June 29, 2017
There have been signs for a long time that the mainstream medical system in this country has lost whatever soul it may have once possessed: pediatricians “firing” patients who are not vaccinated according to the CDC-recommended schedule; doctors of all stripes denying what is right in front of their faces; the proliferation of iatrogenic (doctor-caused) illness to the point where medical mishap is considered the third leading cause of death in the U.S.; the continued push for pharmaceutical or surgical Band-Aids for the chronically ill to mask ever-increasing symptoms and side effects instead of a studied effort to seek out and address root causes.
But I was personally rocked by a recent in-your-face example of the worst attitudes in modern medical practice.
A little backstory: Unlike many others with two copies of the MTHFR mutation that significantly reduces the ability to methylate when activated, I had no problem getting pregnant. In fact, between the ages of 37 and 43, I was pregnant four times and two of them went full-term. But one of those full-term pregnancies was my son Zane whose brief life story I have told before. Zane’s absence made me long for another child, and after a miscarriage at 43 I knew that time was running out. My regular gynecologist happened to also be a reproductive endocrinologist (RE), and in a last-ditch Hail Mary pass, we decided to take advantage of the fact that my insurance company would cover one round of in vitro fertilization (IVF).
After significant drama (a story for another day), coupled with a whole lot of negativity on the part of my doctor (“You’re not responding to the drugs,” “Successful pregnancies in women your age are very unlikely,” “You’ve got eight eggs, but don’t expect them all to mature”), I blew away all their statistics and expectations with a BFP (“big fat positive” pregnancy test in infertility circles) that became my BBB (“beautiful baby boy”).
You may not know this, but an infertility practice lives and dies by its success rate. While it’s impossible to know which factors contributed most to my results, it’s likely that at least some of it had to do with the sort of person—and patient—I am.
My daughter finally gets the “keeper” baby brother she always wanted.
Fast forward eight years (in which I, thankfully, spent very little time in gynecologists’ offices) to November of 2014. At that point, even though I was still menstruating semi-regularly, I knew I had to be knocking on the door of menopause. I had a funky cycle with extra-long bleeding—I don’t remember the details, but I think it was on the order of two weeks. A tiny bit concerned that it might be cancer, I decided to get it checked out.
My previous visit had been with my original RE’s partner who was more personable than my original doc, so I was happy to continue with her. She said she couldn’t tell much with a simple sonogram, so I should come back for a sonohysterogram, also known as a “water sonogram”—a more involved (and expensive) procedure that should allow her to see more. At that visit, she told me I had uterine polyps. Polyps aren’t generally serious, but since I was having symptoms, someone from her office would call and schedule me for a procedure to have them removed. There was no discussion about other options or how I felt about having said procedure.
Of course, I immediately looked up any information I could find on uterine polyps and found, as I had suspected, that polyps are common in perimenopause due to hormonal fluctuations. They can lead to cancer in a very small minority, but in the absence of symptoms, there is generally nothing to worry about. That was an argument for “wait and see” in my book, especially when I didn’t hear from the doctor’s office for a couple of months—a couple of symptom-free months, I might add.
If I’m remembering correctly (and frankly, this is all so long ago the memory is dim at best), someone from her office finally called to say the doctor had scheduled my procedure for some time later that week. I think I legitimately couldn’t make it at that time, but more importantly I didn’t think I really needed the procedure at all, and my insurance company was already hassling me over the cost of the sonohysterogram. I believe we left it that I would call them to reschedule. Since I experienced no further symptoms whatsoever, I completely forgot about it and never did call to reschedule.
Imagine my surprise when in April of 2017, more than two years later, I received a phone call from her office that went something like this:
Her: “Hi, this is Angie from Dr. So-and-So’s office. You remember that procedure you were supposed to have back in January of 2015?”
Me: “Yes . . . ?”
Her: “Are you still interested in having that done?”
Me: (laughing) “No, I’m not. But thanks for calling.”
The following month, on May 23, I received this letter which was stamped “PERSONAL” and “CONFIDENTIAL” and postmarked May 20:
April 21, 2017
Dear Ms. Otoole [might be nice if they got my name right],
I am writing to inform you that I am withdrawing from providing further medical care for you because you have persisted in refusing to follow my medical advice and treatment, which I feel places you at risk of serious consequences to your health.
