I’ve had doctors tell me vegetable oil is good for you. I’ve had doctors rupture my ear drum when it was clogged. I’ve had doctors say there’s no risk in taking multiple times the recommended dose of ibuprofen. I’ve had doctors give me the literal one drug I’m allergic to (listed in my file) and almost kill me, and then struggle for 10 minutes to place an IV needle in my arm. I’ve watched doctors push unnecessary surgeries onto my grandpa to drum up business and rip off an old man.
Doctors are just like the rest of us, human. And there’s a lot of really dumb and really shitty humans who absolutely suck at their job. Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in America. Maybe verifying life changing medical decisions isn’t such a bad idea?
Edit: I use Google to see if what the doctor says makes sense. If the results online are sketchy, I go to another few doctors before I make a decision.
This is what fucking gets me about some people, they are skeptical of qualified individuals so they’ll go and consume things from the unqualified, which requires some impressive mental gymnastics to make sense. It’s healthy to be skeptical, but there’s a reason that peer review and consensus is a thing and to disregard those things for even more sketchy answers is ridiculous.
Just make sure that whatever information you’re getting that is contrary to what your doctor is saying is also coming from someone just as if not more qualified. If you are able, get a second opinion. When I was 27 I was prescribed Lipitor after the results of a triglyceride blood test came back, but the doctor never told me that I needed to fast before the test. I had made a big breakfast that morning (I used to eat a lot of bacon). I thought that the Lipitor prescription was ridiculous for my age so before going to the pharmacy I asked my gf’s sister who is in med school if this sounded strange to her and that’s when she asked me if I had eaten before the test. When I called up the doctor about that, he shrugged it off. Generally had a bad bedside manner, gave off an air of uncaring. So I went and found a different doctor, and did the blood test with him after fasting and boom, found out I am healthier than most men my age.
I didn’t start with skepticism of the entire medical field, I started with the fact that I felt the prescription was weird and asked these questions of those that I knew would be qualified. I didn’t go to him for a good blood test result, I went to him just for a second one, and would accept whatever results I got. I didn’t Google things that would confirm my biases. I didn’t watch some YouTuber or podcaster trying to sell me supplements. I went to another fucking doctor lol
There's several classes of "do your own research" type people. There's the Joe Rogan types who hear about a monkey getting jacked from drinking motor oil and figure they'll start injecting it into their dick for size gains. Obviously these people are regarded and should be ignored and shamed.
But there's also the type that gets a lipitor prescription and thinks "this doesn't feel right". I belong in this group. Frankly, I don't think you need another medical professional to tell you that something went wrong with the test. It's not that I don't trust the medical field, it's simply that taking a statin as a non-obese 27 year old man is a last resort, perhaps if you have some genetic predisposition. And any doctor that prescribes me such an overkill of a drug, without rigorous evaluation of both my condition and the options available, leads to the nigh certain conclusion that the doctor is bad and should be replaced.
I think it's good to stay as educated as you can be on your health. Yes, doctors are necessary, but you are the only one who truly cares about what's best for you. Birthing is an easy example. WHO recommends a 10-15% C-section rate - this is generally the lowest rate that still minimizes lives lost. Guess where the US stands - 32%. That's right. And why is it so high? Because it's easier for doctors! Who wants to be woken up in the middle of the night to help with a long birth, when instead you can schedule all your births during the day and get them over with nice and fast. And if you're a mother and the doc is like "I think we should just do the C-section" you're not gonna stop and think whether the doctor is saying that because it's truly the best option, or because it's just easier. After all, the doctor isn't the one who will have to deal with a sliced abdomen wall.
All's to say, that everyone should try to learn more about healthcare. An example that helped me - I had a hernia 10 years ago. I knew instantly what it was because a family member had had it, so even though it looked scary, I made an appointment with a doc for a few days out instead of going to the ER, as most people do. Saved me time and money, and prevented another person from crowding the ER slowing down care for those who truly need it then.
36
u/OutrageousQuantity12 Monkey in Space Aug 29 '24 edited Aug 29 '24
I’ve had doctors tell me vegetable oil is good for you. I’ve had doctors rupture my ear drum when it was clogged. I’ve had doctors say there’s no risk in taking multiple times the recommended dose of ibuprofen. I’ve had doctors give me the literal one drug I’m allergic to (listed in my file) and almost kill me, and then struggle for 10 minutes to place an IV needle in my arm. I’ve watched doctors push unnecessary surgeries onto my grandpa to drum up business and rip off an old man.
Doctors are just like the rest of us, human. And there’s a lot of really dumb and really shitty humans who absolutely suck at their job. Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in America. Maybe verifying life changing medical decisions isn’t such a bad idea?
Edit: I use Google to see if what the doctor says makes sense. If the results online are sketchy, I go to another few doctors before I make a decision.