succession of health care providers, but appointments often arent satisfying.
Going from doctors appointment to doctors appointment in search of answers about mymigrainesstarted to feel like a full-time job.
So I started treating it like one.
I wrote an elevator pitch.
I tested out my version of an elevator pitch when I met a new specialist a few months ago.
Whether visiting a dentist or agynecologist, its an easy way to organize a medical history.
I even quickly found myself using my chronic illness elevator pitch to explain my migraines to friends and coworkers.
It makes a potentially awkward conversation quicker and smoother.
Heres what to include in your own chronic illness elevator pitch.
Many medical professionals see a lot of people in one day!
Help them remember the basics so you’re able to move on more quickly.
Do something similar with your medical conditionhow long have you been experiencing symptoms?
This is also a good time to mention yourfamily history of the illness, if you have one.
Medical consultations arent that different.
Metrics:When job hunting, you want to have numbers ready to showcase how successful you are.
Dr. Ailani recommends keeping a calendar offlare-upsand symptoms, so you have concrete details to refer to.
I keep a spreadsheet of every migraine I have and how severe it gets for this reason.
Solutions:Job interviewers love to hear how youve solved problems at previous jobs.
This should include medications you take, as well as other management tools, like physical therapy.
Do you want to exchange email addresses for the future?
Are you hoping theyll keep you in mind for any upcoming openings?
That could be treatment.
It could be a new diagnosis.
It could be a referral to yet another new health provider.
Of course, being able to describe your chronic illness is only one step toward managing it.
There still might be a long, frustrating road ahead.
Your chronic illness elevator pitch can be another tool in your belt.
