State of the healthcare system in America: Let's discuss why it's failing

This thread was basically made for me 😠 😠

So, let’s dive into my little saga regarding the supposed "right" a patient has to choose their own primary care physician.

I need to switch my GP, so I decided to take the logical route—you know, the one that actually makes sense? I called Medicare, asked the lady to check near my neighborhood for any doctors who haven't hit their cap yet (they're supposed to be under 1,900 patients), and that's when the absolute circus began...
I called them one after another, and every single person just brushed me off with some variation of "we're totally full."
I don't even want to mention how much time I wasted on the phone trying to get through to everyone.
When I finally got home, I sent an email to obvezno-osiguranje@hzzo-net.hr asking if they had a list of doctors actually accepting new patients, since calling every single clinic in Washington, D.C. isn't exactly a great use of my life.
Still no response today....

I called Medicare again this morning to ask for advice, and the woman tells me, "Look, there's nothing we can do for you, it's just plain rude of them, you can file a complaint." Then she casually mentions there are three doctors in a clinic just three blocks away.
Out of those three, I manage to reach one, and of course, he turns me down too.

Then I call the clinic I'm technically assigned to (the afternoon shift)—both of them blow me off. A nurse at another clinic even tells me that their colleague from the opposite shift *should* have taken me, even though that same woman snubbed me yesterday!
Then, at a clinic in the next neighborhood, I get rejected yet again.

I was so incredibly pissed that I called the Department of Health and Human Services hotline: 0800 200 063.
The website says—and the automated operator confirms—that live people are available from 8 to 4, but somehow, at 3:30 PM, I'm still stuck talking to a robot.
I left my info and gave a brief rundown of the mess.
About 15 minutes later, my phone rings. It's a woman from the Department of Health and Human Services. She didn't really know what to tell me; she seemed like she wanted to suggest everything I'd already tried with Medicare, but since I had, she just said she'd pass my complaint along...

And honestly, what can I say? On paper, I have the right to primary healthcare and to choose my doctor. In reality? It's a complete joke.

Tomorrow, I'm heading down to the local clinic in person. If they reject me, I'm demanding a written refusal. Then I'm sending the whole story, along with that paperwork, straight to Milinović and let him try finding me a GP himself.

Just as a little side note from the Medicare regulations (specifically the rules on exercising the right to freely choose a primary care physician or dentist):
Article 9.
A chosen doctor has the right to refuse a patient only in the following cases:
1. If the number of enrolled patients under their care exceeds the maximum limit set
by general agency policy.
2. If there is a breakdown in the relationship between the chosen doctor and the insured person.
The reason for refusing a patient must be recorded by the doctor in the designated section of the official statement form.

A chosen doctor is NOT allowed to refuse a patient simply because the person is older,
sick, immobile, an addict, or suffers from mental illness, or for any other reasons that are NOT
listed in paragraph 1 of this article.

P.S. Every month, several thousand dollars are stripped from my paycheck for health insurance.

This is going in the news. ☕

Maria Gomez4 said:That sort of oversight happens constantly through various commissions, boards, and audits. They monitor how many referrals you issue, how many sick leaves are signed, how many antibiotics are prescribed... basically, it’s all handled quite rigorously.

That is a very common—almost legendary—side effect of ACE inhibitors, so I honestly can't fathom why the physician didn't consider that possibility. They really should have.

No, I'm not; I just changed my status.

That's how we're trained now, and it's mandatory (knowing how to use a computer). Digitalization has advanced so much that you even have semi-professional apps right on your smartphone.

Clearly, it could be even more rigorous if my mom and I can go through Grandma's meds and find two pills she doesn't even need. And I wouldn't say they're strict with antibiotics either; I know a guy who was prescribed Sumamed just for a slightly large pimple on his face🤦.

I see it with the high schoolers too—doctors hand out antibiotics left and right. First they give one, then if that fails, they give another, and finally Sumamed. Then they send them for a swab practically while the treatment is still ongoing, and the swab comes back negative.

My point is, there are little things like this where massive amounts of money could be saved.

Maria Gomez4 said:Well, I suppose that’s a pretty controversial topic you've brought up. I guess the real question is whether it’s actually more cost-effective to hire a dedicated clerk or just let the doctor handle the typing themselves.

