I guess it really cant be said enough.

Its like the constant scolding of a wayward child, many of those doing the diagnostics are supposed to be the most educated, yet they know so little as a whole.

I would say that age and exposure are factors in one being a poor patient.

Most younger people have the attitude of awe towards the status of the "doctor", and wouldn't question his judgement.

Exposure and personal affliction encourage education, participation and understanding. Their conclusions may be negative or positive as a result of their experiences and degree of research.

Not too long ago, people wouldn't have thought of doing research on their afflictions or question their doctor. The Internet has turned this around.

My 2 cents.....  I think we've become too damn specialized. The days when the old family doc KNEW the patient (hypochondrics and all) and could actually do their own prescribing has gone by the wayside. Now we have to go to a different doc for each part and by the time we've visited all the different docs we forget what our original complaint was to start with.....

We've lost COMMON SENSE! I've been lucky -- I have an old doc who knows all the parts and knows his patients and actually takes the time to "listen" and have a neuro who actually knows what a CH is, so I don't have a gripe, but see this problem with my kids and grandson.

When my grandson's tonsils were rotten and he was having one infection after another, the kids just kept giving him antibiotics and he just kept getting infections. I kept telling them it was his tonisils, but they wouldn't ASK the doc about his tonsils. Finally Granny took him to the doc and Granny ASKED the doc to smell his breath (a dead give away) - we had the tonsils yanked by the end of the week and haven't had an infection since. Sometimes a LITTLE Common Sense goes a long way....

People don't INTERVIEW docs... they just sit in awe of their superior knowledge and take their word for everything -- they don't "question' anything (and I don't mean ask them to READ a bunch of stuff -- just KNOW enough to ASK questions and demand answers - if they don't answer - find a new doc).

I'm not saying docs should know everything, but they should be willing to listen if they don't know something. If we've done the research and do know something - they should at least be willing to listen (the O2 treatment is a perfect example - look at the CHers who are having trouble getting O2). I don't mean be an A-hole, but be pro-active in your treatment. Especially with CH.

Anyhow, like I said, after several years I got lucky and found a doc and a neuro who actually knew how to listen and I got some proper treatment. I just wish the same for all.

Hugs BD

BarbaraD wrote on Jul 7^th, 2008 at 11:03am:


And the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.

This is way, way off topic, but PM me sometime for an accounting of my father's slide into death...  An initial diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome (pre-leukemia), with no blasts in the blood--to renal failure six weeks later, after aggressive treatment with intravenous antibiotics, two courses of gamma globulin, and an intractable infection acquired in the hospital.  I often wonder whether he'd have been better off just staying at home and having no treatment whatsoever.

Am I bitter?  No.  Did we sue?  No.  Will I unquestioningly accept the judgement of doctors entrusted with my own care? 

After that experience (and a couple of others)--probably not.

Best,

George