When “Not Yet” Becomes an Emergency

Dr. Tanya Westerbeek regularly meets people who have lived with discomfort, exhaustion or physical limitations for years before seeking help. They aren’t lazy, careless or unwilling to take care of themselves. They’ve been doing the quiet math of whether the problem is serious enough to interrupt work, family responsibilities, their paycheck and their routine.Whether they spend the day repeating the same movement on a production line or sitting in the same position behind a screen, their bodies gradually adapt to one shape. The change rarely feels dramatic—until “not yet” becomes an emergency.Tanya explains why healthcare should meet people without judgment, wherever they are in that process. Patients don’t need another lecture about waiting too long. They need a place where they can finally say something is wrong—even if they still believe it’s probably nothing.