From what I gather—though I might be wrong—there used to be plenty of medical transcriptionists back in the day, but then they were all mass-fired (well, not everyone, since some departments still have their own dedicated ladies handling the machines), so now the doctors have taken over the typing duties. It varies wildly in terms of skill level, too; I mean, some doctors are incredibly fast—I once saw a specialist from Florida typing with one hand while flipping through charts with the other!—whereas others are practically illiterate when it comes to computers, which makes sense considering the average American specialist is probably somewhere in their 50s or 55.
The amount of time wasted on data entry is just massive. In some departments, during my internship, that was basically my entire job, and I consider myself a relatively quick typist.

I can't help but wonder why everything has to be re-typed manually instead of just being copied and pasted; I guess it's just baffling why these records aren't readily available in a digital format.

You know what the saddest part is? It’s not just one person hired; there are several. But either they don't know how to type, they're slow as hell, or they write everything down wrong. I guess instead of doctors dealing with some idiot who got the job through nepotism, they just decide to do it themselves.

They hire people for these positions from all sorts of backgrounds who have never seen a typewriter in their lives and couldn't even read Latin if their life depended on it. How can people like that even work in those roles? 🤷

redridge13 said:This thread was basically made for me 😠 😠

So, let’s dive into my little saga regarding the supposed "right" a patient has to choose their own primary care physician.

I need to switch my GP, so I decided to take the logical route—you know, the one that actually makes sense? I called Medicare, asked the lady to check near my neighborhood for any doctors who haven't hit their cap yet (they're supposed to be under 1,900 patients), and that's when the absolute circus began...
I called them one after another, and every single person just brushed me off with some variation of "we're totally full."
I don't even want to mention how much time I wasted on the phone trying to get through to everyone.
When I finally got home, I sent an email to obvezno-osiguranje@hzzo-net.hr asking if they had a list of doctors actually accepting new patients, since calling every single clinic in Washington, D.C. isn't exactly a great use of my life.
Still no response today....

I called Medicare again this morning to ask for advice, and the woman tells me, "Look, there's nothing we can do for you, it's just plain rude of them, you can file a complaint." Then she casually mentions there are three doctors in a clinic just three blocks away.
Out of those three, I manage to reach one, and of course, he turns me down too.

Then I call the clinic I'm technically assigned to (the afternoon shift)—both of them blow me off. A nurse at another clinic even tells me that their colleague from the opposite shift *should* have taken me, even though that same woman snubbed me yesterday!
Then, at a clinic in the next neighborhood, I get rejected yet again.

I was so incredibly pissed that I called the Department of Health and Human Services hotline: 0800 200 063.
The website says—and the automated operator confirms—that live people are available from 8 to 4, but somehow, at 3:30 PM, I'm still stuck talking to a robot.
I left my info and gave a brief rundown of the mess.
About 15 minutes later, my phone rings. It's a woman from the Department of Health and Human Services. She didn't really know what to tell me; she seemed like she wanted to suggest everything I'd already tried with Medicare, but since I had, she just said she'd pass my complaint along...

And honestly, what can I say? On paper, I have the right to primary healthcare and to choose my doctor. In reality? It's a complete joke.

Tomorrow, I'm heading down to the local clinic in person. If they reject me, I'm demanding a written refusal. Then I'm sending the whole story, along with that paperwork, straight to Milinović and let him try finding me a GP himself.

Just as a little side note from the Medicare regulations (specifically the rules on exercising the right to freely choose a primary care physician or dentist):
Article 9.
A chosen doctor has the right to refuse a patient only in the following cases:
1. If the number of enrolled patients under their care exceeds the maximum limit set
by general agency policy.
2. If there is a breakdown in the relationship between the chosen doctor and the insured person.
The reason for refusing a patient must be recorded by the doctor in the designated section of the official statement form.

A chosen doctor is NOT allowed to refuse a patient simply because the person is older,
sick, immobile, an addict, or suffers from mental illness, or for any other reasons that are NOT
listed in paragraph 1 of this article.

P.S. Every month, several thousand dollars are stripped from my paycheck for health insurance.

This is going in the news. ☕

That’s exactly what I would do.

