Comments on: There are fates worse than death

By: Donna

Donna — Mon, 10 May 2004 23:24:37 +0000

What roles do the close family members have in the individual’s failure to seek a medical opinion? The immediate family bears a good deal of responsibility in the negative outcome if they did not use their very best efforts to beg, cajole or threaten their loved one into seeing a doctor, for their family’s sake. After all, the aftermath impacts the family both emotionally and economically, among other things. The financial impact alone can be devastating. I believe that I would go to any lengths and do or say whatever I needed to accomplish a mere doctor’s exam.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 22:09:22 +0000

This is a great post. I can well understand your frustration and I sympathize.

Unfortunately, sometimes things are tested and not detected. Or things are detected but nobody knows what it is. I know people who’ve fought for years for diagnoses on heart problems and got nowhere.

And in some instances, society has us all on this treadmill with no breathing breaks, so we’re afraid to get things checked. Or, like me, we figure we’ll just have a massive coronary and check out one day – no drain on anyone. But as you’ve said, and as I know, sometimes we linger and it’s terribly sad for all concerned.

I know the answers are more than just the individuals responsibility to their own health sometimes. I also know that it’s awful for healthcare professionals like yourself to have to witness tragedies. But in the end, this is the nature of life. We’re all different and we all make mistakes. It doesn’t help knowing that, I realize. But it’s the main thought I’ve carried to get me through my own reality and what my sister endured at the end of her life.

Thanks for writing such a great blog. :-)

By: suzi

suzi — Thu, 08 Apr 2004 03:14:01 +0000

That is just so sad. No doubt the families are going through hell, probably also with guilt and anger. Just too sad.

By: radtec

radtec — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 14:03:50 +0000

I agree with you on knowing your body and ‘hearing’ what it has to say. The problem we have where I am at is..if it isn’t obviously broken or bleeding, no one will look any further. Atleast not much further.

I’ve had problems with pain in my gut for years, and rectal bleeding. I did have an edoscopic colorectal exam two years ago and they said, ‘huh..signs of diverticuli…eat more fiber’. Not even a guess at what else is going on. Note I said ‘is’ going on.

Some of us won’t be diagnosed until autopsy at this rate.

Great blog!

By: heather

heather — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 14:20:22 +0000

I think that’s such an important post. Thanks for bringing it up!