“Though the doctors treated him, let his blood, and gave him medications to drink, he nevertheless recovered.”
Leo Tolstoy, from War and Peace
“Though the doctors treated him, let his blood, and gave him medications to drink, he nevertheless recovered.”
Leo Tolstoy, from War and Peace
Can’t begin to tell you how much I can relate to this. I don’t participate in the medical system, haven’t all my adult life, and very little growing up. My children choose to at times, but on a very limited basis. Now, you’ve touched on something I could rant on about all day except it would cause me stress…..
What a self-perpetuating scam it is, fed by greed at big pharma.
As I read recently, what we call health care ought to be called sick care, since it’s all about treating sickness rather than preventing it.
Wednesday letter to Washington Post editor questioned very expensive cancer drugs with little benefit (subjecting the person and their family to).
We’ve just returned from the funeral of a friend who died from cancer, but only after being subjected to extremely expensive and debilitating cancer “treatments.” Very sad.
Clearly, there are problems in the medical system. Still, I contend they’re mostly within the “system” – that is, with the bureaucrats and legislators who never see a patient.
One of the problems we have in this country is that people are too lazy or fearful to question doctors and nurses, and often loathe to take part in their own care. Even the largest and most seemingly impersonal hospital can be broken down to its smallest parts – which is, after all, the staff. Yes, it can be hard. Still…
Now, I’ll admit my bias up front. My first degree was in medical social work, and I’ve spent enough time working in hospitals not to be afraid of them. I’ve seen the worst – we moved my mother from Iowa partly to get her away from a medical hack who was over-prescribing medication, and who’s now in the slammer.
Still, for the most part, I continue to respect doctors. There are some who work hand-in-glove with the drug companies, but most I know smile, accept the freebies and pass them on to patients as needed.
Now, I have to pass on this old joke. I’ll reduce it to the bare essentials:
A fellow died and went to heaven. St. Peter was showing him around when they came across a very dignified-looking man in a white coat with a stethescope around his neck. Impressed, the new resident of heaven said to St. Peter, “Who’s that? Some famous surgeon? A medical researcher?” St. Peter said, “Naw. That’s God. He likes to play doctor sometimes.”
Much of the medical care given in Tolstoy’s day looks primitive and foolish to us now. I’ve been doing lots of research lately on medical care in 18th century England and the ignorance and incompetence (seen with the clarity of hindsight) is shocking.
I feel fairly confident that in the future our descendants will find much of what we do today equally shockng.