| Take Time To Research |  |
We live in a time inwhich information covering every imaginable topic is
freely available requiring only that you give time to search it out. To say so
much information is within our grasp why is it people are still making uninformed
health decisions?
I don't know what it is about modern medicine that causes people to hand
their health over to their doctors without questions. If people would just stop
assuming their doctors knew all there was to know, or better yet, have their
best interest in mind so much so they (meaning the doctors) would do all the
necessary research needed to make informed choices on behalf of their patients.
The truth be told, doctors even if they wanted to, they don't usually have as
much time on their hands as patients may think. No, I'm not talking about
those persons who have MD behind their names that lack compassion and is solely
motivated by $$$, I'm talking about good doctors lacking a lot of time to do
research.
A woman in her early twenties contacted me saying her doctor told her she
needed a hysterectomy because she had a grapefruit size fibroid in her uterus.
According to her, she was told by her physician life would be so much better if
she had a hysterectomy. Without thinking she took his advice and had the
procedure. Six months later she's feeling worse than when she had the fibroid,
actually she says she feels considerably older than her age. Angry with her doctor
for not offering her options other than the hysterectomy she now wants to sue.
Folks, I'm not a physician or attorney, I'm a person who has learned it's
best to always do some independent research when the potential outcome of a
decision is not known. I've had a medical procedure done in the past I probably
would've decided against had I done more research at that time. Here we are after
the fact, all I can do now is learn from mistakes made in the past so as not
to make them again.
Recently my sister contacted me on behalf of her sister in-law, who is thirty
years old, asking if I knew of an alternative to the hysterectomy as a
treatment for fibroids. As a matter of fact I did, it's called a myomectomy.
Promptly I sent my sister the information inwhich she could give to her sister
in-law, like the emailer mentioned above her sister in law's physician failed to
tell her about any other options available. If she decides to have the
recommended hysterectomy it won't be due to not knowing there were other procedures
available.
There's something terribly wrong with how many of us in this society deal
with our health, especially women. We take a passive role with our own medical
treatments which would explain why more people are harmed and killed each year
than car accidents. It could be corrected if:
*patients took the time to educate themselves on their diagnosis,
*stop being afraid to assert themselves in the doctor's office
(they wouldn't tolerate double talk or lack of answers to their questions
from an auto salesman),
*get two, three or as many "second opinions" as necessary, use doctors
advice as pieces of the puzzle and not the whole picture,
*also not hesitate in getting referrals from physicians (compassionate,
thorough doctors tend to refer others like themselves).
It's time for patients to take back responsibility for their health by making
more informed decisions regarding it. If you're one of those people who
think, "I'll let my doctor do the worrying for me," then you'll have a rude
awakening because it's not your doctor's health it's yours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Regena English, the editor of The Leather Spinsters Newsletter for happily
unmarried careerwomen, http://www.leatherspinsters.com . Get the perfect
Christmas presents for single women http://leatherspinsters.com/catalog.html
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