My mother, on the other hand, suffered from a variety of long-term medical issues, including lupus, osteoporosis, and hearing loss. Several years ago, my family had to change insurance companies and my mother had to find a new primary care doctor. This process proved to be very difficult and stressful for her. For about two years, my mother constantly changed her doctor. Being an immigrant to this country and English being her second language, plus her hearing loss, communication was very difficult between her and her doctors. I often told her that if she didn't understand something or had questions, she should say something and that the doctor was there to make her feel better and ease her concerns. Her response would be that she would always feel embarrassed or frustrated asking her doctor to repeat what he had just said several times because she didn't hear him correctly or didn't understand him. She also told me that she often felt pressured by her various doctors to take certain medications despite her objections or concerns about side effects. Every time she returned from the doctor's office during those two years, I could see her frustration and look of helplessness..