The circumstances that frighten us the most, that give us the greatest anxiety and that leave us unable to make rational, well-considered and fully informed decisions are the ones that leave us feeling out of control. Whether it's the dangers of a pandemic or the shaky economy in its wake or civil unrest or a challenging leg in our personal health care journey--any one of those factors can leave us with a sense of insecurity. Bring on two or more of them at once and rational medical decision making goes out the window.
That's why being health literate and having a process in place for making informed decisions about one's health care is so important. It's a Gobsmacked Preparedness Plan, having a set of tools and skills at the ready in case of unexpected circumstances on a national--or personal--level.
If anything good can come from facing such unexpected turns in the road, it may be that we are prompted to be more prepared for the next one to come. And come they will. Consider your level of health literacy and sharpen your skills, if needed. Above all, be safe out there.