Rachel Brummert is a patient safety leader, advocate, consultant, and author. She the founder and CEO of the RSB Patient Safety Coalition. In 2017, she was appointed as Consumer Representative for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where she represents and protects the interests of patients from a patient safety perspective.She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two dogs

Click to tweet: Click to tweet: Rachel Brummert shares her incredible journey on the i’MpossibleProject #podcast!

Time Stamped Notes

• 2.52In 2006, after she had what was thought to be a sinus infection, Rachel was prescribed the antibiotic Levaquin, which is now known to have severe adverse reactions
• 3.05 Since being prescribed Levaquin, it has caused Rachel (at the time of the first airing of this episode) 11 tendon ruptures in 11 years, chronic pain, neuropathy, central nervous system damage, brain damage, memory loss, and cognitive issues
• 5.44 Only about 1% of adverse reactions to pharma/medicine get reported to the FDA because many people don’t even know reporting is possible
• 5.50 The FDA doesn’t always use all patient experiences (reported/studied) when making decisions about what medicine does and doesn’t reach the general public
• 8.27 Rachel’s dog makes his presence known…and might steal the show! 
• 10.25 Rachel (and many others with adverse reactions to Levaquin) will sometimes experience deep depression because of the state of her health and condition
• 14.29 Rachel says that it’s okay to fight a system that is unjust
• 15.47 Rachel says that in spite of all her health challenges, it has taught her that she has tremendous inner strength
• 19.52 If you’re struggling, there is always hope and someone out there who cares—even if you have not yet met that person
• 22.04 If you’re in need of help and don’t think you can return the favor, it’s not always about reciprocity—it’s okay to pay that favor forward to someone else in the future
• 22.54 Rachel’s favorite word is “kumquat” because it’s a word her grandfather used to tease her with. She also can’t whistle (find out more fun facts about Rachel during the Quick Fire Round).

Key Points

• When facing severe health challenges, it can be overwhelmingly difficult but it’s possible to accept a “new normal” while continuing to fight for one’s health
• One’s health condition does not define them, it’s only one part of them
• One of the healthier ways a person can fight injustice done to them, is to make meaning from the injustice and use it to help others—and in turn it helps themselves

Resources or Websites Mentioned

If in crisis and you’re in the United States, you can call: 800-273-8255, or you can text “GO” to 741741 (Crisis Text Line)

If outside the United States, please find your crisis center/centre at this link: www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres

Rachel’s personal/business site:www.rachelbrummert.com

Rachel is an author in The i’Mpossible Project: Volume 1—Reengaging with Life, Creating a New You: www.iampossibleproject.com/one