Because your condition requires medical attention, I suggest that you place yourself under the care of another physician without delay.
Failure to do so could result in a worsening of your condition.
I will be available for the next thirty days (from the date of this letter) for emergency care only. This should give you adequate time to select a physician from the many competent physicians in your area.
Upon your written authorization I will furnish your new physician with information regarding your treatment while under my care and a copy of your medical records. If you require emergency care prior to locating a new physician, please contact the nearest emergency department.
Sincerely,
Dr. So-and-So [not her real name]
(The emphases are mine.)
I’m sure you can imagine some of the thoughts I had upon reading this. This is how I responded:
Dear Dr. So-and-So,
On May 23, 2017, I received your letter dated April 21, 2017, ejecting me as a patient from your practice. I have to say that I was surprised and highly disappointed, not because I will no longer have you as a doctor—at this point, I have little need of gynecological care—but because your letter is a crystal-clear example of so much of what I believe has gone wrong in the medical profession in recent years. I find that quite sad as I thought you were a cut above most of the medical doctors I have encountered in my lifetime.
I went to you in the first place in order to rule out major problems—mainly cancer—and that’s exactly what you did when you performed the sonohysterogram in November of 2014. You also provided a diagnosis and recommended another, more extensive, procedure, involving a hospital and anesthesia. At no time did you ask how I felt or what I thought of the suggested procedure or “condition”; you merely said your office would be in touch to schedule it. I, as an intelligent and curious human being, immediately learned as much as Google could tell me about “my condition.” I found out that it is generally caused by fluctuating hormones, most commonly in women who are close to menopause. At nearly 54, I was clearly in that category. I also found out that this “condition” does not require treatment at all if there are no symptoms.
Your office didn’t get back to me for quite some time. I have a vague memory that someone called with a date two or three months later. If memory serves, and I’m not at all sure it does, whatever date I was given was impossible for me. But more importantly, by that time I had reservations about doing the procedure at all. I had already had at least one, and probably multiple, normal periods. In addition, I had been hassled by my insurance company about payment for the sonohysterogram that you had already performed. I knew if I did go through with the intended procedure, they were likely to give me a hard time about paying for it. As a single mother with two kids to feed, clothe, and shelter, I couldn’t afford a protracted battle with my insurance company over large sums of money, especially if the procedure was not medically necessary. So instead of calling your office back to schedule the procedure, I waited to see how I felt. And as I continued to feel fine, I forgot all about it. Your office did not call again.
Imagine my surprise then to receive a phone call more than two years later from your office asking me if I wanted the procedure done. Given the laughably low level of follow-up, I naturally assumed your assessment of “my condition” was essentially the same as mine. Imagine my further surprise then to receive a letter warning me of “serious consequences” because my condition “requires medical attention” “without delay.” To which I have to say, if I have such a serious condition, why did no one mention it for more than two years? And why, moreover, did you then write a letter (with a 30-day expiration in it) warning me that I should seek medical attention “without delay” but wait a month to mail it? As there is nothing logical about this bizarre behavior, I can only assume that someone found my file on the floor or stuck between two books and realized that—as “my condition” hadn’t been treated—there was an open potential for liability there; thus, I received the obligatory CYA phone call and subsequent dismissal when I didn’t play along.
The woman who called didn’t ask why I didn’t want to do the procedure, and neither did you. I have no idea what assumptions you have made, but my reasons are entirely rational, which you would know had you treated me like a human being and asked. I have not had one single symptom since before that sonohysterogram in your office two and a half years ago. To me—your patient, the person who sought you out in an effort to heal—the benefits of the suggested procedure (essentially none) did not—and do not—outweigh any potential risks: infection, difficulty healing, large monetary cost, etc. On reflection, the meager possible benefits do not even outweigh the paperwork I would have to do. Moreover, I’m willing to bet you that if you were to perform the procedure, even you would decide that it was entirely unnecessary by the time you were finished. You see, I know my body very well, and I believe in the body’s potential to heal.
So without any attempt at understanding my rational, valid, and personal reasons for choosing a future course for my body that did not match your recommendation, you unilaterally decided you will no longer treat me because I don’t just do what I’m told—even if what I’m told is two and a half years out of date! I’m sorry, but that’s bullying, pure and simple, and such bullying—that does not even take into account the patient’s emotional, mental, or financial condition—has no place in a profession supposedly dedicated to the healing arts. Therefore, I have no regrets whatsoever about leaving your practice, even if it did figure strongly in the start of my son’s life.
