[Miss Absynthe]

Originally Posted by Fruitbat

...but made me realise that doctors are like everyone other profession on the planet - you get those who dedicate their lives to it, the really good ones, and then you get the slacker ones who are in it for the prestige or money or whatnot and don't give a fuck about the patients.

It's not quite that cut and dried..

If someone in IT fucks up then a piece of code doesn't work and things get delayed until they're fixed. If I fuck up at the book shop then someone doesn't get their text book on time because it's been posted to the wrong address.

If a doctor fucks up then someone gets sick, or dead.

They are humans and they make the same amount of mistakes that we do. They are also often working under ridiculous amounts of pressure and in difficult circumstances, which increase the likelihood of mistakes.

They are also working with people who are under the impression that they are gods and therefore don't ask questions or query their thought processes, because of course a doctor would be telling them the right thing.

Basically - whatever a doctor tells you, ask them why. Ask them to explain the thinking behind their decisions. Ask them to tell you what medications are, why you should take them, what they will do, what the side-effects and interactions are.. and importantly - ask them for the things you should look for that will mean there is something going wrong, and the things that you should look for that will mean the medication is working. Always ask them when you should go back for follow up.

It's also helpful to go to the doctor with a list of questions written down so that you can ensure that each of them get answered to your satisfaction.

It's your body, remind them of that.. especially when they are trying to rush you out the door or fob you off without explaining things to you - "I understand that you are in a hurry, doctor.. but this is MY body that you are treating, and I have the right to know what is happening and to know what you are doing because this is MY body. I have agency over MY body, and I am paying you to help ME the same way that I pay a mechanic to fix my car... so kindly answer my questions now."