If they have openings, they have to take you. If they refuse, do exactly what you said. Believe me, not one of them will dare reject you without a valid reason. There is just one catch: you might run into issues with the doctor later, like them being petty or making you jump through hoops just to get basic tests done.

melloworca6 said:Clearly, it could be even more rigorous if my mom and I can go through Grandma's meds and find two pills she doesn't even need. And I wouldn't say they're strict with antibiotics either; I know a guy who was prescribed Sumamed just for a slightly large pimple on his face🤦.

I see it with the high schoolers too—doctors hand out antibiotics left and right. First they give one, then if that fails, they give another, and finally Sumamed. Then they send them for a swab practically while the treatment is still ongoing, and the swab comes back negative.

My point is, there are little things like this where massive amounts of money could be saved.

You know what the saddest part is? It’s not just one person hired; there are several. But either they don't know how to type, they're slow as hell, or they write everything down wrong. I guess instead of doctors dealing with some idiot who got the job through nepotism, they just decide to do it themselves.

They hire people for these positions from all sorts of backgrounds who have never seen a typewriter in their lives and couldn't even read Latin if their life depended on it. How can people like that even work in those roles? 🤷

That’s exactly what I would do.

If they have openings, they have to take you. If they refuse, do exactly what you said. Believe me, not one of them will dare reject you without a valid reason. There is just one catch: you might run into issues with the doctor later, like them being petty or making you jump through hoops just to get basic tests done.

Look, I get it. I'm fully aware of how much of a nightmare the treatment would be if I "forced" their hand into admitting me.
But honestly, I'm stuck. What am I even supposed to do?
Even if I file a formal complaint, I don't have any actual proof that they turned me away.🤷

Absolute lowlifes.🤮

Oh, and by the way, if there's a journalist out there looking for a juicy story, hit me up.

Maria Gomez4 said:I'm not.

Of course, that’s the absolute bottom line—the absolute prerequisite for anything to move forward, I suppose.

It all comes down to something incredibly basic, really—it’s just a matter of entropy, the second law of thermodynamics, and that one-way flow of time that we can't escape. ☕ I mean, look, I’m just saying that a primary care physician is really the only one who maintains a continuous view of a patient's history. He has access to a level of oversight that specialists simply can't provide, because, let's face it, our hypothetical patient didn't develop all these ailments simultaneously; first it was heart issues, then it was pulmonary. So, you have a pulmonologist finding himself in this awkward position where he's basically trying to override the cardiologist's treatment plan. You know what I mean?
I guess I could come up with a mountain of examples because this kind of situation happens all the time, really. It’s much like how medical checkups work; some people have to wait in line forever, while others somehow manage to get seen right before an inspection, and then there are those who face endless waiting periods... I suppose you just need someone else involved besides the specialist.

That sounds nice in theory, I suppose, but it isn't exactly simple in practice. You’re only looking at two medications, whereas there are countless Americans over sixty-five who are juggling three or four different prescriptions daily... not to mention seeing just as many specialists. And then you have to consider those people who don't really prioritize their health—which, let's face it, is most of the population—and they probably don't even realize when they have an appointment or when it's actually time to see a specialist.

Well, just imagine a system like this: you only ever deal with your own family doctor. They know everything about you—they're practically your confessor (if you can even wrap your head around how intimate that level of trust is). In such a setup, if a complication arises that exceeds their expertise, they consult a specialist—someone detached and objective. That specialist examines you and then sends you back to your regular doctor, accompanied by a letter ad manum medici (confidential, for the physician's eyes only). This letter would detail the examination, what was found, any suspicions, and provide specific advice to your doctor on how to proceed. It would suggest which medications to prescribe or which further tests to run.
In that kind of framework, your primary doctor acts as the central pillar.
You know, our system used to be somewhat like that, except... people seem to have forgotten. The entire concept has been inverted.

And here's another thing: supplemental insurance basically only exists to waive copays. It isn't actually extra insurance; it's just a perk for repeat customers so they spend a little less out of pocket—nothing more than that. Its sole purpose is to pad the Medicare budget.

I totally get your point, and in principle, you're absolutely right.