My son and I enjoying the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
I’m going to leave you with some food for thought. I have spent much of the past half century learning about how people heal and why they often don’t, and one thing I can tell you without a doubt: A healer must engage the patient in their own healing in order for treatment to be effective. That can only happen in a collaborative atmosphere. Medical procedures performed under coercive conditions are, understandably, interpreted by the body as assault. You may think that Cassandra Callender’s doctors were right to force her to undergo chemotherapy, but anyone who understands how healing really works (or doesn’t as the case may be) could see that her body and mind could only interpret such treatment as trauma, the opposite of healing. It was no surprise to me that Cassandra’s cancer came back, but at least now as an adult she gets to choose her treatment. As she put it,
“I am so sick of being treated like number and how everything is based off of statistics. I am a patient not a number.”
She is indeed, as are we all. Will she heal? Maybe, maybe not. But she has a much better chance with a practitioner who understands how healing works and will work with her rather than against her. Whether you doctors realize it or not, we the patients are the ones who have to live with the results of our healthcare decisions—not you. And we are all individuals who react to medical treatments—physically as well as mentally—just as individually. Therefore, treatment decisions must be ours to make, and no one else’s. I strongly suspect that if you were a patient in another doctor’s office, you would feel exactly the same way.
I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but there is a revolution afoot in the medical world. As more and more people find themselves living with chronic illness, there is a growing disappointment and disillusionment with the mainstream medical paradigm’s meager offerings of pharmaceutical-based symptom management and surgery. More and more people every day are calling for a new approach that addresses the root causes of illness. In addition, many practitioners have grown disillusioned as well. They became doctors because they wanted to help people get and stay well, and that just isn’t happening in the current paradigm. These practitioners are finding and communicating with people, both doctors and patients, for whom the dream has become a reality, and as a result they are modifying their practices in ways that bring them much more satisfaction. I write this in the hope—as much for your own sake as well as those of your future patients—that this letter triggers an evolution in the way you practice medicine going forward.
Sincerely,
Zoey O’Toole
Editor-in-Chief of the Blog
The Thinking Moms’ Revolution
www.thinkingmomsrevolution.com
For more by Professor, click here.
European Parliament, European Commission, Council of the European Union: Respect, promote and protect freedom of informed vaccination consent throughout Europe
by Secretary European Forum for Vaccine Vigilance (EFVV) · 72,207 supporters
PETITION UPDATE
Upcoming Protests for Freedom of Vaccination Choice across Europe
Secretary European Forum for Vaccine Vigilance (EFVV)
London, United Kingdom
26 JUL 2017 — TRIESTE, ITALY: 29th July from 4-8pm. Location: Piazza Oberdan; we will march to Piazza Unità. Please wear orange or white. More information here:
http://www.comilva.org/evento/trieste-liberta-senza-confini-freedom-has-no-borders/
INOWROCLAW, POLAND: 24th August from 9am – 1pm. Location: ulica Gabriela Narutowicza 42, 88-100 Inowroclaw, Poland. This is a gathering in support of the Polish family whose parental authority has been limited because they refused to vaccinate their children. They will be attending their second hearing in a Family Court on this day. More information here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1099998653466176
PARIS, FRANCE: 9th September from 2-7pm. Gather at the Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 14, avenue Duquesne, 75007 Paris. More information here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/844150985750444
BERLIN, GERMANY: 16th September from 11am – 5pm. Location: Bayer/Schering, Müllerstraße 178, Berlin Wedding (U-Bahnhof Reinickendorfer Str.)
More information here:
http://freie-impfentscheidung.blogspot.co.uk/p/t.html
If you are interested in sharing a ride to Berlin from Switzerland, please email: [email protected] who will try to coordinate rides. A similar protest may take place soon in Switzerland.
PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION AND ATTEND THESE PROTESTS IF YOU CAN!
