You may not think of your doctors, nurses, parents, schoolteachers, brothers, and sisters as a team, but that’s exactly what they are. They make up different teams to help you, and you’re the most important player on all of these teams. Who’s on your teams?
Medical team = your doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, dieticians, and anyone else from the hospitals and doctors’ offices who treat you.
Community team = your friends, schoolteachers, principals, and organizations like The Myositis Association.
Home team = your mother, father, brothers, sisters, and other family members.
These three teams have members that help you in many different ways, depending on what each one of them knows best. Doctors and nurses decide what medicines will help you the most. Friends and teachers make sure you are doing well in school and give you the time and support you need. Most importantly, your family is there for you for just about anything-giving you medicine, helping with your exercises, and listening to what you have to say.
How can you help?
Be a big part of your teams:
- Talk to your doctors and nurses about what’s hurting or feeling better.
- Tell your teachers if you’re having trouble with anything in school.
- Be sure your parents know how you’re feeling, too.
- Depending on how old you are, you can take charge of different parts of your treatment-for example, know when you’re supposed to take your medicines each day and tell your parents when it’s time. Working together with the other members of your team helps everyone!