| Know Your Medical Status ... Chances are, you are the only one that will care |  |
by Edward B. Toupin
As one doctor I knew here in Nevada once told me, "many of my patients
are not so bright." This is just one of the many signs, above and
beyond my own observations over the years, that the medical profession
is not what it used to be.
I used to throw my concerns away and let the doctor do his thing.
Nowadays, I am very cautious and take responsibility for myself
medically. It becomes a 50/50 situation where we work together toward
my solutions instead of allowing the doctor to "do his thing". "His
thing" these days can cause irreparable damage without recourse. Take
responsibility for yourself and learn as much as you can so that you can
make informed decisions and have an understanding of the situation for
better physical and mental resolve and a healthy life.
--- Be Knowledgeable ---
It is imperative that you know what is going on with your body when you
undergo a surgery or experience some aspect of a malady. The reason
that knowledge is so important is that, you know when something is wrong
with your own body. However, by obtaining honest answers to questions
about the situation, your brain is better able to deal with and process
the situation so that you can come to terms with your current
experience.
For each appointment, always have at least 10 questions ready for the
doctor. Once you receive answers, go and research the information.
Don't take one resource as absolute---join boards on the Internet, find
several different medical web sites backed by universities, speak with
friends and others who have gone through something similar. Also,
contact the local newspapers to see if support groups exist for your
situation to allow you to discuss and better understand.
Ask for a video or pamphlet on information as to what is to be expected,
what is going to happen, and how the patient and family should deal with
the surgery. It is important to know what is going to happen and the
side-effects and expected results and tangents of a surgery or related
procedure.
Before a procedure, request to meet the representative of the hardware
company, if you're getting hardware installed, or find whomever is going
to assist in the surgery. It is important to know who is going to be
working on you and what will happen to you during the procedure.
If your doctors become irritated or balk at your questions, find another
doctor. Also note that, simply by responding with, "I dunno," instead
of putting forth the effort to find a reasonable answer, any doctor can
state that he answered all of your questions. Don't waste your time and
risk your life dealing with someone who will not take the time to answer
your questions, especially since you are paying dearly for their
services. There are other doctors who will gladly take your money who,
in many cases, will also provide the answers you need.
--- Informed Consent ---
Informed consent is a good idea, in theory. As a statement on a piece
of paper you sign in the waiting room, the consent merely represents
that, whether the doctor informs you or not, it is accepted that he has
informed you --- this, regardless of whether he informed you or when it
is documented in your medical charts.
Always have a friend or relative read and sign off on your consent forms
to ensure that everyone is fully knowledgeable of the procedure and
resulting surgery. Many times, you are either in pain, nervous, or
drugged and may not understand what you are signing. By having a friend
or relative with you to oversee the forms, you will be able to feel
secure that someone is there to help and understand the legal,
political, and medical ramifications of the forms.
--- From the Hip ---
To reduce risk, many doctors perform redundant and unnecessary
diagnostic tests and offer only middle-of-the-road medical advice and
procedures, even when they know that other treatments would be more
beneficial. But, it's a trade off. Sub-standard care is politically
acceptable to limit risk, which in turn raises risk because of
sub-standard care.
Know the procedure and understand why the doctors are performing the
noted procedure. Determine if it's important and if it applies to the
situation at hand or are they only performing the procedure to
side-track you from having any surgery that is beyond the scope of the
surgeon's expertise or liability insurance coverage. If in doubt, seek
a second opinion at all costs.
--- Qualifications ---
Ask your doctor what type of training he has had for the given procedure
and how many similar procedures he has performed as well as return or
failure rates and how he resolved them. If he is going to use hardware,
find out how much training he has experienced from the hardware company
and if a hardware representative will be present in the operating room.
--- Explanted Devices ---
Always request that all explanted hardware or other such devices be sent
to pathology and stored. This, especially, if the hardware or device
fails. Once you're on your feet, have it sent to the hardware
manufacturer for review. The manufacturer is responsible for submitting
a failure report to the FDA. In this situation, not only will you know
why it failed, but you will also be helping someone else in the future
by working toward a better piece of hardware.
