For Best Results, Play Nice

Let’s talk a little about Healthcare here in the USA. Healthcare is subjective, at least in my experience. “You could have had a ____ or a ____.” The human body is very complex (you may be thinking duh but stay with me). One doc may think it is a this or that while another may think otherwise. So the follow up tests will go. As best I can tell, they can tell when it is something serious and get it taken care of. It took two plus years to diagnose my heart bloc and I’m sure there was a chance I could have checked out. The docs figured it out in time for me to keep on writing and ranting as necessary. One thing to keep in mind is the heavy influence of lawyers and health insurance companies on the health care we get. Medical professionals want to avoid lawsuits and health insurance companies want to save money (they are a business first and foremost). I think the best way to overcome these undue influences is know as much as possible about your health condition. I think health care professionals are in it for the right reasons but they cannot ignore the insurance people and the lawyers. You can question what is going on as well as risks and alternative treatment options. I don’t mean make an ass of yourself. Questioning doctors (or anyone) needs to be done in a polite and respectful manner. If you make yourself into a pain in the ass, how is that going to help them help you? Asking good questions politely will let them know you are in the game and keep them on their toes. One of my docs admitted at one point he was not sure what was wrong with me. He said simply, “I don’t know.” I would rather hear that than some made up medical mumbo jumbo. He added that we would get to the right specialist and find out. I think for a doc to tell me, his patient that, he had to trust me. It may sound funny, but it made me trust him more. He was being honest. I can think of nothing worse than working with a doc I did not trust. I doubt I would or you would either.

I doubt I can do much trust building by being rude and confrontational to others. Medical professionals are overworked and stressed as it is. I don’t want to be someone who they want to get rid of as fast as possible. Sometimes, they can also be rude and very curt. Not all have good bedside manners and can sometimes leave us feeling unheard, undervalued and dehumanized. Everybody has a bad day but if this happens more than a time or two; it is time to find a new doctor who will listen and you or I can trust.