My Opinion About Doctors, as expressed in a recent article on the Web site of Physicians Press, is, “Doctors are generally good at what they do-or so it seems from the pampered media coverage of celebrity remedies.” The article continues, “But some problems are impossible to cure and the result can be increased expense and frustration for patients who need and deserve better.” Indeed, I completely agree with this assessment. However, the very nature of medicine is to seek a complete cure for the underlying cause of disease; otherwise, the patient would have been cured for nothing and the cost involved in the treatment would have been unnecessary.
Unfortunately, not all doctors practice these principles of care. The majority of doctors are completely unqualified to offer medical advice to their patients; and many physicians work diligently to avoid providing any type of medical care to all but the sickest of their patients. My Opinions about Doctors include such gems as: “Most office staff are paid on commission basis and are extremely busy,” “The best doctors are not surgeons,” “many doctors spend more time with the patients than the office staff,” “I don’t think anyone cares about you if you’re dead.” In addition, many of my Opinions about doctors are simply wrong; for example, my contention, “If you don’t get checked often, you’re prone to serious disease” is simply incorrect.
In light of this, I highly recommend that everyone (regardless of profession, education, or income level) who considers themselves a “good doctor” check with their physician to determine the status of their health and whether or not they should be visiting a specialist such as a cardiologist, a neurosurgeon, a orthopedist, a podiatrist, a psychiatrist, or a radiologist. Of course, the typical office visit is not recommended to all individuals; if the doctor feels that the individual requires more than a regular office visit, he or she may recommend one of a variety of minimally invasive procedures such as coronary artery angioplasty, hip replacement, heart bypass surgery, or minimally invasive cardiopulmonary surgery. However, most physicians will not recommend routine office visits unless there is truly a medical issue or unless the individual is gravely ill or has otherwise indicated a certain type of procedure.
Another interesting point regarding this subject comes from the work of renowned physician and surgeon Dr. Oz. In his book “You: On being Your Own Boss,” Dr. Oz discusses the concept of the surgeon “being your own oyster.” As noted, this concept has some significant merit. Although the concept may be slightly funny, it also has some significant practical value.
For example, just ask any pregnant woman who had both her first baby and her c-section when it came to the second baby’s gender! The overwhelming majority would say “No, I preferred the natural” or “I wished I had the money” or “I wish I could have the epidural.” And if the second baby was a girl, the answer would be pretty much the same as the first baby, i.e., “No, I preferred the natural.”
When it comes to having a c-section or an epidural, most women say they prefer the latter. However, the reason why they give this answer is because they are more aware of the complications inherent in having both a c-section and an epidural at the same time. Some of the more common complications associated with both an epidural and a c-section include: blood clots, varicose veins, premature birth, difficulty breathing, and possible pneumonia. Clearly, a woman should never take chances when it comes to having an epidural as opposed to a c-section.