EFVV
Documents obtained highlighting conflicts of interest show Buzyn was directly compensated for various activities by the pharmaceutical laboratory Genzyme, now a subsidiary of Sanofi, from 1998 to 2011. In addition, between 2005 and 2011 she was also paid by the laboratories Bristol Meyers-Squibb and Novartis. The two laboratories together with Pierre Fabre and Schering-Plow (a subsidiary of Merck) also financed the Robert Debré association headed by Agnès Buzyn.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/flashpoint-france-attempts-forced-vaccination-unwilling-population
FLASHPOINT: France Attempts Forced Vaccination on Unwilling Population
Pretty sure he just had a staff member read it to make sure you weren’t going to sue him. If he did read it, he stopped after you wrote about how you used Google. They just don’t care. I’ve been through hell with them. Last time I saw a gyno was during a miscarriage where basically I paid to have them say “yep its a miscarriage.” Ended up in the ER later and had to pay an even bigger bill.
She, and that’s certainly a possibility.
Doctors may hate that patients use Google, but that’s exactly how THEY get information these days. If they want the latest scientific research, they are hardly going to flip through their old medical school textbooks.;-) As a patient, I am grateful for Google because it makes it much easier to be truly “informed” before I consent.
Great point! If their medical journals are more than 6 months old, they are out of date anyway!!!
Professor TMR
re
“Doctors may hate that patients use Google, but that’s exactly how THEY get information these days”
all true, and all very “two faced” of them…
not only do they get info that way,
apparently they also get The Yearly Medical Educational/Updating Knowledge Hours which Doctors are (apparently) either required or suggested to have…
Don’t actually “know” this, but, as many here, I have done huge amount of reading/research etc online in past yrs. All what I have read/researched has been available online, without extra pay..so easily available…
Imagine my surprise, when I first noticed articles marked with the notation (just quoting from memory now)
“this article is acceptable for Yearly Requirements For Physician Updating Educational Requirements”, and instructions on how to put it in their “folder” etc>…
Golly Gee, am betting there are many on here who have scads and scads of those “Yearly Physician Updates Credits”….
Zoey, good for you! I turned down an ablation a few years ago and I thought my GYN was cool with it. The reason I thought he was okay with my decision was because he said he was. Imagine my surprise when he shamed me in front of all the women in his waiting room for not getting that procedure done. That was the last time I ever saw him.
In addition to being very unprofessional, I would say that is HIPAA violation. Speaking of a patient’s condition in front of others without consent.
It’s never too late to file a complaint against him.
I once got the same letter (very similar wording, they must all get a form letter) for refusing to take Statins.
You wrote back a very thoughtful, meaningful letter. I scrawled a crazy note on the back of the letter that I got and sent it back to her, I didn’t even sleep on my words –it probably got my photo posted in the office and my name put on a list 😉
There may have been expletives. 🙂
You will note that I got that letter over a month ago. I wrote most of the reply within the week, but it took me much longer than I expected to process the whole thing. 😉
Fortunately for me, my primary care physician wasn’t a jerk about statins. I knew too much of the research. When my cholesterol went up to 250 while I was nursing my son, I just cut back on simple carbs and it was in a range he was comfortable with the next year. I’m sure you know, but statins are a dangerous scam for most of the population. Your body makes cholesterol for a reason. If you lower the cholesterol and don’t change the reason, you’re asking for trouble.
Jenny
“–it probably got my photo posted in the office and my name put on a list ”
I had heard/read those types of concerns for yrs, and a few yrs back,
from two separate Doctors, one in an emergency room, one in an office,
I had the experience of each leaning towards me and saying something to the effect…
“you know, we are not supposed to let patients know, but there is a system of secret “black marks”/”black box” that some difficult (possibly me?) patients are marked with, and if you give an emergency room doctor “too tough a time” (ask questions) it will go in the file. YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL
Holy fuck.
Like Elaine on Seinfeld!! I didn’t know that was a real thing, but if you want a laugh, look up season 8 episode 5, “the package.”
Melissa
yes, I think it is a “real” thing…seriously.
At the time (both times) I felt that they were actually trying to “warn” me, not threaten me..(as in they were not planning to, but wanted me to know)…
I certainly felt they were telling the truth…One was a more junior doctor (intern?) in the ER, and one (in the office) was a Pediatrician. The Pediatrician, even said, that he personally could not refer me to someone across the country (for example), now that the “Senior” Honcho in the ER had made a “determination” on my child’s bone problems, or he (the Pediatrician) would be harassed/black balled himself. (he didn’t quite use the word blackballed, but that is what I took from it). He spoke very quietly, whispered even, so that his office desk staff (quite close to the door) could not hear through the door. (I guess the office desk staff have been know to “make reports”). He advised me/husband to “hunt on our own” for other care/solutions, and we did, successfully, thank God.
