Good question, Charley. It's hard to remember to ask when one is already under the weather. Unfortunately, we pretty much have to be our own advocates and learn all we can, unless we can find an exceptional N.P. or one of the few remaining old school physicians that hasn't bailed out of the current medical system.
Eg. When I fractured 6 bones in my foot, I had to read my own X-ray and demand an ASAP referral to a podiatrist. I only saw one of the fractures, the podiatrist saw 2, suspected more and got a CT. The following day, the RADIOLOGIST'S report came back "normal". The same mistake was made on a non-medical person. She got no referral for 6 months. I was 100% in 4 months. She finally healed after 18 months.
Another example - I had to demand pancreatic enzymes for my DH who now only has 1/4 of his pancreas. The VA pharmacist recommended it. The surgeon wouldn't do it, the oncologist wouldn't do it. The nutritionist didn't recommend it. The GASTROENTEROLOGY specialist wouldn't do it. I finally talked Don's primary care doc at the VA into doing it. That was the same one I had to TELL to order the CT that found DH's cancer in the first place. That Doc only listens to me, because we worked for the same hospital for years, and he knows my reputation locally. I'm grateful to have his confidence, but what can non-medical people do?
