Cathie,

I don't understand some physicians. They are well paid and respected for their knowledge, skill, and the service they provide. Physicians are in a service profession. Their job is to serve us, not the other way around. Sometimes, I think of the analogy of the tail wagging the dog when dealing with arrogant jerks like you describe.

Luckily there are plenty of physicians in all specialties whose compassion and human skills match their considerable technical skills. I personally will not tolerate being emotionally abused by overpaid social cretins too full of themselves by half. Cathie, I hope you can switch to another doctor who treats you like you deserve to be treated. That may be difficult if you live in rural Montana, but there are plenty of good pulmonary specialists in any medium sized city. Get a recommendation from the receptionist, and then ask for a consult with that physician. Switch if you like the new one.

If we all isolate and complain about emotionally abusive physicians, they will either have to change, or get jobs as pathologists.

Your maybe-soon-to-be-ex pulmonary specialist may have a point with "too much medicine." Each drug is targeted for a specific symptom or condition, but each has side effects. Dealing with those side effects and detoxification stresses your body. You can easily reach a point where all the medications together can cause more harm then good, even to the point of being seriously debilitating or fatal.

Both of my parents had drugs prescribed for something that was actually a side effect of another drug, or by several physicians treating different things. We thought my mom was mildly senile for years, until her many medications were severely decreased to only what was absolutely necessary. We could talk with her again, and she knew who and where she was the last few years she lived. She lost a decade of her life and we lost her for that period of overmedication for no good reason.

This is where a good primary care physician or internist can shine. If you sit down and discuss all the drugs you take with them, you may be able to safely eliminate several or even most, and feel much better as a result. My 95 year old dad did that with his excellent primary care physician, and now takes only three drugs. My doctors share, or at least tolerate, my caution with drugs and prescribe minimal doses of what is needed, for limited periods of time, with frequent reviews of what I’m taking.

I had a positive lung biopsy about 8 months ago (since resolved...maybe). With the help of my wonderful wife, friends, family, and animals (two purrfect cats and an old dog), I got over the initial shock and was able to focus on the miracles all around, even though I felt lousy for a couple of months. In fact, every moment became more precious because I thought my remaining moments were going to be many fewer than expected (5 yr. survival rate for lung adenocarcinoma is 17%).

I hope you can find the strength to not let your fears of what might be happening in your body ruin the joy of now. This is the time for you to be courageous and strong. Whatever the diagnosis or prognosis, you are alive now and treasured by all of us here and the other people and animals in your life.

You can chose to live and love and laugh no matter what. Who knows? You could live to 120, or die tomorrow crossing the street by falling down an open manhole. Losing your sense of humor is like losing your life while you're alive. Why die before you die when you have a lifetime ahead of you?

Take care and please keep us informed.