In-person visits to doctor work best

Dear Editor:

Do you still remember what your doctor looks like? Can you remember the last time they gave you a prescription for vitamins instead of pharmaceutical narcotic-type drugs?

How comfortable are you sitting by the phone waiting for a doctor’s “audio diagnosis?” Are you wondering how on earth can the doctors — as good as they are — diagnose your symptoms over the phone?

Are your eyes a little yellow, is your tongue a little sore, do you have slight tremors, is your pee a little on the red side, is your No. 2 hurtful and the wrong consistency? Is that sore patch on your forehead showing no signs of healing? Do you need more toilet paper than usual, is your indigestion worse even after cutting back, are you having pins and needles in your feet or hands, are you feeling dizzy? Are you unable to wind down, how are you sleeping? This list could go on and on.

My intention here is not to scare anybody, my first wife and I are really lucky, not only do we have a good doctor who will listen and act accordingly, but almost as important, we have a pharmacist who isn’t afraid to tell us that he thinks regarding “your new prescription should be queried and questioned without a doubt.”

He has proven to be our free second opinion, his mantra is to be aware that in this new day and age, we all must now more than ever be fully aware at what is going on with our own health care.

He stresses, do not allow yourself to fall between the cracks.You must speak up, ask questions, do not allow yourself to be intimidated by science, you know when something is not right so speak up, do not allow yourself to be spoken down to.

When you don’t understand something, make your provider explain it again and again in a language that you can follow until you do understand what your options are, do not accept medical mumbo jumbo from anyone no matter their exalted position in the medical field.

There is absolutely no point in being dead right, after the fact.

Don Smithyman

Oliver