In a few weeks, I have all sorts of doctors appointments--I like to do my medical work all at once, at about the same time, or at least as close to the same time as is possible: annual physical, dentist, eye-check,.... However, I like to keep myself informed all the time, so I read up on my various illnesses on the internet as often as possible. When I see a doctor, they have to know that they are dealing with someone who not only will question orders, but might even give orders. This is right. This is good. As one young doctor once told my bewildered mother, who was struggling with heart issues at the time and getting all sorts of conflicting messages from various doctors, "It's your body. You're the boss."
That's right: doctors work for me; the insurance company works for me. They work for you.
So, when a doctor tells me that I have to do this or will be ingesting that, I always interrupt him or her and ask why. If it is a new doctor, this questioning becomes an initial test. If the doctor shrugs me off, perhaps not even bothering to try to answer my question ("You don't need to worry about that."), then I leave the room. I pay my bill, but that doctor, as far as I'm concerned, is fired. If the doctor gives me dramatic, exaggerated declarations ("You could DIE if you don't start taking this medicine!"), then I press onward, continuing to ask, like a three-year-old, "Why?" Usually that doctor will either resort to the first kind of doctor, shrugging my concerns off as inconsequential (and so then is now to be fired), or else moves toward answering my question. If, in answering my question, I find that the doctor is condiscending in any way, however ("This is going to be very hard for you to understand because I'm better educated than you..."), then that doctor goes into a probationary period. On the other hand, if the doctor responds with an intelligent, well-informed reply, then he or she will be promoted toward a more permanent status.
This is my approach to doctors; it may not work for you. I have a Ph.D. in English, which counts for something in terms of experience in researching and understanding difficult texts. I have no fear.
However, anyone can develop a no-fear approach that will works. For example, much medical literature out there is well written and leveled for any non-doctor to understand. Web MD, for example, is a great source of information. Most government-funded and/or non-profit organizations (such as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, or the American Diabetes Association) tend to provide reliable information. There are a lot of alternative medicine sites and other corporate-sponsored sites that provide good information, too. But all doctors and other scientists must be constantly questioned, as they should (like good scientists) question themselves--changing approaches to treatment or improving upon treatments as often as possible. Especially, in this country, one must question the money angle.
The experience made me think of why I am now about to see a new regular doctor. A while back, I discussed my obesity problems with my old doctor. I had researched everything, from fad diets, to the concept of fats and fatty livers, to issues of metabolism and hormones that affect weight gain and loss. I regretted the discussion of this topic with the doctor almost the moment it started. Why? Because she said, "So, which are we going to get you started on, The South Beach Diet or Atkins?" "Neither," I said, "I'm not interested in doing a fad-diet, and neither is my diabetes specialist." She didn't seem to hear me, started talking about how I'm going to have to have stomach by-pass surgery. I responded with a loud, "Absolutely not!" Again, I had discussed this and other "quick-fix" options with my diabetes specialist, and I had come to the conclusion that not enough research has been done on this latest fad in surgeries. "Well, you have to do something." My doctor said in a scolding voice--as if I were a naughty child. I told her of my plans: now that my job situation and home situation are each less stressful, I have more time to exercise, something I wasn't doing hardly at all; I told her I needed time to de-stress, that I was exhausted. She dismissed my plans, said that they would never work, that I would not be able to make permanent changes to my health. Again, she pushed the surgery; it seemed that, in her mind, it was time for me to do it, tomorrow. A good employee would make sure that I understand the whys and whats before I made a decisions; a good employee would know his/her place and not expect me to be a puppet-leader over my own health-care. This doctor, instead, switched to saying, "You don't need to worry about that. You need to trust me to know what is best for you."
Yeah, sure! I fired her.
The money angle, in the United States, is a huge factor in medicine. Illness is profitable.
Recently, I went to a free all-day Women's Health Expo. I was expecting it to be a lot of booths with various types of useful information on women's health, some samples of health-promoting products, and maybe even some quick forms of check-ups (blood pressure, ....). "Take advantage of free health screenings and enjoy a lelicious, complimentary lunch," it said on the post-card. It was held at this very ritzy private medical center, but it was free and open to the public--though reservations were required (because of limited space). I registered both myself and my step-daughter, thinking this was a feminist, woman-empowering type of experience, a healthy thing.
I should have known better.
There were booths with information, oh yes: all the standard diseases were there, as well as pregnancy and menopause. But the only health screening I saw was at one table, where they were doing small blood tests. There were some health promoting products--every-fifth-woman got a free pedometer at one booth, and at another booth, samples of skin creams were being handed ou intended to help with weight loss. I kid you not. The only thing I didn't see there was something like a magic all-purpose medicine like what used to be sold in the late 1800s: Dr. Schnigonfotter's Magic Medicine. They gave us a very unhealthy breakfast: fattening, sugar-loaded muffins or sugar-coated croissants. There was a wide assortment of soda-pops (oh yes, very healthy indeed), along with a small selection of juices. We sat in a large seminar room, a couple hundred of us, and listened to speakers make various presentations (but if there were any deaf or hard-of-hearing women in the audience, they wouldn't have gotten much out of the presentation--no captioning or interpreters were provided). Topics included, "The Heart of the Matter: Women & Heart Disease," "Urologic Advancements in Female Pelvic Helath," "Thyroid Disease," "Women, Migraine & Hormones: An Interesting Combination" -- each of which sounded potentially very informative. However, beyond showing some interesting pictures and diagrams, most of the information was hyped-up, intended to make one not only worry about becoming ill, but what sorts of tests one should do to prevent such illnesses (most of them expensive tests, by the way). I looked around me: most of the women were my age or older (no one below their 40s, I'm sure); most of the women were dressed in middle-to-upper class clothing (no sweat pants, flannel shirts or anything else costing less than $30.00).
It dawned on me: this was an event for older women with money, for hyporchodriacs with money!
I looked at the rest of the program: "Cosmetic Laser Eyelid Surgery & Cataract Surgery," "Women's Health 101," "Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for Me?" "Breast Health: Are You at Risk for Breast Cancer?" This wasn't about preventative medicine or developing and maintaining a healthy life-style! This wasn't empowering! This was intended to make women paranoid about breast cancer, heart disease, bladder control, and the shape of their eyelids! These doctors were not doing their jobs--they were not promoting healthy lifestyles and preventative medicine--they were trying to sell their wares: tests, examinations, scans, surgeries and magic medicines.
I'm all for tests, examinations and even surgery--when they are truly needed. I support the medical professionals in general, on principle. However, when scientific principles are sold out for profit, I have to step back. If you want to be my doctor: you have to prove that you are a good doctor; you have to earn my trust by holding intelligent conversations about my health with me; you have to treat me like an adult human being (not some silly child), and you have to strive to do what's right, not what's profitable. Otherwise, you're fired.
No comments:
Post a Comment