Also, I for some time handled my seldom health care needs by going to a walk in clinic. I found one doctor there I quite liked/trusted. He had sent me for numerous tests, and could not find the cause of my ailment. (MRIs/etc). I asked if he could refer me to a clinic in another area, I had heard they had a different/newer MRI and much more experience. He too (I swear) actually got a nervous look, and actually looked behind himself , even though the door was closed. (here too, the office desk/staff was fairly close, and always wandering the halls). He apologised and said in NO WAY could he refer me out of the area, as he would be sanctioned. “They had been TOLD”…He was basically whispering this to me.
(and he too made suggestions, which I followed up on).
It is so bizarre, if it all had not happened to me, I likely would not believe it. The ER Doctor was more junior, but the Pediatrician and the Clinic Doctor were not. Yet both were frankly nervous, maybe even scared.
Stories like these just blow me away. I am old enough to remember when doctors were compassionate and did their jobs as they should – even coming to your house when necessary. This is totally “unacceptable” in every way possible and we, as patients should never accept this kind of treatment. If enough of us don’t, things will eventually change back.
Amazing (but upsetting) post. I could write my own post that would be twice as long regarding my birth story and 24 years later my husband’s 1 month stay in the hospital after 4 strokes. The God complex most of them have never changes! I honestly think I may have a slight case of PTSD from my birth experience. I have had to pray hard about forgiveness because it has ate away at me for years. In fact my heart is pumping harder now just thinking about it! (And, yes, we got discharged from the practice because I stood my ground on some very important issues.)
24 years later (in 2015) I really do think if I had not been by my husband’s side 27/7 and firmly stood my ground, they would have killed him. The doctor finally washed his hands of us because we refused to allow a colonoscopy on my husband when his blood pressure was 80 over 40, he hadn’t had a bowel movement in 2 weeks and he couldn’t swallow liquids!!! “We can put a tube down his throat and pump the prep into him” he said!! My husband had just been paralyzed by strokes and, had lost his will and was crashing! It still amazes me how little regard there was for him as a human. And the colonoscopy was only one issue! I had a list going.
Now, two years later we are dealing with it all over again because of his colon cancer. They are very upset that he refuses radiation and chemo. Now that the tumor is starting to block his rectum and he needs surgery, they have strung him along for 6 MONTHS BLEEDING!!! Since he refused their initial treatments, they are punishing him with the only means they have, by refusing to operate in a timely manner. Total rectal incontinence, constant bleeding, ongoing anemia and they can’t do it any sooner! 🙁 No one has taken into consideration that when he was diagnosed he was symptom free but had just been paralyzed, diagnosed as diabetic and had no will to live. I hate them all but there are times in life we just can’t do it without them. So here we are…
Obviously, I still need prayers for forgiveness and peace. I’m working on it.
Oh, Kathy. You have my prayers. I wish I could refer your husband to Nicholas Gonzalez, but he died not so long ago.
died ? or murdered ?
In his case, it was very sudden. In the case of many of the “holistic doctors” that have died, there are very obvious explanations. In his case, I’m not so sure, but I’m not aware of an obvious motive for getting him out of the way. He’d been saying what he was saying for a long time. It’s not like there was some big new revelation that was suppressed.
From what I understand, the jury is still out on that one and we will probably never know the truth.
Isnt it true he was curing pancreatic cancers ?
Terminal stage 4 ‘s
He was curing the most incurable cancer .
That is a threat to an entire fraudulent industry (namely the fraud of chemo & radiation therapies) .
He was investigating Nagalase and GcMaf ? Isnt that what they all had in common ? They had solved the cancer riddle .
And now they are all dead . I understand that then persecutions about this are still ongoing .
Bravo.
You are wise to understand your options, and considerate to educate that doctor in ways that can improve healthcare for her remaining patients.
Sometimes there’s a disconnect between a doctor and his/her office managers, but in this case they seem to have a mutually informed union that serves their interests first.
I truly am hoping that she changes direction. I actually liked her and think that all this insanity is in response to a stupid requirement from their malpractice insurance. Maybe, just maybe, she will see how stupid this is.
