Hi @jakedduck1 Thank you for sharing your point of view and giving me the opportunity to elaborate. I concur with your statement that patients have the right to question medical advice. You are the expert in you. You are a partner in your care. Thus to question and evaluate is your responsibility. Everyone must carefully vet and evaluate what they read online, learn from online forums like this one as much as they evaluate the advice given to them by family, friends and neighbors. Likewise, it is an activated patient who asks questions of their medical professionals in order to make informed and shared decisions. Getting second opinions can also play an important role in decision making about care.

I agree with @gingerw that the context of the statement must be considered in full "Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the community." The information shared on the community can be used to help initiate discussions with medical professionals, to question, to bring forward new approaches, research or ideas, or to seek a second opinion.

Always question and ask questions. Decisions are ultimately yours to make.

Not every member, especially someone new to the community, knows that Connect is a patient-to-patient forum. Sometimes, people come specifically for the Q&As with providers https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinars/ Thus, you'll notice many members will preface their responses with phrases like "I'm not a doctor, but what worked for me..." We share our experiences, tips and knowledge within the context of our experience. And here I agree with you again, Jake. Patients and family caregivers know things. They know a lot about their conditions, treatments and living with chronic illness. They learn first-hand how to navigate the tangled health care system and how to manage their health at home. As patients and fellow travelers, we can share, learn, teach, and advise. But we cannot tell people what they should or must medically do. Therefore, I appreciate it when you phrase your advice as "you may want to try XXX" as you have done.