But in practice, at least in my experience, it doesn't work that way.
The kind of relationship you're describing—where you rely heavily on a GP—is actually what I have with my specialists. And that's what I pay for. But that's my choice; once you have a certain diagnosis, you know you aren't going to leave things to waiting lists or assembly-line checkups. It's in my best interest to have a person I can reach out to at any hour of the day or night, and I'd much rather pay for that than buy a new pair of jeans.
As for the primary doctor, they mostly write down what's necessary and act more like an administrator. You can tell how little time they have by the fact that they see anywhere from 60 to 100 patients in a single day; try being a family doctor instead of an administrator! Also, typically, they aren't the ones advising when or why I need to see a specialist, nor do they meddle in or comment on my medications unless I specifically ask them to. They just note when a follow-up is needed, what to take, and handle the prescriptions and referrals.

(For instance, if I start gasping for air, do you really think that after X many years, I need my GP to tell me it's an asthma attack? No. At that point, I don't even need a specialist; I need the ER. Similarly, if my leg starts going numb, I'm not running to my GP just to get a referral for a neurologist. I'm not booking through some "brilliant" centralized scheduling system and waiting three or six months for an appointment while I'm clearly in a relapse—I'm seeing my neurologist the very next day. That's the reality I'm talking about.)

Otherwise, she is wonderful, and it's truly a shame that she (like everyone else) is completely overwhelmed with patients. I suppose that's just the fate of anyone who is actually good at what they do.
And I agree regarding the importance of continuous monitoring. However, there has to be some way to reduce all this unnecessary back-and-forth travel.

Christian White3 said:What absolutely kills me about this healthcare system is when they send some elderly, frail person home for "post-op care" after surgery, and then they just completely stop giving a damn. As long as they get the patient off their hands, they’re happy. It happened to me—my old man passed away, and just a few days later, my grandfather had to have a pacemaker put in. He already has two artificial hips and moves incredibly slowly on crutches; you honestly don't know what to do with someone in that state. He got both the pacemaker and the hip replacements at the same hospital, and ever since that whole mess, his mobility has just plummeted. So now what am I supposed to do? There’s no one to look after him. I lost my job, and even if I find a new one, I can't take anything with long hours, field work, or overtime. Obviously, nobody gives a damn about my situation, and I refuse to touch his money, even though he has both an American and a German pension.
I want to work, but I can't live in constant fear of him falling again. It’s happened several times—once on the stairs just a few months after his surgery, once when he felt ill, and a couple of other times he just tripped and went down. He refuses to go to a nursing home, but you can't force him, yet you can't exactly leave someone in his condition alone at home either.
There are plenty of people who feel confident enough to undergo surgery, just like him, because they spent years doing heavy manual labor. Then illness hits, and most people can't afford private care, while the waitlists for government facilities are ten years long. When are we going to stop living like we're in Afghanistan? Our healthcare system is total garbage—actually, scratch that, my old man won't listen to me anyway. A doctor could have easily told him, "Sir, you need a facility; you can't be left home alone all day." 🤷

I mean, did you even bother visiting your own family doctor—you know, your grandfather's primary physician—to actually ask for advice?

I suppose people just don't seem to grasp that hospitals aren't really places where someone can just lie around waiting for things to happen. In a hospital, one expects diagnostic tests and therapeutic procedures; if rehabilitation is needed after that, then I guess you have to reach out to a specialist, a rehab center, a nursing home, hospice, or whatever else is appropriate.

Yes, the system is flawed, and I suppose that’s partly because people aren't aware of how this works, combined with the fact that there's just such a massive lack of capacity in certain areas.

Christian White3 said:What absolutely kills me about this healthcare system is when they send some elderly, frail person home for "post-op care" after surgery, and then they just completely stop giving a damn. As long as they get the patient off their hands, they’re happy. It happened to me—my old man passed away, and just a few days later, my grandfather had to have a pacemaker put in. He already has two artificial hips and moves incredibly slowly on crutches; you honestly don't know what to do with someone in that state. He got both the pacemaker and the hip replacements at the same hospital, and ever since that whole mess, his mobility has just plummeted. So now what am I supposed to do? There’s no one to look after him. I lost my job, and even if I find a new one, I can't take anything with long hours, field work, or overtime. Obviously, nobody gives a damn about my situation, and I refuse to touch his money, even though he has both an American and a German pension.
I want to work, but I can't live in constant fear of him falling again. It’s happened several times—once on the stairs just a few months after his surgery, once when he felt ill, and a couple of other times he just tripped and went down. He refuses to go to a nursing home, but you can't force him, yet you can't exactly leave someone in his condition alone at home either.
There are plenty of people who feel confident enough to undergo surgery, just like him, because they spent years doing heavy manual labor. Then illness hits, and most people can't afford private care, while the waitlists for government facilities are ten years long. When are we going to stop living like we're in Afghanistan? Our healthcare system is total garbage—actually, scratch that, my old man won't listen to me anyway. A doctor could have easily told him, "Sir, you need a facility; you can't be left home alone all day." 🤷

