How Can We Do Something Good via our Chat Groups?

I belong to three chat groups: my high school, undergraduate, and MBA class groups on WhatsApp.

I benefit from these groups, although I am a somewhat silent member. They stir nostalgia, sustain relational bonds, and provide information and entertainment.

We can potentially do more as a group, such as undertaking charitable activities, but implementing group-wide initiatives is complicated.

However, doing something impactful individually within the group is simple. And that is the focus of this blog post.

Many group members are highly involved and combative in political discussions, which don’t change minds and breed dysfunctional conflict. Wouldn’t it be great if we were equally active and energetic about posting something that made a positive impact?

And I mean posting original content, not forwarded content. Toward this end, I will advocate for sharing personal health-related experiences in chat groups.

The Benefits

Medical knowledge and practice draw on central tendencies. For instance, clinical studies compare average measures for treatment and control groups. These averages do come with qualifiers; unfortunately, averages get overemphasized, and qualifiers are underemphasized.

Unsurprisingly, doctors sometimes overlook non-standard symptoms, treatment responses, and side effects. We can stem this gap through interpersonal exchange.

Let me share a personal example.

A few years back, I started experiencing night sweats, sometimes a symptom of awful diseases. My blue-chip physician couldn’t pinpoint the cause. She recommended an endocrinological evaluation. But nothing came of that.

My intuition told me that the problem might be due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which I have had for years. The acidic content of the stomach tends to move up into the esophagus in people with GERD, especially during sleep.

Although night sweats are not a specified GERD symptom, I found isolated chatter online of night sweats associated with GERD.

I changed my bedding to an inclined mattress and a wedge pillow, assuming GERD was the culprit. My night sweats disappeared!

The above experience may be helpful to some groupmate(s). Maybe not today, but possibly in the future.

My experience of a lesser-known symptom of a common disease is just one of many varied experiences available among group members that can create value when shared. These experiences could be about symptoms, proactive or delayed action by individuals/doctors, treatment options, side effects, doctor-patient relationships, and more.

We cannot learn firsthand the lived experiences associated with different medical conditions from doctors or healthcare references.

Chat groups are excellent forums for firsthand exchanges through which we can empower one another healthwise. We can get credible information we wouldn’t otherwise seek proactively. And some more from any resulting discussion.

Individually, our health-related posts may seem small, but collectively, they can create awareness and foster a culture of proactive health management.

The Impediments

Unfortunately, my groups have very few original health-related postings. With one exception, though. During the Covid pandemic, several members shared their Covid-related experiences, given the limited knowledge everyone had about Covid.

Conversely, members might not share their experiences with common medical conditions, thinking they have nothing original or valuable to contribute. This thinking is misplaced.

Even with common health problems, our experiences will have unique or uncommon elements that could be useful to others. Moreover, some of us might not be aware of the routine aspects of common ailments.

Health challenges are an integral and natural part of life; we shouldn’t feel embarrassed or hesitant about sharing them, especially in groups where we know each other well and have a receptive and supportive audience.

The potential benefits of sharing our health experiences outweigh the cost of coming out of our comfort zone.

Here’s an inspiring example.

Upon learning she carried a gene that increased her risk of breast and ovarian cancer, Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy and subsequently had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. She shared her experiences through op-eds in the New York Times, raising awareness about genetic testing and preventive measures for high-risk individuals.

We Can Do It

Your health-specific experience matters. It is valuable. It can help someone.

I encourage you to reflect on your health experiences and share relevant ones with your groups. And make it a habit. A modest goal of one post per year would be a great start.

I will write a follow-up blog about my experience with prostate health and share it with my chat groups.

Together, we can make a difference, one health-related post at a time.

Notes

This post is in memory of Vivek Gupta, my MBA classmate, who passed away prematurely last month. His demise prompted a discussion in my MBA WhatsApp group about building a support network within our group. That discussion triggered this blog post.