My thoughts on medical doctors...

So, last night, my eyes were killing me. Even the light of the computer made me beg for darkness due to the increased sensitivity to light. Consequently, I may have directed my resentment toward needles instead of towards the rightfully deserving doctor (though, without a doubt, I stand by my personal feelings towards needles without vacillation). 

Now, I admit some of them (doctors) serve some reasonable purpose for mankind...like when I can't diagnose and/or cure my ailments myself, I may need some help from them. But somehow, I seem to have an uncanny ability to continuously run into quacks who have nothing better to do than to try to practise their medicine on me. Here's just a few examples.

Quack No. 1:

I do have annual checkups, not because I really want to, but for general promotion of my health. One such checkup is with an eye doctor. But for the fact that without their intervention of glasses/contacts I would be as blind as a bat, I really would not step foot in their establishment. It's such a racket. Anyhow, last night I went for my annual optometrist appointment. That dude spent an inordinate amount of time looking in my eyes with that ridiculously bright light. Since I needed new glasses, I endured this "eye exam". I was in absolutely no pain when I walked through their doors but as is customary with these quacks, when I left, I was in pain, and as I write this a day later, my eyes still hurt. Not only do they hurt, but my eyes are also bloodshot, which of course means that some one had to approach me today and "joked" that I look like I've been smoking weed. So, once again, this Rasta will simply exhale and proceed with my painful, bloodshot eyes.

Quack No. 2:

When my daughter was about 2 years old, she got a stye on her eye. I tried my all to treat it myself at first but since it didn't go away naturally, I took my baby to the doctor. I was prescribed creams and the like.  After a few more months with no change whatsoever, the quack informed me that this benign stye requires surgical removal. Right...like I'm gonna let that happen for something entirely cosmetic on my 2-year old.  

I immediately called my 83 year old grandmother who still lived in Nevis (an island in the Caribbean). Like my maternal grandmother, she only practised natural "bush" medicine. I described the situation to her. She told me that something was off-balance in my daughter's blood and to give her a teaspoon of cod liver oil every day. Within 2 weeks, the stye was gone and without surgery. Go figure.

Quack No. 3:

Halloween Day. I didn't grow up celebrating Halloween but I will never forget it now. This past halloween, my asthma was completely out of control. As I previously mentioned, I will not go to any doctor unless I absolutely have to. But, I had tried my best to cure myself and it was just not working so I needed to get some traditional medicine. Having had asthma for years, I knew exactly what I needed (prednisone) so I researched which of the area allergists accepted my insurance and made an appointment for that same day.

I walked into the office and they were happy to take my co-pay and my insurance card. Chi-ching. Meanwhile, I stood hacking up my lungs. I knew this definitely my asthma. It certainly was not consumption...I diagnosed myself with that before and knew the difference in symptoms.

First, they wanted to take sinus x-rays and chest x-rays. Weird, but I went along with this ridiculous farce. Next, they wanted me to do some blow-into-a-machine-video-game designed to measure my lung capacity. Again, I obliged. The "doctor" came in and went over my medical history with me. He then sent me to get another allergy test. Now if anyone has had these before, you know that they involve needles and therefore is absolute torture. Still hacking without any sort of medical intervention (like a nebulizer which you think they would have in the office of an allergist), I obliged because I really needed this medication. After getting stabbed all over my back and both arms with over 100 needles (and that's not an exaggeration), the results were just what I told them on my medical history when I walked through their doors. Except now, I was itchy all over and still hacking up my lungs. I was placed back in the room and was next ordered to get a bloodtest to check my antibodies. That's where I drew the line in the sand so they summons the "doctor" to beat me into submission.

I simply told him when he strutted through the door:

a) I had been in this office for over 3 hours coughing uncontrollably without any medical intervention.
b) I walked in here in medical distress and you fill my body up with even more allergens which is known to exacerbate asthma.
c) Why am I gonna let you stick me with a needle and draw blood to test for seafood antibodies when I don't eat that given my dietary restrictions?
d) I already know what I'm allergic to and am mature enough to avoid eating such things without this blood test.
e) I know that prednisone is the recommended medical regimen in situations like mine.
f) So, really what sense does this whole visit make except to bilk my insurance?

He said that he would not give me any medication or treat me any further unless I submitted to his blood test.

With that said, I ensured that I was not being billed for any experimentation done in their office that day (including a refund of my co-pay) and I went directly to a walk-in clinic and got my prednisone within 1 hour.

Conclusion (for now):

The next time someone wants to practise medicine on you, think twice about why they refer to it as the "practise of medicine".

As far as I'm concerned, I am my best advocate. This is my body and I know it best since I live in it every day. This is my life. They can be my doctor only if I so choose. All quacks be forewarned. I am nobody's guinea pig.

One Love, Se'Lah

*To read an interesting article by vchelle, please click here.

Disclaimer: Nothing herein should be taken as rendering medical advice. This is just my personal opinion and may not necessarily be shared by you so live your life accordingly.