There is no question that you're facing a difficult situation, but I wonder, how would you actually want this to be resolved? Do you even have an idea, or perhaps just a wish?

Christian White3 said:What absolutely kills me about this healthcare system is when they send some elderly, frail person home for "post-op care" after surgery, and then they just completely stop giving a damn. As long as they get the patient off their hands, they’re happy. It happened to me—my old man passed away, and just a few days later, my grandfather had to have a pacemaker put in. He already has two artificial hips and moves incredibly slowly on crutches; you honestly don't know what to do with someone in that state. He got both the pacemaker and the hip replacements at the same hospital, and ever since that whole mess, his mobility has just plummeted. So now what am I supposed to do? There’s no one to look after him. I lost my job, and even if I find a new one, I can't take anything with long hours, field work, or overtime. Obviously, nobody gives a damn about my situation, and I refuse to touch his money, even though he has both an American and a German pension.
I want to work, but I can't live in constant fear of him falling again. It’s happened several times—once on the stairs just a few months after his surgery, once when he felt ill, and a couple of other times he just tripped and went down. He refuses to go to a nursing home, but you can't force him, yet you can't exactly leave someone in his condition alone at home either.
There are plenty of people who feel confident enough to undergo surgery, just like him, because they spent years doing heavy manual labor. Then illness hits, and most people can't afford private care, while the waitlists for government facilities are ten years long. When are we going to stop living like we're in Afghanistan? Our healthcare system is total garbage—actually, scratch that, my old man won't listen to me anyway. A doctor could have easily told him, "Sir, you need a facility; you can't be left home alone all day." 🤷

Well, that is precisely why you should be talking to the family doctor; maybe they could make a house call, or speak with your grandfather and your family to actually assess the situation.

It’s frustrating, I suppose, but these are personal tragedies, and the system isn't necessarily (that much) to blame here.

redridge13 said:This thread was basically made for me 😠 😠

So, let’s dive into my little saga regarding the supposed "right" a patient has to choose their own primary care physician.

I need to switch my GP, so I decided to take the logical route—you know, the one that actually makes sense? I called Medicare, asked the lady to check near my neighborhood for any doctors who haven't hit their cap yet (they're supposed to be under 1,900 patients), and that's when the absolute circus began...
I called them one after another, and every single person just brushed me off with some variation of "we're totally full."
I don't even want to mention how much time I wasted on the phone trying to get through to everyone.
When I finally got home, I sent an email to obvezno-osiguranje@hzzo-net.hr asking if they had a list of doctors actually accepting new patients, since calling every single clinic in Washington, D.C. isn't exactly a great use of my life.
Still no response today....

I called Medicare again this morning to ask for advice, and the woman tells me, "Look, there's nothing we can do for you, it's just plain rude of them, you can file a complaint." Then she casually mentions there are three doctors in a clinic just three blocks away.
Out of those three, I manage to reach one, and of course, he turns me down too.

Then I call the clinic I'm technically assigned to (the afternoon shift)—both of them blow me off. A nurse at another clinic even tells me that their colleague from the opposite shift *should* have taken me, even though that same woman snubbed me yesterday!
Then, at a clinic in the next neighborhood, I get rejected yet again.

I was so incredibly pissed that I called the Department of Health and Human Services hotline: 0800 200 063.
The website says—and the automated operator confirms—that live people are available from 8 to 4, but somehow, at 3:30 PM, I'm still stuck talking to a robot.
I left my info and gave a brief rundown of the mess.
About 15 minutes later, my phone rings. It's a woman from the Department of Health and Human Services. She didn't really know what to tell me; she seemed like she wanted to suggest everything I'd already tried with Medicare, but since I had, she just said she'd pass my complaint along...

