Being Your Own Best Doctor In Your 20s
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My final reminder in most medical communications is: “Remember, you are your own best doctor.” This means taking ownership of your health goals while also understanding that any professional health care meetings should be two-way communication.
One principal tenant of medical ethics is “Autonomy.” We’re in charge of deciding on interventions for ourselves and our children. This “shared decision making” should involve an exchange between the caregiver and patient on the prime issues. Then there should be a joint decision on how to move forward.
Moreover, this balance of power in decision making is at a distinct imbalance in our common clinic environment.
Think also of the intimidating scene where patients sit on a table. They’re partially covered by a gown, surrounded by “white coats,” in the glare of bright florescent lights. This asymmetric scenario is only too common in today’s health care.
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I continue patient care in the Telehealth format with CareOncolgy as their US medical director. We offer the metabolic protocol for adjunctive oncology care. However, I often hear from patients this fear of advocating for their care path. Many patients voice that their doctor will “drop them” if they question the “Standard of Care” (SOC) option only. Patients frequently have to shop around for an oncologist who will modify a protocol for the patient’s unique situation.
Increasingly today, physicians rightly or wrongly feel “big brother” is watching them. If they diverge from SOC or “guideline” driven care), they’re at risk for lawsuits or loss of hospital credentials.
Shared decision-making is quickly eroding at both ends of our life span. Oregon was the first to legalize euthanasia for those rare, unique scenarios of chronic suffering with no hope of recovery. The “service” is now available in 6 states and has morphed to “drive-through” efficiency. The “two independent physicians” review process, with shared decision making, is now quick, like falling through a trap door. In other words, each state has a handful of well-known end-of-life specialists who work together and “rubber stamp” the cases. This may happen without the vetting we’d want a potentially temporary (or is it temporarily) depressed person to have.
On the other side of our life cycle, unfortunately, things are getting complicated fast. I am 60 and had about 16 mandatory vaccinations by the age of 18. Today our lovely little people get up to (because it depends on the state) 76 vaccinations by age 18. Low-risk newborns with undeveloped immune systems get things like Hep B for which they have virtually no risk of exposure.
In most states, if a child’s older siblings had severe vaccinations reactions, a parent could get a medical exemption. California just eliminated this medical exemption option for thoughtful physicians who might want to delay the rapid standard vaccination protocol. These pediatricians and family physicians are now at risk if they offer too many exemptions, which is easy to do.
In addition, individuals missing a vaccine can lose the right to public education and, increasingly, private school education. Meanwhile, vaccine companies cannot be sued by law.
Vaccines save lives and are an important medical advancement in society. But we also have the responsibility to be thoughtful and use informed consent and common sense.
Dive into the book “Curable” by Travis Christofferson. It not only highlights some of the remarkable opportunities in our evolving understanding of science, but also the tragedies stemming from perverse incentives in our healthcare system.
Travis unveiled the missed opportunity of metabolic treatment of cancer in his prior book “Tripping Over the Truth” 2017 and has done it again in his current work, Curable.
Again, now more than ever…be your own best doctor!
Medical Director
Charles (Chuck) is a 60-year-old cancer doctor who spent the last 40 years passionately studying healthcare, eastern philosophies, and fitness predictors of longevity and happiness. As someone who lives in two worlds, the traditional healthcare western model and new integrative strategies and personal biohacking, he hopes to present the best of both worlds for rational decision making on difficult personal health issues.
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* Article is re-posted with permission from the author, Dr. Charles J. Meakin III, at Coach It Forward Chuck.
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