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I don’t think you’ve read this thread or really understand the situation.
I actually do not have the opportunity to prescribe my own medicine, order my own labs, fill out my own pre-procedure health clearance. Legally, I am not allowed to do this. I mean I suppose I could choose to break the law, but I am pretty sure that is not what you meant.
Even if I know more than some doctors do, that doesn’t mean I can just somehow do health care on my own.
Believe me, sometimes I would love to be able to do this, but I am not actually able to = I have no choice!
I had some weird health issues 4 years ago (2017). Now that I think about it, it started in 2016 where I almost died because my throat closed up after chopping jalapenos. I saw 3 different doctors, two who were specialists. My thinking was that instead of worrying, be more proactive. Get more opinions. Ask questions. When my regular doctor found out that I was seeing different doctors about my concerns, he said that maybe I am suffering from untreated anxiety. I don't think he was wrong but I made the decision that I needed to handle these health changes and it had to happen quicker than later. Leave no stone left unturned. I did a surgery he would not have recommended but he kept a close eye on it for about 2 years. He no longer brings it up because it has been beneficial.
The two specialists were supportive in my need to get to the bottom, while my regular doctor was like take yoga. I laugh when I think about it now.
My friends thought I was worrying too much, that I was going crazy. All the evidence was there. The constant research. The constant doctors visit. The tremendous amout of weight loss. The significant changes made to my home including giving up my cat. I am sure all of these changes caused additional stress on me.
Do I regret it? No. My throat is better. I no longer choke on my own saliva. I can sing again. Read aloud to my daughter. But I certainly learned a lesson. I was not dealing my my worry as well as I thought I was.
I had some weird health issues 4 years ago (2017). Now that I think about it, it started in 2016 where I almost died because my throat closed up after chopping jalapenos. I saw 3 different doctors, two who were specialists. My thinking was that instead of worrying, be more proactive. Get more opinions. Ask questions. When my regular doctor found out that I was seeing different doctors about my concerns, he said that maybe I am suffering from untreated anxiety. I don't think he was wrong but I made the decision that I needed to handle these health changes and it had to happen quicker than later. Leave no stone left unturned. I did a surgery he would not have recommended but he kept a close eye on it for about 2 years. He no longer brings it up because it has been beneficial.
The two specialists were supportive in my need to get to the bottom, while my regular doctor was like take yoga. I laugh when I think about it now.
My friends thought I was worrying too much, that I was going crazy. All the evidence was there. The constant research. The constant doctors visit. The tremendous amout of weight loss. The significant changes made to my home including giving up my cat. I am sure all of these changes caused additional stress on me.
Do I regret it? No. My throat is better. I no longer choke on my own saliva. I can sing again. Read aloud to my daughter. But I certainly learned a lesson. I was not dealing my my worry as well as I thought I was.
Thanks for the story! I am glad you stuck it out and found what worked for you.
In my case the problem is that I am fine (I.e. I do not currently have any physical complaint, except for a cataract in my right eye), but I was forced to see a PCP anyway. Then the doctor I saw tried to manipulate me into seeing a specialist, although I am well and not having any complaint.
This also happened a year ago at the specialist is question. I had seen him previous because I did have a problem, but I solved it on my own and I told his office I wasn’t interested in coming back. That did not go over well at all!
Someone upthread asked me why I skip going to the doctor and let people who really need the doctor have my time? Well, I agree. I think that makes sense. However, I had the most ridiculous exchange w the specialist, after I was hounded into keeping the appointment.
Specialist: Well, if you think you’re fine, then I could just spend my time talking with people who really need it!
Me: I think that’s a terrific idea! I wanted to cancel this appointment, but your staff begged, pleaded, threatened, etc. until I gave in. So, we done here then?
Specialist: No, wait … blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. So I’ll see you in a year then?
Me: I’m not making another appointment with you if/until my problem returns.
Specialist: Well, if you think you’re fine, then I could just spend my time talking with people who really need it!
Me: I think that’s a terrific idea! I wanted to cancel this appointment, but your staff begged, pleaded, threatened, etc. until I gave in. So, we done here then?
Specialist: No, wait … blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. So I’ll see you in a year then?