And honestly, what can I say? On paper, I have the right to primary healthcare and to choose my doctor. In reality? It's a complete joke.

Tomorrow, I'm heading down to the local clinic in person. If they reject me, I'm demanding a written refusal. Then I'm sending the whole story, along with that paperwork, straight to Milinović and let him try finding me a GP himself.

Just as a little side note from the Medicare regulations (specifically the rules on exercising the right to freely choose a primary care physician or dentist):
Article 9.
A chosen doctor has the right to refuse a patient only in the following cases:
1. If the number of enrolled patients under their care exceeds the maximum limit set
by general agency policy.
2. If there is a breakdown in the relationship between the chosen doctor and the insured person.
The reason for refusing a patient must be recorded by the doctor in the designated section of the official statement form.

A chosen doctor is NOT allowed to refuse a patient simply because the person is older,
sick, immobile, an addict, or suffers from mental illness, or for any other reasons that are NOT
listed in paragraph 1 of this article.

P.S. Every month, several thousand dollars are stripped from my paycheck for health insurance.

This is going in the news. ☕

Look, I don't mean to upset you, but I find this whole narrative a bit strange.

In other words, my only real conclusion here is this: we are clearly facing a massive shortage of practicing physicians.

Because, honestly, it seems to be in the interest of every single family doctor (and several other specialists, I suppose) to take on as many patients as possible, given they are paid via capitation models; so, I can't really fathom any reason why someone would turn you away, unless they are simply overwhelmed by their caseload.

melloworca6 said:Clearly, it could be even more rigorous if my mom and I can go through Grandma's meds and find two pills she doesn't even need. And I wouldn't say they're strict with antibiotics either; I know a guy who was prescribed Sumamed just for a slightly large pimple on his face🤦.

I see it with the high schoolers too—doctors hand out antibiotics left and right. First they give one, then if that fails, they give another, and finally Sumamed. Then they send them for a swab practically while the treatment is still ongoing, and the swab comes back negative.

My point is, there are little things like this where massive amounts of money could be saved.

You know what the saddest part is? It’s not just one person hired; there are several. But either they don't know how to type, they're slow as hell, or they write everything down wrong. I guess instead of doctors dealing with some idiot who got the job through nepotism, they just decide to do it themselves.

They hire people for these positions from all sorts of backgrounds who have never seen a typewriter in their lives and couldn't even read Latin if their life depended on it. How can people like that even work in those roles? 🤷

That’s exactly what I would do.

If they have openings, they have to take you. If they refuse, do exactly what you said. Believe me, not one of them will dare reject you without a valid reason. There is just one catch: you might run into issues with the doctor later, like them being petty or making you jump through hoops just to get basic tests done.

Which one? You shouldn't just go around cutting someone's therapy without consulting a doctor, right?
How exactly are you interpreting this, and how did it even get to this point?

I already laid out my interpretation in my first post on this thread.

melloworca6 said:Clearly, it could be even more rigorous if my mom and I can go through Grandma's meds and find two pills she doesn't even need. And I wouldn't say they're strict with antibiotics either; I know a guy who was prescribed Sumamed just for a slightly large pimple on his face🤦.

I see it with the high schoolers too—doctors hand out antibiotics left and right. First they give one, then if that fails, they give another, and finally Sumamed. Then they send them for a swab practically while the treatment is still ongoing, and the swab comes back negative.

My point is, there are little things like this where massive amounts of money could be saved.

You know what the saddest part is? It’s not just one person hired; there are several. But either they don't know how to type, they're slow as hell, or they write everything down wrong. I guess instead of doctors dealing with some idiot who got the job through nepotism, they just decide to do it themselves.

They hire people for these positions from all sorts of backgrounds who have never seen a typewriter in their lives and couldn't even read Latin if their life depended on it. How can people like that even work in those roles? 🤷

That’s exactly what I would do.

If they have openings, they have to take you. If they refuse, do exactly what you said. Believe me, not one of them will dare reject you without a valid reason. There is just one catch: you might run into issues with the doctor later, like them being petty or making you jump through hoops just to get basic tests done.

