A doctor's opinion

Germany
June 24, 2007 7:31am CST
Has to anyone of you happened that a doctor was just completely off with his diagnosis, and just a little but so much that it has changed or could have changed your life? A couple of years ago, when my father was very young (I wasn't born yet), he went to get a regular checkup at the doctor's, which was not unusual since he suffers from chronic rheumatism. It is pretty bad, like is upper back is completely stiff, and sometimes he suffers from pains, but then again we all know there are a lot people who have it a lot worse, so he really learned to live with it. That doctor though told him that in his opinion, my father would "be in a wheelchair" two years from that visit. Just imagine how he must have felt, and my mother, too, who tried to support him and get another doctor's opinion. Fortunately she and my dad really love each other, as I can imagine that some women could have packed their suitcase after such a diagnosis - after all, they just got married and had all of their life ahead of them. I have to say that this was more that 20 years ago, and maybe nowadays people won't let themselves be treated that way. Yet I was wondering: Has something similar happened to you, and if so, then what did you do?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@YoungInLove (1254)
• Canada
24 Jun 07
I dont trust doctors much anymore. I mean, there are some amazing doctors out there who heal many people. But everytime ive gone to the doctors Ive waited hours, just to get in and them tell me theres nothing they can do.
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8539)
• United Kingdom
24 Jun 07
When I was a baby (also more than 20 years ago) one doctor kept telling my mum that I had swollen glands so she kept taking me back and eventually took me to a different doctor who found that I had an abscess on my neck which was almost ready to burst. If my mum hadn't been so persistent and had listened to the first doctor, the chances are I wouldn't be here now. And now, I don't trust doctors because every time I go, they ask me what I think is wrong (well, if I knew that why would I need a doctor?) and then when I say what I think is wrong, they dismiss it and tell me I am wrong anyway. I have problems with my back and no doctor has done anything but prescribe pain killers (which are useless because it's not even pain and I would like to know why I have the problem. And I have taken my toddler to 2 different doctors because he has bowel problems and they both did the same thing - give him medicine - basically because they can't be bothered to find the cause of the problem.