Why You Need A Medical Advocate

 July 1, 2009

Interview with Gerri Monaghan, author of The Power of Two: Surviving Serious Illness with an Attitude and an Advocate
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Mike Carruthers:
Here's a woman who knew something was wrong with her husband. So they went to the doctor and were told everything was fine but she insisted on a second opinion…

Gerri Monaghan:
Within twelve hours an MRI of the brain showed two brain tumors. He was given three to six months to live and that was May of 1998.

            Gerri & Brian 
             Monaghan

Gerri Monaghan, co-author with her husband of the book The Power of Two: Surviving Serious Illness with an Attitude and an Advocate , is telling her story to emphasize the importance of having an advocate when someone is diagnosed with a serious illness…

The person who's going to every appointment with you, the person who's writing everything down in a little notebook, the person who is the one willing to ask the doctor questions.

Gerri says having an advocate is important if you're a patient because…

People around you often know (better than a doctor does) that there is something wrong and you just have to keep insisting, "No you're not right doctor I know there's something wrong - please listen."

Being an advocate for someone is not an easy job and Gerri cautions that…

You can't take responsibility for either the success or the failure of the outcome. I've known wonderful advocates who've done absolutely everything right and yet their loved one or their friend didn't make it. The simple fact that they were there gave that patient an extra edge that they might not have had otherwise.

To listen to the complete unedited interview, click here.