The most important second opinion to consult in medical situations is YOU!

@sharone74 (4837)
United States
October 20, 2009 8:08pm CST
I don't really understand why people trust and believe everything their doctor tells them as though it is the gospel straight from God's mouth, to their ear, and then to you. I have seen doctors who are wrong or are erroneous on the stage or seriousness of the illness and because of that people die or nearly die. I will give you an example: A few years ago I went to a hospital because I had what I thought felt like a kidney stone attack and after three days of laying in bed in abject misery I went into convulsions ad had a fever over 104. The reason I was so sure is that one of my friends needed a lot of handholding and listening to just 5 months before for massive kidney stones. I remembered reading all of the symptoms and "How you know that it may be this " information that I could find online too, He thought he was going to lose a kidney. Anyway back to my story. The emergency room doctor told me I had a very severe kidney infection but he argued with me that it was most assuredly not kidney stones. He prescribed me painkillers and more importantly antibiotics to kill the infection. HERE'S WHERE THE STORY GETS INTERESTING! Less than a year later I went to the emergency room by ambulance I felt so bad and I couldn't move. Same kind of pain just about 5 octaves higher than the time before. Before my tests were even back from the lab they diagnosed me with kidney stones and the doc said that when he took a look at my sample before it went to the lab he saw some sediment from the stones in it. So they prescribed me narcotic painkillers and no antibiotics and sent me home. The following 3 days were some of the most excruciating hours of my life (mind you I have 4 "Natural births" to my credit!)I went back to the hospital via ambulance again, again due to pain and fever and going into convulsions. I had no sooner than arrived in the er, couldn't have been more than 5 minutes later one of the docs came in with my chart and says Ms. Early we're so glad you came back we have been trying to reach you since you left. Which was a lie I wasn't able to get out of bed all three days, my phones were both on their chargers on the nightstand and I got every other call made to me those three days. Long story short when they had gotten the tests back they realized that I didn't just have stones in both kidneys (One 14.5 the other just over 10mm meaning both over 200% too large to pass naturally which is what they sent me home to do) but that my right kidney was blocked and had shut down and was poisoning my system. They took me upstairs to urology within a half hour for a proceedure to try to jump start the kidney because they didn't want to have to remove it. Before they sent me upstairs though they decided to give me morphine for the pain. I asked the nurse as she was putting the syringe in my IV what they were giving me, she beat around the bush telling me it was "something for the pain" finally when it hit me I made her tell me what it was. When she did I flipped my chart that was sitting there on the tray closed so she could see the big red letters stamped on the front Severe allergic reaction to opiates. So they had to give me some other injections because I went into anaphylactic shock. When I got upstairs the doc read on the chart that I had been given painkillers and proceeded to stick a catheter into my kidney without the benefit of pain killers, local, or a general anestetic. My point is, I knew the first time what was wrong with my kidney's. I had an er attending physician not only mis diagnose me but he argued with me that he didn't think it was kidney stones simply because he didn't want to take the time to ultrasound my kidneys because I am uninsured and self employed the hardest group of people to make a judgement stick to. Anyway I tell you all this to say that YOU are your own best healthcare advocate, and only you truly know how poorly you feel or how acute your symptoms are, don't just take a diagnosis or medical advice from your doctor. You obviously have a computer so you can research online. After all isn't there multiple ways to do everything in this day and information age?
1 response
@minx267 (15553)
• Hartford, Connecticut
21 Oct 09
wow, that a story- I totally agree with you. which is why in many cases i try to figure out what is wrong with me and treat it accordingly before I even go to a doctor. I have had doctors give me antibiotics when I knew hat I had wasn't an infection. I just smile and nod and never fill it. That is why so many of us when we really do get sick can not be treated- our bodies have had so many antibiotics that we didn't need that we are now immune to them. Last time I had a bad cold that went to my chest I had to take 3 different antibiotics in succession for 4 weeks just to get rid of it. they are always trying all these new medicines. I hate being a guinea pig. And I can't believe these people can't even read a medical chart. You give me a new fear. I am allergic to Prevacid and have gone into anaphylactic shock twice because of it..Now I will always have to watch what they give me like a hawk.. Thanks for the heads up.