Always ALWAYS Get A Second Opinion!!!
By tessah
@tessah (6617)
United States
November 13, 2011 7:08pm CST
i urge friends/family to never take the docs word for anything. always ALWAYS get a second opinion. find another doc.. rerun tests, research, whatever. after a years worth in the hospital (almost a year well thus far YEY!) that resulted in two emergency surgeries and the loss of a baby last year, all due to my docs "professional" diagnosis that i was simply "stressed.. and needed a shrink. here take this prescription for prozac..." when in fact i had crohns disease.. and then a subsequent staph infection (that was blown off as a virus thatd go away on its own) never again will i just simply swallow what any doc says.. EVER!
and this story is a perfect example..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/13/graham-lord-stomach-removed-cancer-misdiagnosis_n_1091134.html?1321218186&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%7C112237
do you always seek out a second diagnosis ? or do you simply trust the doc you have? doing the latter of the two, nearly cost me my life (and my children their mother) not once, but TWICE!! and the life of one of my children..
8 responses
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
15 Nov 11
That sounds horrible, and that doctor you were seeing just not qualified to be a doctor at all. Did you file a complaint against this doctor of yours. Maybe you are right, you should consult a second doctor's opinion before you take any rush decision of your own. Good luck next time.
@marguicha (223777)
• Chile
14 Nov 11
Definitibly, when you feel it´s a mayor issue and you don´t think the doctor is getting the whole picture, you should get a second opinion. I just had an experience with it that could have meant my life if I had not decided that the first doctor was not the one I needed. I had "something" in my belly that was not like my body is all the time. I went to a doctor, made some tests, gave me an antibiotic for an ulcer I knew I didn´t have and told me to come in 6 months. I went to another doctor, the best around, and after other tests that included a biopsy as the other were allright, he discovered that I had a lymphoma. He sent me immediatly to an oncologist and I hve just finished my chemo with the best results possible. If I had waited, I could have started my treatment in worse conditions and the results would have been different.
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
14 Nov 11
That is what i always tell my parents , my parents in-laws and my family. When you feel that you are not correctly diagnosed, consult another doctor. That way, you will feel secure that what you are feeling is rightly diagnosed.
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
14 Nov 11
Getting the advice from many councilors is certainly to our advantage. In the medical profession experts in specific fields will look after designated areas of our health but it is the g.p. that will look after our overall health and help guide us. We always need to keep in mind though that all the medical professionals are not perfect and can make mistakes. It is good to get second opinions when in doubt or just need reassurance, so true.
@mariahhh (1328)
• United Arab Emirates
14 Nov 11
I really believe that getting a second opinion is the best to know what is really wrong with your health, and also to be sure about what's happening to you. I also get a second opinion whenever possible, but there are times that tests are just expensive so sometimes I just don't get the chance to go to another doctor.
@greenline (14838)
• Canada
14 Nov 11
That is a very good advice. Thank you for it. Yes, I agree with you, and that's what I do too. I would seek the second opinion, especially on critical cases. I do that on medical cases, and also on major issues related to my business matters. There are many different factors to take into consideration, indeed.
@fortunebee (509)
• Philippines
14 Nov 11
Getting a second opinion is helpful and maybe a third if you want to be really sure and then later analyze what is best to do next. I'm also sorry for your loss. I am usually skeptical about doctors prescription and advises probably because of my experience with my mother when she frequented the doctor because of her illness. It's also because I want to make sure and try to omit failure. Until now I carry the thought in me to get another opinion as much as possible to be sure. (^_^)