In doing the looking back series, I got to relive many of the events that inspired the posts. I’ve learned a lot over the years and today I want to share about the best words you can say and why I share.

Lately, we have been dealing with the runaround of the healthcare system for my mother and my son. If you’ve had any experience with this, I’m sure you know how draining it can be, from getting a diagnosis to trying to find a doctor with the right experience (and bedside manner), and let’s not talk about insurance.

A few weeks ago, after a week of trying to decipher conflicting diagnoses for my son, I asked my husband to write an update that we could share with our friends, as sometimes it is easier to update all at once. I gave him some of the information I thought he should include. He looked at me like I was nuts and said “That’s about 100x more detail than I would have included. I was just going to say. ‘Hey, got a new treatment plan, things are on track.’”

I responded, “If I didn’t share, we wouldn’t have gotten the recommendation for the doctor at Columbia who we like so much better than our local doctor. If I didn’t reach out to the Lupus Research Alliance to share his potential diagnosis, we wouldn’t have gotten connected to the president of the LRA, and he wouldn’t have told us who he believes is the best rheumatologist in the country, and he wouldn’t have helped us get an appointment.”

He said, “You’re right.” (Possibly the best words you can hear!) And he proceeded to write the full update to share.

I have always espoused the benefits that come from connecting with a wide variety of people. Once again, I am proven right! Sharing with all of you, and my local community, even the small updates has helped so much.

We now have an amazing team of doctors helping my son, and it’s because I share. This is part of why I advocate so strongly for connection. You never know what you will gain, or what you might be able to offer to someone else. That’s why I share, and why you should, too. You never know who might be able to lend you a helping hand.

Donate Here: https://give.lupusresearch.org/give/123231/#!/donation/checkouthttps://give.lupusresearch.org/team/408771