What kind of patients are we?

The coversation about vaccines got me thinking about this. As we all look to become – or have already become – doctors, I was thiniking, how are we as patients?
Thoughts?

I have to admit that I ask many questions and make my own decisions. I’ll generally go along with getting recommended tests. I read about my conditions and will ask my dr. about trying a different medicine. I probably read too much and ask too much! wink.gif

Rumor has it that doctors are the very worst patients–waiting forever to seek treatment b/c they can “handle” anything. I’m probably a bad example–I hate going to the doctor and I want to be one! Isn’t that twisted? blink.gif

I've been lucky enough to be healthy all my adult life. I can't remember the last time I went to the doctor for something other than a physical (of course as I child I was brought to the doctor). I saw a nurse practioner a few times when I was in Africa for some gastrointestinal problems but I've never needed any medical procedure or any prescription drugs as an adult (apart from malaria prophylaxis in Africa and a one-time treatment for shitosomiasis). So it seems kind of strange to me to want to go into this field as all my experiences with medicine has always been as a third party. Now that I am becoming 'caregiver' I try to put myself in the patient's shoes and I think about how I might handle their predicament. As a patient I think I would want to know as much as possible about what ails me. But I'm also kind of a pushover and would could easily be 'rushed' through a doctors appointment. I certainly would be the type to do lots of research on my illness and treatment.

I’m a pain in the ass! (does that surprise anyone?)
I do wait for a long time before I seek treatment… it used to be that I’d go in for a lot of stuff… but then I would realize that I could probably trace it to the same underlying problems.
I hate medication (let’s not start that again) and I will resist taking it at ALMOST any cost… (I’m not without reason). I’m willing to try just about anything to keep from taking a med.
But, I try to take the preventative medicine approach to things. I try to not wait until things are too bad that I actually need to see someone.
Some of my docs it has thrown off that I investigate everything before I go in. I don’t usually see those docs more than once. Others work with me totally.
With my kids, my first one I took in for everything… the smallest sniffle… once he was little tiny and he rolled off of my chest(I was laying on the floor) and I freaked out and took him in… (first time parent paranoia-big embarrassment! :wink:
He did have lots of problems that made me a lot more paranoid. By the time my second was born, I was much more calm. And we didn’t seem to need to take him in as often because he wasn’t as sick… and I wasn’t as freaked out…
But I was a pain as a mom to a patient also… I still am…
I disagree with a lot of things that docs do… and yet I’m training to be one… but then again… “all” docs aren’t the same :wink:
btw… I don’t think it’s possible to read to much or ask too many questions… smile.gif
Andrea

I am a terrible patient. And a pain. The only doctor I really listen to is my orthopod and I probably only listen to him about 60% of the time.
Don't take the medicines they prescribe (and no good reasons like Andrea's, just lazy). Heard the frustration Mary talked about from one doctor for a problem I am having now because my discipline in taking one medicine has been really bad.

QUOTE (Calvin -- in a box by the river @ Jul 25 2003, 12:31 PM)
The coversation about vaccines got me thinking about this. As we all look to become -- or have already become -- doctors, I was thiniking, how are we as patients?
Thoughts?

To be honest, it really doesn't matter what type of patient we are. I'm pretty confident I know how this system is set up:
Doctor work for patient.
Patient no work for doctor.
Unfortunately, now that I'm on the wards, I'm finding that my experience as a paramedic is still true in the hospital. Many of my collegues whine about 'difficult' patients, ie ones who dare to ask questions about recommended therapies.
When the whiner in question is a fellow student, I remind them that we (doctors and students alike) are in that hospital for only one reason...to care for those patients. It is most certainly not the other way around, those poor people who are having their abdomen poked on by the fifth white-coated person in the day (at 6:30 am!) are NOT there for the amusement and training of us.
Of course, my boldness only extends so far. When it is my resident or attending doing the whining I keep my mouth shut. Fortunately, it almost always comes from my fellow students. Perhaps it is just a matter of them needing some more experience.
Sorry for the rant. For some reason, I'm feeling awfully verbose today.
Take care,
Jeff Jarvis, MS-III
UTMB
Galveston, TX
QUOTE
I read about my conditions and will ask my dr. about trying a different medicine. I probably read too much and ask too much!

This is definitely not my definition of a "bad patient." I think a lot of docs are glad to talk to someone who's done some reading. My mom recently had to switch heme-onc docs for her lymphoma, and went to her first appt w/ the new doc with a bunch of information about possible treatments and questions about what to do next. He loved it. They had a great conversation.
What probably would make me/lots of docs nuts is someone who is doing the reading and sleuthing to a huge extent PRIOR to a diagnosis, because then they'll have learned about the many horrible things they MIGHT have and it'll be hard to try and get them to focus on what actually is going on.
I agree, docs are notoriously bad patients. I know it is possible to diagnose oneself and I doubt there's much harm in it for run-of-the-mill acute stuff (e.g. sinusitis), but I've known docs to treat themselves for chronic, even potentially serious conditions and I think that's unwise - it really does seem like a good idea to me to pay someone for a dispassionate perspective on your health. I actually like the chance to relax for a few minutes and let my primary care doc look at the overall picture of my health to see what he thinks. It's not that I don't think about it myself, it's just that I like making sure his perspective agrees with mine. tongue.gif
QUOTE
I agree, docs are notoriously bad patients. I know it is possible to diagnose oneself and I doubt there's much harm in it for run-of-the-mill acute stuff (e.g. sinusitis), but I've known docs to treat themselves for chronic, even potentially serious conditions and I think that's unwise - it really does seem like a good idea to me to pay someone for a dispassionate perspective on your health.

Mary, I think this is a good idea also. "We" are often able to overlook something to our cases that might be important in a diagnosis or it's also possible to go way overboard with things.. It's a lot easier to be a hypochondriac than a realist.. LOL smile.gif
Anyway.. what's the "disorder" called when you're in the first year or so of med school and you suddenly come down with every disease that you're reading about?
It's always good to get another perspective.
Andrea
QUOTE
what's the "disorder" called when you're in the first year or so of med school and you suddenly come down with every disease that you're reading about?

I've heard it called "second year syndrome," but I think there are a few other terms for it.

I always try to be super polite to the nurses and doctors, mainly because I feel guilty taking up their time. It's probably pointless, but I always mention how I waited to come in because I figured I'd just get better on my own and I know that whatever I have is not the world's most serious problem. I suppose I just don't want to be thought of as some kind of annoying hypochondriac. But it sure is nice to get the right meds when you're sick–in fact, I went in yesterday for strep throat, and am feeling a lot better today. Yay for pennicillin!
Anyway, I also think that anyone who goes into medicine should expect to be dealing with people who are suffering, worried, and in a bad mood, and it shouldn't really matter one bit if a patient is unpleasant or annoying. They're still patients who need care. (Not that that stops me from trying NOT to be the annoying type.)
Now when I'm dealing with my insurance company bureaucracy on the phone, that's another matter.