The Scan and the Story

A scan can show a bulging disc in someone with no pain at all, and show nothing in someone whose pain is severe. The scan shows the body. It doesn't show the person. Both are real, and both matter. So when we sit with a practitioner, we can bring both kinds of evidence: what the tests show, and what we live. Here's how to prepare your side of the story, so you can bring it to your next appointment.

Step 1: Start with what's undeniable

Begin with your own experience, in plain words. Not what it might mean, just what is happening.

- Where do I feel it?

- What does it feel like? Aching, burning, tight, heavy, sharp, dull?

- When did it start?

- How strong is it, from 0 to 10, on an ordinary day and on a hard day?

This is real evidence. It's the part only you can bring.

Step 2: Notice the pattern

Now look across a week or two. A few words each day is enough.

- What time of day is it better or worse?

- What makes it worse? Sitting, stress, certain foods, poor sleep?

- What makes it better? Movement, heat, rest, time with people you love?

- What else changes along with it? Mood, energy, digestion, sleep?

If you've been keeping a daily notebook, you already have most of this.

Step 3: Name what matters to you

This is the part that's easiest to leave out, and it may be the most important. Write down:

- What this is keeping me from doing.

- What I'd love to be able to do again.

- What I'm most worried about.

A test can't tell a practitioner that you miss gardening, or that you're afraid this is what your father had. You can.

Step 4: Make your one-page story sheet

Put it all on a single page:

1. What I experience (Step 1).

2. My pattern (Step 2).

3. What matters to me (Step 3).

4. My questions, written down so I don't forget them.

Bring it to your next appointment. Hand it over or read from it. You may find the whole conversation changes when the person across from you can see both the scan and the story.

A practice for today

Choose one sensation in your body right now, and describe it in three plain words. Then quietly say, "This is real, and it's mine to describe."

Words to Carry

- My experience is real evidence.

- I bring both the scan and the story.

- I am a person, not a picture.

- What matters to me belongs in my care.

- I start from what is.

Next week, we'll look at how we know what we know, and how each way of knowing earns our trust.

With you every step of the way,

Dr. Jocelyn