Additionally, personally file a report with the FDA to note that the
hardware was returned to the hardware company for review. Whether there
is a problem or not, it is important that the FDA be aware of the
situation so that they can track any resulting issues with the
respective hardware or device. Note that this no only applies to
hardware and procedures, but also to medications and their related
side-effects. The FDA form can be found at http://www.fda.gov/ under
their "Report a Problem" link.
--- Contact Vendors ---
If you have any hardware or devices, find out all you can about the
hardware including failure rates, prior litigation, and circumstances
that might affect your life and well-being. Be knowledgeable about your
"equipment". Find out the product name and its manufacturer from your
physician or surgeon. Call the manufacturer or even speak with the
local sales representatives to find out as much as possible. In most
cases, the doctor will neither know, nor care, about the failure rates
of a given product. You are 100% within your rights to call any
manufacturer of any drug, process, or hardware that will be used in a
surgery to find out the details, side-effects, failure rates, and any
other information important to you.
--- Governing Bodies ---
Although the governing bodies of a state are of little use when it comes
to the medical community, it is always a good idea to report issues of
negligence. Contact your state's board of medical examiners as well as
forward letters to your congressmen, assemblymen, and federal
representatives to ensure that your voice is heard. So many medical
issues are merely dismissed under the assumption that the patient will
simply "go away." Politicians are not proactive and will only react
when a situation reaches critical mass, therefore, by voicing your
issues with them, the problem is noted for future reference.
--- Drugs ---
I have seen three cases that, if a given drug is taken for an extended
period of time, physical manifestations begin to take their toll. Once
the person goes through the withdrawals, the physical issues do indeed
go away. But, in the mean time, the doctors are treating the physical
symptoms instead of examining the fact that indeed the drugs are causing
much of the problem.
Know the side-effects of the drugs you will be taking as, indeed,
sometimes the side-effects are more gruesome than the item for which the
drug is taken. Understand your medications and how they interact with
other medications, herbs, vitamins, and any type of food or drink.
Contact your local poison control center or a drug rehab center to
obtain additional information on drug reactions, side-effects, and
interactions.
--- Follow-up Care ---
It is important to ensure proper follow-up care for yourself. If you're
in pain, request that your doctor refer you to a pain manager. If
you're having problems with mobility, request an evaluation with a
physical therapist. In most cases, a good doctor will set up your
various follow-up referrals; however, be aware that you need to know
that this is an important part of your follow-up for any procedure.
Establish your own plan of attack to resolve an issue and discuss it
with your doctor. Determine what you feel needs to be done and then
discuss it with your doctor to define a plan of resolution or long-term
care. Also, contact your insurance company to discuss available paths
as well as acceptable procedures and policies. Be proactive in your
care!
--- What's next? ---
Many people are scared of the system put in place for the medical
community. But, you need to be aware that you can take advantage of
this situation and use the multitude of services available to acquire
information and make yourself feel better that you are receiving
appropriate care.
Of course, trust your doctor. But, ask questions. Smarten yourself up
to the point that you can converse with your doctor and pose questions
that are pertinent to your concerns. The focus is "pertinent to your
concerns." You don't have to be a doctor to understand what is going on
in your own body.
Don't be afraid! Be informed! Take care of yourself and ask the right
questions. Question government organizations on policies and
procedures. Question the doctor and his staff. Not only is a surgery
or physical issue a problem physically, but it also affects you
mentally. Poor mental health can lead to other issues and throw you
into a spiral. Get answers and know exactly what is going on with your
system. Bring a family member or spouse with you and have them take
part to help you find out what's going on and how to resolve the
situation together.
Obviously, as a life strategy coach, I cannot give medical advice, but I
can provide information to help you move in a better direction with your
life. With the various debacles surrounding my wife's spinal surgeries,
I have learned a tremendous amount about dealing with the political,
legal, and medical community and how to ensure that my wife received
proper care. All of this information comes from my own experiences,
research, and through various experiences with others.
Be proactive! Take part in your own health care!
--- About the Author ---
Edward B. Toupin is an author, life-strategy coach, counselor, and
technical writer living in Las Vegas, NV. Among other things, he authors
books, articles, and screenplays on topics ranging from career success
through life organization and fulfillment. For more information, e-mail
Edward at etoupin@toupin.com or visit his sites at http://www.toupin.com or http://www.make-life-great.com
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