Amen. 🙂 Do you have any reputable naturopaths in your area?
Yes, we do, but in New York City it tends to be a very expensive route… Lately I’ve been reversing chronic things like asthma, allergies, and eczema with the help of a network of alternative practitioners who all have parts of the solution.
Join the magnesium advocacy group … on face book …
Morley Robbins …
Thanks to them i got my husband off the statins etc..
We had same problems with his doctors …
Even wrote on his file HIGN RISK ..
all blood work results were fine until we told him he was not on any more meds ..
sadly I have experienced (or close family) various versions of most of above…
what confounds me, is, did they (all these sort of “professionals) and possibly “we”, forget that we
pay these folks
hire these folks
Essentially they are in the same ballpark as plumbers and electricians….
That’s a wonderful question. We do seem to have utterly forgotten as a society that doctors require US as much as we require THEM. I think it’s because many of them are told from day one how awesome they are, and then they are plunged into the crazy world of medical school (where they are rewarded for tuning out all “distractions,” like human contact and understanding) and internship (where they are systematically stripped of their normal human defenses by long hours and little sleep). And for this they pay a tremendous amount of money that takes YEARS for many to pay back! Under such stressful conditions, I imagine it is very easy to lose perspective, to forget WHY people are consulting you in the first place.
I got a similar letter from my kid’s pediatric dentist after refusing x-rays and fluoride for years. The new dental partner diagnosed my 16 year old with his first cavity, without an x-ray. I found this diagnosis very hard to believe, as we are not cavity prone. She began to explain the cavity filling procedure to my son prior to my consent, willing to add-on procedure right after the cleaning! $$$ When I said “no, we will think about this and consider scheduling it later” with my unspoken intention to try some oil pulling with coconut oil to remineralize the teeth, the dentist showed her true colors and told my son in a very angry tone how my postponement would cause him certain pain and suffering. There was no discussion of actually verifying the cavity nor my concerns for my kids’ contraindications to most anesthesias, including nitrous. Wow. I was speechless. Well, that was my last visit at that very popular dentist. A YEAR later the dentist office sent me a similar letter like yours, saying I have refused sound medical care and they need to know if I have received care at another dentist so they can drop my kids as patients. BTW my son has no symptoms with his alleged cavity. Cavities, x-rays, fluoride, wisdom teeth removal–ask yourself–are these profitable procedures??? Yes. Are they beneficial? Look at the info on the direct correlation between root canals and diagnosis of breast cancer in women on the same side of the root canal, within three months of the root canal draining toxic substances into the lymphs. Thanks for highlighting the new trend in patient shaming when they refuse a recommended (and profitable) procedure is spreading to all specialties.
I think dentists (like optometrists) largely believe that there is no such thing as healing for the body parts (that phrase right there tells you so much) that they “treat.” And that is the fundamental thing wrong with the approach.
I dread all appointments with dentists, doctors, even veterinarians. I myself was told all my silver fillings both sides of my mouth needed replacement 14 years ago. The dentist only did one side, and I ended up moving away. When I saw a dentist in the new city, they said both sides looked great! no need for any replacement, in good condition. I have since been told by different dentists over the past 14 years that all the old fillings look just fine. No cavities for 22 years.
Yet when a person questions anything, we are the one under attack. Your story is outrageous. It is time for doctors, dentists, and vets to remember WE ARE THE CUSTOMER, and do not seek consultation to be FORCED to do what we are told “or else”.
I will add the dentist that removed my old silver fillings to replace with new silver fillings, did so in a completely unsafe manner. I had pieces of old filling stuck in my throat for days afterwards. I nice dose of Mercury that week
Mercury Amalgams are a crime against humanity .
Fluoridated water is a crime against humanity .
Vaccination is a crime against humanity .
see the pattern ?
SO GOOD. Thank you for sharing. I began experiencing these types of things when I was pregnant. My worst experience was an appointment at 41.5 weeks where I absolutely felt belittled and bullied and then subjected to a physically rough exam. It was terrible. I believe many providers are doing their best in a broken system, but the system IS broken – there’s no doubt about that. We need to graciously but firmly demand better. Thank you again for writing this.
And how is THAT supposed to help you start your new lives as parents and child off properly?! We should be treating our expectant moms SO much better than we do. I agree many are trying to do their best, but the system is indeed broken. SO broken.
