Be Intelligent
No one expects you to take a crash medical school course after being diagnosed with an illness. It’s not necessary that you understand anatomy and physiology or cell biology. It is important that you know how your own body works. What are the unique features of your body? What illnesses and injuries have you had? What medications are you allergic to? How do you respond to medication? It’s also important that you have at least a basic understanding of your diagnosis. You should know the actual diagnosis and all its particulars. If your specific disease has stages, phases or degrees, know where you are on the continuum. Do enough research so that you aren’t buried in information on your first doctor’s visit.

Be Curious
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it could save your life. Today’s healthcare culture is about increasing the numbers of patients seen by doctors while reducing the reimbursement schedules and insurers increasing malpractice insurance premiums. Curiosity allows you to feel prepared for your consults. It shows the doctor that you are part of the team and not simply a bystander or a victim. Curiosity may even get the doctor to think twice about a test, a diagnosis or a treatment. It tells the doctor that you’re not simply a tourist in this process, but you are truly the CEO of your own health. Curiosity also keeps the medical team connected to you even when you’re not present. They will think about questions or research answers about protocols and outcome studies so the next time you come in for a visit they are just as prepared as you.

Be Assertive
Western culture has created a power imbalance between the doctor and patient. It’s not uncommon for doctors to be put on pedestals, unfortunately that means many fall off. When meeting with your healthcare team make clear your expectations. If you feel a particular test needs to be done, don’t take a simple “no” based on the insurance company declining the request. It’s fine to ask the doctor or hospital to appeal the decision and requesting the doctor to provide additional information if necessary to make sure the test is authorized. If you have specific side effects that you don’t feel are being addressed make a firm request of your provider. Suffering should be eliminated at every possible juncture of your treatment process. This is no time to be a wallflower. Your presence is important, so make sure your voice, your concerns and your problems are addressed.

Becoming your own healthcare advocate provides you with a sense of ownership. It gives you the presence of mind to partner with your healthcare team. You’re empowered to ask questions at every step of the process. Your inner strength translates to improved immune function. We all need an advocate so either step up and take that role or team up with someone who has the experience in that position, but don’t be led down a path without having a voice.

Unlike a highly centralized “one to many” traditional media platform namely grassroots tactics and community strategies – which limited political speech to those who could afford expensive television and newspaper ads – the Internet’s decentralized “many to many” platform permits anyone to communicate with millions at little or no cost through free web hosting and blogging services and hundreds of online forums. According to a Pew/Internet report, 75 million Americans used the Internet during the 2004 election to get news, discuss issues and candidates, and participate through volunteering for or donating to campaigns, a significant increase from 2002. There is every reason to believe that these numbers will continue to grow dramatically.

The success of online political advocacy campaign the as a tool for political engagement brought scrutiny from Washington policymakers about whether and how federal campaign finance reform laws should be applied to the medium. Bloggers and free speech advocates fought against applying the complex regulations to the Internet activities of ordinary citizens, and they were successful in convincing the Federal Election Commission to build into the regulations substantial protections for individuals’ online political activities.

The new campaign finance rules for the Internet leave the vast majority of uncompensated citizen-initiated election activities on the Internet free from any regulation. With few exceptions, you may develop websites, blog, e-mail campaign material, raise money, and collaborate with your friends on election related activities online without worrying about running afoul of the rules. Campaign finance obligations kick in only in very limited circumstances – primarily where payments are made to place advertisements and other communications on third party blogs and websites.

Developer/Link builder for optimumresponse.com, csgrassroots.com and supportthismessage.com. With this experience in grassroots lobbying and the combination of long-term strategic perspective and hands-on project management, Davis has been able to plan, implement and analyze grassroots campaigns of all types-educational and marketing, regulatory and legislative, local and national, high-volume and highly selective – incorporating a range of grassroots tactics.