Me: I’m not making another appointment with you if/until my problem returns.
Lol ... they're like robots sometimes.
My wife had severe pain in one knee and she went to a rheumatologist who ordered a scan. My wife asked me to come along to the follow-up appointment because she had a bad vibe from this provider and she knows that because of the medical, er, journey that I went on with my previous / late wife, I have an excellent medical BS detector.
The red flags I saw were that the practitioner was not prepared, didn't remember my wife, barely looked at the chart, and declared that she needed a knee transplant, which should be scheduled forthwith. I asked her what the exact diagnosis was. She looked irritatedly at the chart and said, torn meniscus. I said, is it irreparable? Do they ever self resolve? And all I got was a rant about if we don't want her advice why did we hire her. We said we'd consider her recommendation but for something that serious we'd want a second opinion. She did disparagingly mention that we could "mess around" with injections to the knee that might or might not be helpful. In the end, she left in a huff.
About 10 days later, while we were contemplating our options, something "clicked" in my wife's knee and most of the pain went away. Her knee still tends to ache, but it is perfectly serviceable, lo, these four or so years later.
I didn't need a medical degree or even to be a nurse to see that this practitioner was running a production line for an expensive and invasive procedure and was not remotely conservative about resorting to that procedure. And that this was not in my wife's best interests.
This doc is well-regarded for this type of surgery, I understand, and paradoxically, if my wife needed that surgery, given the options locally, we might well go to her for it. It is not that she's a quack, or unskilled, but that she is a product of a for-profit system and she is running a business more than she's running a medical practice or paying attention to "first, do no harm".
Doctors are not gods, they are flawed humans just like the rest of us, and one should not blindly trust them, particularly when they are a specialist referral and you don't have much of an actual relationship with them.
Thanks for the story! I am glad you stuck it out and found what worked for you.
In my case the problem is that I am fine (I.e. I do not currently have any physical complaint, except for a cataract in my right eye), but I was forced to see a PCP anyway. Then the doctor I saw tried to manipulate me into seeing a specialist, although I am well and not having any complaint.
This also happened a year ago at the specialist is question. I had seen him previous because I did have a problem, but I solved it on my own and I told his office I wasn’t interested in coming back. That did not go over well at all!
Someone upthread asked me why I skip going to the doctor and let people who really need the doctor have my time? Well, I agree. I think that makes sense. However, I had the most ridiculous exchange w the specialist, after I was hounded into keeping the appointment.
Specialist: Well, if you think you’re fine, then I could just spend my time talking with people who really need it!
Me: I think that’s a terrific idea! I wanted to cancel this appointment, but your staff begged, pleaded, threatened, etc. until I gave in. So, we done here then?
Specialist: No, wait … blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. So I’ll see you in a year then?
Me: I’m not making another appointment with you if/until my problem returns.
Oh, wow. I definitely agree with you and would not go back to see that doctor. None of my doctors treated me this way. There was just one instance where I was told to see a neurologist, but I never did. That was the only time I didn't listen.
Oh, wow. I definitely agree with you and would not go back to see that doctor. None of my doctors treated me this way. There was just one instance where I was told to see a neurologist, but I never did. That was the only time I didn't listen.
Well, you probably aren’t treated that way because you do what your doctors tell you do. If you are unashamedly “non-compliant,” or questioning, you tend to get bullied. Sadly, as I am convinced it is possible to be “non-compliant” for very good reasons!
I am not a worrier but am related to someone who is a worrier, also anxious which manifests as anger sometimes. He saw a TV show with Jerry Seinfeld who said he meditates 20 minutes twice a day and that relieves all his worries. My relative started doing this and has had good results, less worry now and he meditates every day.
I have had cataracts removed successfully and no physical was required. I did fire my first eye doc who diagnosed the cataracts and found another I trusted more. Trust is a big component in my health care.
My guess is that "worry" may be genetic but also a learned condition. Worry can also be beneficial if not overdone, telling you not to do something you don't really believe in. Maybe worry is like salt, a little makes things better but add too much and it makes things miserable.
Everybody has worries and struggles. Some much worse than yours.
Yes, I try to realize that we're all going through this together. And I know for a fact that so many others have gone through or are going through waaay worse than I have.
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