Listen, that sounds like hearsay to me. They are incredibly strict! They just sweep you aside... ugh...

melloworca6 said:Clearly, it could be even more rigorous if my mom and I can go through Grandma's meds and find two pills she doesn't even need. And I wouldn't say they're strict with antibiotics either; I know a guy who was prescribed Sumamed just for a slightly large pimple on his face🤦.

I see it with the high schoolers too—doctors hand out antibiotics left and right. First they give one, then if that fails, they give another, and finally Sumamed. Then they send them for a swab practically while the treatment is still ongoing, and the swab comes back negative.

My point is, there are little things like this where massive amounts of money could be saved.

You know what the saddest part is? It’s not just one person hired; there are several. But either they don't know how to type, they're slow as hell, or they write everything down wrong. I guess instead of doctors dealing with some idiot who got the job through nepotism, they just decide to do it themselves.

They hire people for these positions from all sorts of backgrounds who have never seen a typewriter in their lives and couldn't even read Latin if their life depended on it. How can people like that even work in those roles? 🤷

That’s exactly what I would do.

If they have openings, they have to take you. If they refuse, do exactly what you said. Believe me, not one of them will dare reject you without a valid reason. There is just one catch: you might run into issues with the doctor later, like them being petty or making you jump through hoops just to get basic tests done.

Well... that brings us to the actual question of what is happening here. I suppose, without going further, Americans prescribe and consume far too many antibiotics, but in my view, we really need to investigate the root of the problem scientifically first.
As far as I know, where are they prescribed most often? To young children for throat infections.
And I guess the factors at play here include: physician fear, parental anxiety, ignorance (?), or perhaps pressure?
Teenagers and older adults aren't much of an issue; that demographic is relatively healthy.

melloworca6 said:Clearly, it could be even more rigorous if my mom and I can go through Grandma's meds and find two pills she doesn't even need. And I wouldn't say they're strict with antibiotics either; I know a guy who was prescribed Sumamed just for a slightly large pimple on his face🤦.

I see it with the high schoolers too—doctors hand out antibiotics left and right. First they give one, then if that fails, they give another, and finally Sumamed. Then they send them for a swab practically while the treatment is still ongoing, and the swab comes back negative.

My point is, there are little things like this where massive amounts of money could be saved.

You know what the saddest part is? It’s not just one person hired; there are several. But either they don't know how to type, they're slow as hell, or they write everything down wrong. I guess instead of doctors dealing with some idiot who got the job through nepotism, they just decide to do it themselves.

They hire people for these positions from all sorts of backgrounds who have never seen a typewriter in their lives and couldn't even read Latin if their life depended on it. How can people like that even work in those roles? 🤷

That’s exactly what I would do.

If they have openings, they have to take you. If they refuse, do exactly what you said. Believe me, not one of them will dare reject you without a valid reason. There is just one catch: you might run into issues with the doctor later, like them being petty or making you jump through hoops just to get basic tests done.

Look, melloworca6, if you want to have a serious discussion, I guess you should avoid making such sweeping generalizations. The issue with antibiotic consumption isn't really about the financial aspect as much as it is about the development of resistance. And frankly, I highly doubt you actually know how much different antibiotics cost, or how frequently certain ones are (incorrectly) being prescribed. Please.

Maria Gomez4 said:Look, I don't mean to upset you, but I find this whole narrative a bit strange.

In other words, my only real conclusion here is this: we are clearly facing a massive shortage of practicing physicians.

Because, honestly, it seems to be in the interest of every single family doctor (and several other specialists, I suppose) to take on as many patients as possible, given they are paid via capitation models; so, I can't really fathom any reason why someone would turn you away, unless they are simply overwhelmed by their caseload.

Look, if you want to slide into my DMs with a list of names and phone numbers and expect me to actually pick up the phone and start dialing, you're dreaming. I'm not running a telemarketing agency here, man. Go ahead and send whatever you want privately if you need to vent, but don't expect me to act like some kind of automated calling service. I've got better things to do with my time.

