The Body Doesn’t Lie—But Sometimes Doctors Don’t Listen

maryrburrell
Jun 19
2 min read

Lived Experience Isn’t Optional Data. It’s the Truth You Can’t See in a Test

Doctors vs. Patients: Why Being Heard Means Everything in Heart Valve Disease

Doctors have the medical knowledge, the fancy degrees, and the authority. And we respect that.

But here’s the truth no one talks about enough: patients live their disease 24/7.

Doctors see snapshots, tests, scans, vitals.But we feel every ache, every breathless night, every moment of fear that something is still not right.

The Everyday Battle to Be Believed

Too often, patients, especially women are brushed off. We’re told it’s “just anxiety.” That “everything looks fine.” Or that maybe it’s all in our heads.

Let me be blunt: That kind of dismissal? It’s not just frustrating, it’s dangerous.

Lived Experience Is Medical Evidence

Here’s the bottom line: Doctors are experts in medicine. But patients are experts in their own bodies.

That lived experience? It’s real. It’s valid. It’s data. It matters just as much as any test result or chart note.

When patients speak up, our voices need to carry weight, not be brushed aside.

It’s Not About Doctors vs. Patients. It’s About Respect.

This isn’t a turf war. This is about partnership. About listening. About truly seeing the person behind the patient ID.

Because in heart valve disease and many other chronic conditions. being heard can literally be the difference between life and death.

Being Your Own Advocate Is Hard, But It’s Necessary

Let’s be honest advocating for yourself is brutal.

It drains you. It wears you down.

You’re speaking up while holding yourself together with thread.

But if I hadn’t?

I wouldn’t still be here..

This Is My Why

In patient advocacy, especially with heart valve disease, doctors get respect for their expertise. That’s fair because they’ve earned it.

But in heart valve disease, where every symptom tells a story, patients are the ones living it.

And that lived expertise deserves just as much respect.

Because here’s the truth no scan can show:

You live in this body.
You feel what it feels.
And you know when something isn’t right.

Your lived experience, your voice, your intuition...they deserve the same respect in the exam room as a white coat. You shouldn’t have to fight to be believed. But too often, we do.

And That’s Why I Keep Speaking Up

I share my story not to complain but to wake people up.

To remind others that their voice matters. When it comes to your health— You. Are. The. Expert. Period.

If this resonated with you or if you’ve felt dismissed, overlooked, or unheard in your own health journey, I see you. I believe you. And I invite you to share your story too. Because our voices are stronger together.