Why comprehension is just as important as communication
Am I explaining my multiple sclerosis in a way that can be understood?
I recall one of my college classes from years ago, when the professor covered a subject that was rather difficult to understand. At the end, she paused, looked around the room, and asked if we all understood.
We must have had blank expressions on our faces or our heads tilted like inquisitive dogs, because she quickly added, ”If you don’t feel that you understand, please tell me and I’ll be glad to go over it again, or you can come see me after class, but don’t leave here without a firm grasp of this concept. I can explain it to you, but I can’t understand it for you.”
The passage of time has erased the topic discussed that day, but I’ll always remember her secondary lesson. My professor understood that communication sends the message, but receiving it requires comprehension. Knowledge isn’t truly passed from one person to another without both clear communication and proper comprehension. I’ll always be grateful that she insisted on both.
In a classroom setting (or anywhere else, for that matter), communication without comprehension is meaningless. It’s the same in life with multiple sclerosis (MS). In everyday interactions as well as visits to healthcare providers, our goal shouldn’t be merely to be heard, but to be understood.
That goes both ways. We should strive to understand what’s being communicated to us and ensure that what we’re saying is being fully comprehended. Neither is easy, because a few things always seem to get in the way — especially for me.
Ensuring understanding on both sides
In last week’s column I said that I asked a lot of questions and even wondered if I asked too many, but that isn’t always the case. There have been times during a visit with my neurologist when I’ve caught myself nodding along as though I comprehended what was said, even when I didn’t.
In my case, it might be just my ego. After a decade of living with MS, I’d like to pretend that I know all the big words and as much about the disease as anyone. Fortunately for me, my neurologist is a professor of neurology and, like the professor from the first paragraph, can usually see right away if I’m not grasping something.
Even with that good fortune, it’s still my responsibility to seek clarification until I comprehend. Likewise, my doctor and any other healthcare provider should ask questions of me if something isn’t understood. That applies to my neurologist, of course, but especially to providers who have little experience with multiple sclerosis. A general practitioner, for example, may not be as familiar with MS symptoms, the medications I take to control them, or my abilities and disabilities.
Comprehension can be skewed by perception. If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. I tend to think that everything is the fault of multiple sclerosis. Last year I let a urinary tract infection spread to my kidneys because I assumed I was feeling run down from MS fatigue. Looking back, I might’ve been diagnosed with MS sooner had I not believed that I couldn’t have the disease because no one in my family had it.
Our providers aren’t immune to being swayed by perception, either. An orthopedic surgeon could easily assume that my problems with movement, weakness, and joint pain were because of musculoskeletal problems. An ophthalmologist might be tempted to blame my double vision on the weakness of certain eye muscles. A physical therapist might have treated other MS patients and assume that I’m just like the last one.
This process would be easier if our disease wasn’t quite so incomprehensible and difficult to explain. Out of necessity, I’m getting better at both communicating and sensing when my audience doesn’t comprehend. I’m proud when I’m successful at that, but I feel as though I’m turning into a professor of a subject that I don’t particularly like and am being forced against my will to teach.
See? Not all my stories and examples are from the Army.
Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.
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