Agreed.
Wonderful post! ” Working with her and not against her” sums up where too many doctors are now. I live in Toronto, Canada with a different health system than the U.S. but even here there is pressure to bill and “move them in, move them out” is relentless.
Many years ago frustrated by this attitude and the lack of “customer service” I sought out alternative medical treatments. Not only did my ailment disappear but I received wonderful customer service, empathy and follow-up! I was hooked. Twenty years later and I am now a practicing alternative doctor– a homeopath.
Your blog brought back many stories I have heard from patients about how they were a number or an ailment NOT a patient. To this day most of my patients come after years of inadequate care– they are looking for what medicine is supposed to be.
Thanks for a great post– I really enjoy your blog
Thanks, Carol! Delighted to have you!
YES!
“medical mishap is considered the third leading cause of death in the U.S” In all truth medical mishap is the #1 leading cause of death in the US.
Well, there is excellent support for number three. It may be number one, but I don’t tend to make claims I can’t back up.;-)
Good for you!
I have never thought of writing to a Dr. to let them know why I have chosen to leave their practice. What a great idea and a good deed.
I find Dr.s are very difficult to talk to, most (in my experience) don’t listen, and those that do sort of listen, have written me off as a nutbar (and the subsequent treatment by their staff proves it).
You hit the nail on the head with much that is wrong with “medicine” these days.
I had a similar experience, with back pain, after a MMR finding out that I have several areas of my back with bulging disks. I asked how we cure it and was told, you don’t cure it, that I would end up with surgery at some point or a wheel chair. But first cortisone shots and some sort of prescription ( not sure what it was Lyrica or something like that).
Like you, I went to the internet, to see if there was some thing I could do to cure my problem (at that time I couldn’t stand for more that 1 minute without being in terrible pain, or sit for more than 5, sleeping was next to impossible) I did find a way to reverse some of the damage, (using swelling reduction techniques and an inversion table) I was able to stand for about an hour without sitting after using this technique about 7 times. It has now been 4 years and I am not in a wheel chair, in fact I am better today than when I walked into the Drs office 4 years ago!
Thanks for writing this!
Tracey I was diagnosed with bulging disks at age 17 (shortly after getting my boosters for college which I’m pretty sure included the MMR.) They attributed the bulging to an accident I’d had 18 months earlier (but didn’t have pain after that accident) I got the same advice (drugs + surgery.)
I opted out and began to see chiropractors, practice yoga, take turmeric, etc. I’m 43 now and have basically managed the pain, but it’s never gone away (and has gotten worse the last two years.)
Last year after watching vaxxed, I realized that the inflammation might have been caused my those boosters! I KNEW it wasn’t because of that accident!
But you’re the first person I’ve hear associate back pain and bulging disks with the MMR. Can you point me to any reading on this???
I was definitely injured by a flu shot in my late 20’s but I can’t believe I didn’t put this together sooner about the MMR and this f-ing inflammation I’ve suffered with for 26 years.
Oh my gosh! I am so sorry, when I wrote MMR I mean to write MRI….
I am sorry, I was diagnosed via the MRI, not after I had an MMR shot. ( I am too old to have had one, unless someone sneaked on into me at some time, like child birth or something)
But you might have a point about your injury.
I also use turmeric, but the inversion table use was my turning point. Have you ever used one???
I’m 53 and caring for 4 of my grandchildren, so time and money haven’t allowed me to go the chiropractic way.
I wish you all the best with your search for what has caused your inflammation.
In view of bulging disk comment I have to say that I had a bulging disk (L4:L5) happen at age 16. Years of therapy to manage and not being able to sit for years. All started when I was 16, was told it was xc running/track at school that caused it. Coincidentally, I had MMR shot given to me twice in 8 months at 14 and 15 years old (twice due to immigration and records/language confusion). Joint inflammation is one of MMR’s side effects listed and is higher for females during puberty. Pneumonia is another side effect. I had pneumonia 4 times between ages 15 and 18 as well. But the bulging disk was well over a decade worth of pain, PT etc. I’m 42 now. Interesting stuff.
So, hopefully she can see how she might treat her patients better in future. “My way or the highway” is an astonishing attitude but as you pointed out, getting more common. Feels like a steady march to coerced “healthcare” because of profit. Scary.