Meet three MDs living with the chronic illnesses they treat
Key Takeaways
Physicians are often expected to exemplify good health, but even MDs get sick—some even live with chronic illness.
The conversation around physician wellness is shifting, with more MDs speaking out about their own illnesses.
MDs sharing their experiences living with chronic illness adds value to patients through empathy, understanding, and dedication to finding the right treatment options.
As a culture, we tend to expect doctors to exemplify perfect health, even though this just isn’t realistic.[] In fact, research shows physicians have similar rates of chronic illness and preventive health needs as the general population.[]
How does this affect the doctor-patient relationship?
Patient perceptions of physician wellness impact the patient experience. A 2018 study in PLoS One found that patients pick up on cues about their physicians and interpret them as signs of healthiness or unhealthiness, which impacts patients’ assessments of the care they’re receiving.[] The idea that doctors should be exempt from health concerns may even be embraced by doctors themselves.
The tides are certainly turning, though, especially for physicians living with a chronic illness or condition. Studies are exploring the need for better support for physicians living with an illness, and more of today’s doctors are speaking out about their personal experience.[] We spoke to three such MDs who are living with the disease they treat.
Let's normalize physicians living with chronic illness—because they have so much to offer.
Casey Kelley, MD—living with Lyme disease
Casey Kelley, MD, ABoIM, founder and medical director at Case Integrative Health in Chicago, specializes in infectious diseases and treats patients with tick-borne disease. She was diagnosed with Lyme disease during her time in medical school.
For Dr. Kelley, living with Lyme disease and some of the symptoms and associated conditions has helped her deeply empathize with patients. “As a physician, having first-hand experience living with a condition gives you incredible insight,” she says.
"It’s one thing to sympathize with a patient when they are struggling or in pain—but having felt that pain yourself allows you to truly empathize. That level of understanding is something special."
— Casey Kelley, MD
Dr. Kelley says this comes in handy when treating patients who have chronic, less-understood symptoms, like postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which can cause fainting, lightheadedness, and tachycardia upon standing.
“It’s rare to find a physician who has experienced POTS and understands the fear that comes with something as simple as standing,” she says. “So, as a patient, there is a level of confidence established in the provider when they know that the physician themselves has experienced what they have.” A big part of what drives Dr. Kelley’s work is understanding the root of disease—not just treating it. In fact, it was her own diagnosis that compelled her to explore integrative medicine. “I knew there was more to treating complex, chronic diseases than simply prescribing a medication. I also recognized that the whole body needed to be addressed when treating these chronic diseases,” she says. “I started to get into treating chronic, vector-borne infections when I was diagnosed."
"Wanting to heal my own chronic, mysterious health issues most definitely spurred me to treat patients with these conditions."
— Casey Kelley, MD
Micah Yu, MD—living with inflammatory arthritis
For Dr. Micah Yu, a rheumatologist who also practices integrative and functional medicine for Dr. Lifestyle Clinic in Newport Beach, California, being diagnosed with gout and spondyloarthritis gave him purpose, and propelled him to actually become a rheumatologist.
"The pain that I was suffering from made me very motivated to help patients that were suffering like I was."
— Micah Yu, MD
Like Dr. Kelley, his personal experience with disease management also led him down an integrative path. “I chose integrative medicine along with rheumatology because I got better with lifestyle and holistic changes and I wanted to give the same approach to my patients.” He says his own experience has made him extra invested in research around alternative treatments as well.
Dr. Yu utilizes his experience with gout and spondyloarthropathy as a way to connect with patients and people on a deeper level through social media, where he shares a bevy of information about chronic illness, inflammation, and autoimmune symptoms. “I felt that this disease gave me a purpose in medicine," he says. "It makes me more involved in the community, especially [in] the community of arthritis patients."
Heather Krantz, MD—living with hypothyroidism
Heather Krantz, MD, is board-certified in both obstetrics/gynecology and integrative medicine and works with Paloma Health to treat patients with hypothyroidism. As an HCP with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disorder that causes hypothyroidism, Dr. Krantz believes that her experience managing the condition helps validate what she says to her patients.
“[My patients] know I have been there on some level. I have my own experience with the disease. Even if it is not exactly the same as their experience, it allows me to be more in tune with them,” she says. “I think I already have empathy, but patients … also know I [speak] to them like an insider … from real-world experience.”
Dr. Krantz says that having Hashimoto’s pushes her to take a deep interest in the condition—especially when it comes to finding ways to manage it, which she can share with patients because she lives it every single day.
Dr. Krantz takes a “whole system approach” when it comes to treating the condition. “[I] consider diet and nutrition, the mind/body connection, movement, environment—physical and spiritual, as well as medications and supplements,” she says. “I really take the same integrative approach with patients.”
What this means for you
Sharing a diagnosis with your patients may be one of the best things you can do for them. Historically, physicians were expected to always be in good health, otherwise their common illness or chronic disease would negatively affect their patient care. But in today's world, we know this to be a false expectation. Connecting with your patients through shared experience can offer a great foundation for a positive doctor-patient relationship.