The Sovereign Patient: Reclaiming Control Over Your Care and Wellness
Navigating the modern healthcare system can feel overwhelming. While traditional medicine has brought us incredible advancements, it often stops at symptom management instead of exploring what’s truly driving your illness.
You are not just a list of symptoms. You are a whole, vibrant being with the power to transform your health. My mission is to help you reclaim that power, shift from passive patient to active partner, and ultimately become sovereign over your own body and mind.
In this guide, I’m sharing practical ways you can advocate for yourself during doctor’s appointments, along with insights I’ve gathered through my own healing journey and the creation of the LIT Journey—my program designed to guide you in becoming the most empowered version of yourself.
1. Preparation Is Power: Arm Yourself with Knowledge
Why It’s Important
Appointments are often brief, so preparation helps you use every minute wisely and confidently.
Steps to Prepare:
- Document Your Symptoms: Write down exactly what you’re experiencing, when it started, and any patterns you’ve noticed.
- Research Without Fear: Learn about your symptoms from reputable sources, but be mindful not to get stuck in endless internet searches that create more anxiety.
- Bring Your Health History: A clear list of medications, past diagnoses, and family history will help your provider see the big picture quickly.
- List Your Questions: Prioritize what you most need clarity on. Some examples:
- Are there alternatives to this treatment?
- What are the root causes of my symptoms?
- Should we explore more testing to rule out underlying conditions?
Preparation is one of the first steps to stepping into your role as a partner in your care. It signals that you are engaged, committed, and ready to take action.
2. You Are the Expert on Your Body
Take Ownership of Your Health
No one else has lived in your body. You know better than anyone how it feels, how it reacts, and what feels right or wrong.
How to Advocate Effectively:
- Speak Up: Share your concerns openly. If something doesn’t feel right, or if you disagree with a recommendation, say so. It’s your body, and you get the final say.
- Know the Difference Between “Normal” and “Optimal”: Just because your lab work falls within a “normal” range does not mean you are thriving. For example, thyroid levels often look fine on paper, yet you may feel tired, foggy, or inflamed.
- Push for Comprehensive Testing: Ask for panels that look deeper:
- Thyroid (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3)
- Nutrient status (Vitamin D, B12, iron, magnesium)
- Inflammation and hormone balance
When you combine your lived experience with objective data, you create a more complete understanding of what your body needs to heal.
3. Understand Prescription Biases and Explore Alternatives
Quick fixes have their place, but they rarely address the root cause.
Be Proactive:
- Ask About Lifestyle Interventions: Small changes in sleep, nutrition, hydration, movement, and stress can create big improvements over time. I’ve seen this again and again in my practice and in my own life.
- Question Medication Plans: If a prescription is offered, ask:
- What are the potential side effects?
- Are there non-drug options that could help?
- How long will I need this medication, and can we create a plan to reduce or stop it in the future?
- Integrate Functional Solutions: From nutrient therapy to movement practices, there are countless ways to support your body’s natural healing abilities without relying solely on pharmaceuticals.
4. Be Open to Second Opinions
Your doctor is one part of your team, not the whole story. If you feel brushed off or you sense something is missing, trust that feeling.
Trust Your Gut:
You deserve answers and respect. If you are not getting either, look elsewhere. Functional medicine practitioners, integrative specialists, and other health professionals can offer perspectives that go beyond standard protocols.
It’s okay to keep asking questions until you feel confident in your path forward.
5. Approach Diagnoses with a Growth Mindset
A diagnosis can feel like a life sentence, but it doesn’t have to be.
Pause and Reflect:
Take time to understand your options. You don’t have to decide on a treatment plan the moment you hear a diagnosis.
Know Your Body Can Heal:
Given the right environment—nutrient-rich foods, targeted supplements, stress reduction, and restorative practices—your body is designed to repair itself.
Functional Solutions for Chronic Issues:
Whether you are dealing with chronic fatigue, gut imbalances, or inflammation, therapies like red light therapy, sleep optimization, and personalized nutrition can create real change.
6. Create Your Wellness Toolbox
Integrative care does not mean rejecting conventional medicine. It means enhancing it.
Your Wellness Toolbox May Include:
- Advanced Testing
Deeper lab panels that reveal hidden imbalances and clarify your path forward. - Innovative Therapies
Supportive treatments like red light therapy, nutrient IVs, or PEMF to recharge your cells. - Daily Self-Care Biohacks
Simple, accessible practices such as grounding, breathwork, and strategic supplementation.
My LIT Journey program is all about teaching you how to build this toolbox for yourself. It’s a path to becoming sovereign—fully aware, fully empowered, and fully capable of guiding your health.
7. Commit to Your Health Journey
Healing is not a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing process that requires curiosity, commitment, and compassion for yourself.
Set Clear Goals:
Choose one or two things to focus on first. Maybe it’s improving your energy, balancing your gut, or supporting your hormones.
Reflect and Adjust:
Check in with yourself often. What’s improving? What still needs attention? Use this information to fine-tune your plan.
The LIT Journey: Becoming Sovereign in Your Health
When I created the LIT Journey, my goal was to give you the tools I wish I’d had during my own healing crises. This program is about more than protocols and lab work. It’s about stepping into your power, trusting your intuition, and becoming sovereign over your health and your life.
I believe with every cell in my body that you have the capacity to heal. When you combine curiosity, preparation, and the right support, you can move from surviving to thriving.
Final Takeaway: Step Into Your Power
Every doctor’s appointment is an opportunity to advocate for yourself. When you prepare, speak up, ask questions, and integrate holistic approaches, you create a proactive, empowered path to wellness.
Your Action Plan:
- Prepare for your next visit with clear questions and priorities.
- Trust yourself as the expert on your body.
- Keep exploring integrative strategies and never settle for feeling “just okay.”
- Consider learning more about the LIT Journey to support you in reclaiming sovereignty and creating the conditions for deep healing.
You are not just a patient. You are the leader of your health journey. With the right tools, knowledge, and mindset, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.
In Health,
Dr. Lisa