Thanks Annie,

I agree regarding incompetent ER doctors.
But, as a physician I had the privilege not to have to bother too much about them. (not that having a mini-ICU at home, so that I don't need to go to the ER didn't have a price of its own).

As to drug companies-
It really annoys me when they direct their commercials to patients, who then put pressure on their doctors to give them the excellent medication they have seen. My patients trust me when I explain why I don't give them this new and wonderful medication, and prefer instead to keep them on the old and well-proven one (which doesn't have a patent any more, so obviously not promoted) but I know that not all physician-patient relationships are like that.
I am sure you are going to enjoy this, as much as I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffZUHWG66EA

And you would be amazed to know how many doctors don't bother to read the original articles, but base their management decisions on promotion material given to them by (guess who...).

I am not against novel treatments, but those should be given with some thought process to those who could truly benefit.

But, I better not go into this topic, because I have too much to say...

Annie and Alice, I think that it goes WITHOUT saying that you are BOTH very, VERY smart. I am aware of the people I went to school with who became doctors. I remember their personalities. They were EXTREMELY competetive IN school. Now, I do NOT know if ALL doctors are this way...........but, if they are................is it possible..................

"Some" people who are competetive by nature seem to want to PUSH other people down in order to make themselves seem smarter, better, faster, taller, prettier, more handsome, more desirable.................you name it. Could it be possible that you two have had problems with physicians BECAUSE you are sooooooo very smart........and they have SENSED real intellectual "competition"???

I know that this may sound far-fetched -- and if I am "off-base", please forgive me. I know that you both talk as smart or smarter than my SMARTEST doc -- and THAT is saying SOMETHING!! So, I would imagine that each of you -- especially, being -- horror of all horrors, FEMALE , have made some male docs sweat BULLETS!!!

Anyway, again, if I have been out of line -- please forgive. I've just been wondering if this might be why you two haven't been treated very nicely. Cause you both are sweethearts!! (I mean each of us has probably seen at least one doc we didn't "like" -- but, the doc's treatment didn't rise to the level of "prejudice, arrogance and malicious intent" or "misconducts, arrogance and humiliation" -- I mean, THAT is ROUGH!!)

Jana,

Thanks for you comments,

First, I am glad that it is not common practice to treat people like that. Honestly, after some encounters with my physicians I found myself asking if I non-intentionally do something similar to my patients. I never thought what they did was deliberate or directed against me specifically. I thought it was some flaw I was unaware of in our profession. ( you may find it funny, but I actually asked some of my patients if they ever felt humiliated by me).

I think there is quite a bit of wisdom in what you say.
I can see how a world-leading expert, being baffled by my illness feels uneasy having to admit this to a physician and her husband who is a scientist. It is much easier to think and say in a patronizing manner-patients and their families don't have an insight into their illness. You are in remission and just don't realize it. And then put a big ?! on the results of my QMG score that didn't fit with what he thought it should be, based on the way I was able to push his arm in his office.

And yes, physicians are competitive (me included) but being competitive doesn't mean that you put people down. My competition is (and has always been) with only one person-and that is me- I want to be better tomorrow than I am today. Not only in my knowledge and technical skills, but in the kind of person I am.

I never tried to compete with my physicians regarding our knowledge about this illness. I did try to share with them what I have learned. But, I can see how they could see this as a threat. It was not only my illness that pushed them to the edge of their knowledge, but also ,apparently, me.

The good thing about it, is that due to this unfortunate combination of having a rare and unusual illness and being a knowledgeable physician, I was forced to find a team of extraordinary physicians, who can handle that. I just have to be cautious not to scare them away!

By the way, wisdom is more important than being smart for a physician.
"it is more important to know the patient that has the disease than know the disease". (William Osler).
A smart physician will know the disease, a wise physician will also know the patient.