Friend won’t go to doctor. What should i do?
My friend i think has cancer he dosnt well wont go to the dr.and hes got heart problems and his legs hands and his groin is very much swallon.wh6bisvthis happening
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@carlsonstella94 welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. When you see friends and family suffering, you want to ensure that they get appropriate medical treatment. That is dependent on their willingness to get treatment, however.
I think it’s safe to say that all of us are afraid to hear what we are sure will be bad news. What is helpful to me and makes it easier to participate in my treatment is that first, it isn’t always bad news and second, even most bad news can and will be effectively treated. Most of us posting on Connect are testaments to that. Science in the form of modern, data-driven medicine has made great progress.
Can you try approaching this with your friend with an acknowledgement that fear is natural but one should really at least hear what the treatment options are? One can always decide against treatment or hopefully it’s not bad news and you can both feel relief.
You are a good friend to care so much and I’m glad you checked in. We are not medical professionals so we can’t diagnose anything based on symptoms, but we do hope you will let us know how this goes. Are you willing to do that?
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8 ReactionsUnfortunately there is not much you can do if your friend is unwilling to see the dr. You can communicate your concerns but that's it. In such a case I don't think even offering to accompany him would be positive to him. Voice your concerns and then just be a friend.
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4 ReactionsI don’t think there is much you can do if your friend chooses to ignore their problems. And, that must be so frustrating for you.
I guess you just have to support his decision to ignore symptoms until he reaches the point where he seeks medical help.
You sound like a good friend.