It seems that the actual Oath Of Hippocrates does not say "First do no harm". These days as Ron and I travel down this highway of Rx and medical professionals from doctors to nurses to nurse practitioners, I decided to look this up. We are finding from experience "First do no harm" is definitely a myth. It seems more a hypocritical oath than Hippocratic Oath.
Ron swears he is going to find an old tweed jacket with patches on the elbows and get a jaunty hat and a pipe so he will be ready to go on a medical lecture tour. He has already grown a beard to look more the part of a professor.
P.S. Absolutely loved learning about all your vehicles in my last question of the week. Did anyone notice how many are foreign automobiles?
Oh my - don't even get me started on that. The things we went through with my mom and dad's illnesses. The last time dad was taken to the emergency room in an ambulance, I had a very straightforward talking doctor - what they call the "hospitalist". I liked how up front he was about what we should and shouldn't do. He was a great caretaker - we saw both kinds, great and not so great.
ReplyDeleteI hope Ron is better quickly! I like the idea of him in that outfit out on speaking tours. :)
I am searching for a good doctore as mine is not the best. But since I live in a very rural area, this is difficult. When I lived just outside the city we had a whole list of great doctor's to choose from. Interesting that Hippocrates practice and art and not a science.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how much you have to advocate for yourself in the medical system - Ron is lucky to have you.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to tell you what kind of car, a Ford Mustang.
Well as my son is a doctor - I do have to say they are human. sandie
ReplyDeleteI've often told my kids you need to be your own Dr. Not that you Dr yourself but that you keep close track of what is being told to by your own body. No one else can be as clear as you can when speaking with your doc. They need help with the diagnosis. If it doesn't make sense, it's probably not right.
ReplyDeleteGo Ron.
Lynn -- We too have seen "great and not-so-great". Ron is improving so rapidly since leaving the hospital that I am amazed.
ReplyDeleteTabor -- We too are rural dwellers and still have most of our doctors in the city of Tulsa. They are mostly run by corporations and are only allowed to spend 10 to 20 minutes with each patient. One doctor was saying on the news that she will give up medicine before she will give in to seeing 100 patients per day, which is what we have to look forward to.
Riot Kitty -- Patient advocacy is a difficult job and I don't know how people can do it if they don't love the patient. However that compassion may, at times, cloud my judgement. So you drive a Ford Mustang? One more for US automobiles. Plus Ford did not take the bailout. WooHoo!
Chatty Crone -- Of course doctors are human...and that is the whole point. They can be subject to error like the rest of us and it is frightening. I am sure, however, that your son is THE BEST DOCTOR in the world!!! I know you are proud of him.
Cliff -- Ron is a very stubborn patient and as far as being his own doctor, he fails miserably. If left to his own devices he would believe holding very still in the bed would heal him:) I could not get him to go to the hospital on Monday and thankfully our home health nurse came to visit and calmly and rationally convinced him to go. The outcome would have been fatal if he had not gone. Thanks for the prayers. All are helping.
I work with doctors, so I've seen firsthand that some of them are very caring and some of them, not so much. The kindest doctor I ever met was one who I only spent 5 minutes with. I had a lump and was on my way to a scary biopsy. I don't remember what he said, but the look on his face was so compassionate that it has always stayed with me. It's good to know that there are doctors like him out there.
ReplyDeleteSparkling Red -- You are absolutely right. Ron's oncologist is absolutely the most compassionate. Plus I spent five minutes with a new Dermatologist and she discovered symptoms that ended up saving my life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Riot Kitty that you have to be an advocate for yourself because too many mistakes are being made. They say a lot of it is because doctors and nurses are understaffed. Whatever the case, you have to be really alert.
ReplyDeleteIt's a hard road you are on, Annie, you and Ron together. I am smiling at his elbow patches and the jaunty hat. But it's sad to think that any treatment could cause more harm than good.
ReplyDeleteIn a commercial a little girl said she wanted to be a pediatrician, n all I could think of was jabbing all the infants with 20 inoculations in their first year- I could never do that...
ReplyDeleteI think docs must not be afraid to cut anyone-
Glad Ron is home n doing so well!
I've always made a point to get USA made cars. Buicks, Olds, n Chevys so far.
Kay -- I feel sorry for people who do not have medical advocates and do not know how to do for themselves.
ReplyDeleteTalon -- Actually we owe a debt of gratitude for the medical professionals who have saved us from the other medical professionals. I think that is called a conundrum.
Snaggle Tooth -- I couldn't do many of the things doctors and nurses are called to do yet I have learned to do many things I never dreamed I would need to do and it's easy when you love the patient.