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Making our own decisions about our health

Chronic Pain | Last Active: Dec 12, 2023 | Replies (49)
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@scottrl

I have found that much of my medical care has devolved to "Shut up, he explained." [Great quote by Ring Lardner.]

At the same time, if you do research on your own, you're denounced as "Seeing Dr. Google," and they think that's just as bad, subordinating their authority.

What to do?

I've always felt that my healthcare is mine, and my responsibility. Doctors are presumed to have a better-informed opinion than laymen, but it's still an opinion. My personal experience counts for a lot with me. Plus, I used to do research professionally, and I'm pretty good at it.

So I triangulate -- docs' opinions, my experience, my research.

How do others deal with this?

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Replies to "I have found that much of my medical care has devolved to "Shut up, he explained."..."
floralou | @floralou | Dec 7, 2023

Love Dr Google, Mayo, John Hopkins Scripps. I study and research on a regular basis.

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jfn | @jfn | Dec 8, 2023

Hi @scottrl ,

I have mentioned research to different doctors as, lucky me, I have a couple of rare conditions. I said that I am using pubmed, nih, cdc, and nejm, and that this is so much easier than the research I normally do as it is in English and this century, and most likely my Latin is better than theirs. I ask informed questions. I print out my sources. I do not always get answers. Most frustrating appointment, apparently the doctor had googled my condition before seeing me and quoted what I wrote about it, to me 😉. And so no new solutions to my issue.

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timely | @timely | Dec 9, 2023

@Scott RL

I totally hear your great take on the medical establishment.

I was told that I could not interpret or go with a study on Pub Med as I was not a doctor and then he discounted the study.

I am the one that is dealing with breast lymphedema and the study said that calcium channel blockers can cause lymphedema and lymph problems.
My pharmacist said calcium channel blockers would make it worse….when he read it too.

Am getting nowhere…

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