The Forgotten Patient

What has happened with modern medicine? Today's doctors have a world of knowledge and testing at their fingertips, yet decide not to use it. At what point did it become OK to put ones ego ahead of a patients well-being? As you may or may not know, modern doctors take an oath when leaving medical school, but very few doctors actually follow it as you will read below.

I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.

How many people do you know that have been given a clean bill of health only to die shortly after? I know of at least 3 that this has happened to. Better yet, how many people do you know get a pill prescribed for every little issue that comes up? This is the sad reality of what modern medicine has become. The " I will prevent disease whenever I can." statement has gone totally out the window along with " I will not be ashamed to say I know not, nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery. "

From past experiences, doctors are like electricity, they try to find the path of least resistance. They just assume prescribe some new drug than get to the root of the cause. This "reactionary" medicine does not have the patients best interest in mind. And to make matters worse, god forbid you question the doctors decisions, you will get ridiculed, and in some instances belittled. The only difference between the doctor who passed medical school with an A+ and the person who passed with a C- is their office number.

Being the person who lives in your body, you know if something is not right regardless of a doctors opinion. In this information age, it is not hard to look up medical "stuff" on the internet. Lets take the Thyroid for example. The typical range for (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) thyroid testing is between 1-5. If you are below 1 you are considered hyperthyroid, and over 5 is hypothyroid. As you may guess, if you are 1.01, or 4.99 your thyroid is perfectly normal! You can complain about symptoms, but based on this very vague chart you will fall within the normal range. Depending on the doctors ego, determines whether or not they will actually listen to you, and conduct the other multiple tests that check thyroid function besides TSH. If they do run the test, will they inform you about lifestyle changes that can fix the problem, or just give you a pill? Not happy with your doctors answer, and what to see a specialist? Guess what, in most cases you will need a referral from your primary physician to see any kind of specialist. And as you guessed, they will refuse to write that referral, because in their eyes, there is nothing wrong!

While it a little known fact that nutritional deficiencies are the root cause of most medical issues, it is seldom talked about as a treatment by most doctors. If you truly want to feel better, be willing to make some life changes. Nothing comes easy, but the end result will we worth all the sacrifice. If your doctor does not want to help you, take action and keep searching until you find one that does. Don't settle for less, your health and well-being depend on it.