It's taken me a while to realize that you can't just shove whatever you want at your body, especially if you are unusually fragile health wise.

However, a lot of finding good health is about trial and error, but a lot of trial and error is what helps you find balance. What works for one person may not work for another. A lot of health is individualistic, which makes sense; we all have different body chemistry, so why would we choose one method for everyone?

I think this can be a problem with medicine, sometimes.

We are able to observe and form a hypothesis of what generally works for most people, in terms of treatment. Therefore, we often assume that certain treatments are completely reliable, despite the fact that a hypothesis is only an educated guess. While one person may respond marvelously, another may not. In some cases something presents itself as an excellent cure. The patient is doing well for a while, but eventually the patient relapses.

Another extreme is to assume that you can care solely for yourself by researching on the internet. Don't get me wrong. The internet can be a great source for information. However, if you don't know how to use it, or you don't know what to research for, the internet can be a pretty dangerous place.

The problem is that you can have all these symptoms, and you can name off a thousand different things it could be. However, it's difficult to get the whole picture. It's important to research, and it's all right to be concerned. Discussing your concerns with a doctor you can trust is better than trying to treat yourself with a natural cure for leukemia. If your doctor isn't listening to you or taking your health concerns seriously, it may be time for a new doctor.

You need to be your own health advocate, but you also need guidance as well. And you should never give up on trying to find a doctor that can help you. Don't feel like because one doctor said one thing that they know everything about you and your personal health. Take their advice with a grain of salt. Don't ever let a doctor convince you that it's all in your head either. Feel free to make your doctor test you for everything if you need to. It's your health, not theirs.

I know having to wait for blood tests and sitting in the unknown is scary. It's a terrifying place, especially if you're in an extreme amount of pain. But you can really harm yourself by trying what Sally did on whatever message board you gravitated towards on Google.

Health can be a balancing act even for perfectly healthy people.

Health is something everyone has to keep up with, and it's a sliding scale. You may be fine and another problem presents itself and you have to adjust. You can't keep to the same routine even if it worked for you before.

Imagine your health as a bicycle wheel. It's not going to turn as well if it's bent in one place. Likewise, you will destroy your rim if your tire is flat. You have to consider the root cause, and take everything else in accordance as well. You need to treat the original cause, but keep in mind that other complications can happen along the way. Even if you're diagnosed with something, it's still important to consider the whole picture. Otherwise, you risk being hyper focused on one problem.