Honestly, I’m just as baffled as you are. Something about this whole thing feels off to me, too.
The only logical conclusion I’m drawing from all this is that these people are living pretty damn well off those massive kickbacks they pull, and honestly? They have zero incentive to actually deal with more patients. Why bother busting their backs when the money is already rolling in?
Look, I’m telling you, they don't have more patients. I had an auntie from Medicare confirm it to me twice—and honestly, if you just head over to the Medicare website and check the tables for contracted teams, you can see exactly how many patients everyone actually has. It's all right there in black and white.

And just for the record, I’m not some elderly shut-in, I'm not immobile, I don't have some chronic illness, and I'm definitely not a junkie.
I do all my research through my private insurance provider, but I still need to swing by my GP's office to get a formal sick note processed. My pediatrician recommended it, and honestly, I need the paperwork—I’ve got a little preschooler at home who seems to catch every single bug going around. It feels like we're constantly fighting off something new.

I have to say, I’ve never actually heard that specific angle before; up until now, I guess I had always assumed people were just turning things down because they were feeling completely overwhelmed.

Maria Gomez4 said:Look, I don't mean to upset you, but I find this whole narrative a bit strange.

In other words, my only real conclusion here is this: we are clearly facing a massive shortage of practicing physicians.

Because, honestly, it seems to be in the interest of every single family doctor (and several other specialists, I suppose) to take on as many patients as possible, given they are paid via capitation models; so, I can't really fathom any reason why someone would turn you away, unless they are simply overwhelmed by their caseload.

I know gynecologists who have done the same thing. They're also paid per head, and if they still had room to take people on, they wouldn't be turning new patients away.

Maria Gomez4 said:Which one? You shouldn't just go around cutting someone's therapy without consulting a doctor, right?
How exactly are you interpreting this, and how did it even get to this point?

I already laid out my interpretation in my first post on this thread.

Listen, that sounds like hearsay to me. They are incredibly strict! They just sweep you aside... ugh...

Well... that brings us to the actual question of what is happening here. I suppose, without going further, Americans prescribe and consume far too many antibiotics, but in my view, we really need to investigate the root of the problem scientifically first.
As far as I know, where are they prescribed most often? To young children for throat infections.
And I guess the factors at play here include: physician fear, parental anxiety, ignorance (?), or perhaps pressure?
Teenagers and older adults aren't much of an issue; that demographic is relatively healthy.

Look, melloworca6, if you want to have a serious discussion, I guess you should avoid making such sweeping generalizations. The issue with antibiotic consumption isn't really about the financial aspect as much as it is about the development of resistance. And frankly, I highly doubt you actually know how much different antibiotics cost, or how frequently certain ones are (incorrectly) being prescribed. Please.

I'm certainly not going to cancel anything for her—I don't have any medical training.

As I mentioned, the grandmother was given an allergy med (Florida) by her doctor, even though she isn't allergic to anything. And if the doctor actually suspected an allergy, she should have sent her for allergy testing instead of just guessing. Besides, one of the side effects of the blood pressure meds she takes is itching, hives, and rashes, so the doctor really should have suspected that first.

And what kind of kid is going to give her Zaldiar 😲? That's basically tramadol; that stuff is for heavy-duty pain. Let's be real: aside from the usual issues old folks have with high blood pressure, heart problems, and joints, she doesn't have other issues and truly has no need for that kind of medication. On top of that, she knows how to take aspirin, and sometimes she'll pop something like Cafetin for pain.

She doesn't read the labels and has no clue what any of these drugs are for; the doctor hands them to her and she just takes them whenever she's hurting or feeling off. My mom lost her mind and grabbed all the instructions for the meds to bring home, just so she could see what on earth she’s actually taking and why.

And let me tell you one thing: half these old folks exaggerate and show up to the doctor for nothing. I saw a segment on TV recently where some grandma, maybe 60 years old, claimed she goes to see her doctor several times a week 😲.

Maria Gomez4 said:Which one? You shouldn't just go around cutting someone's therapy without consulting a doctor, right?
How exactly are you interpreting this, and how did it even get to this point?

I already laid out my interpretation in my first post on this thread.

Listen, that sounds like hearsay to me. They are incredibly strict! They just sweep you aside... ugh...

Well... that brings us to the actual question of what is happening here. I suppose, without going further, Americans prescribe and consume far too many antibiotics, but in my view, we really need to investigate the root of the problem scientifically first.
As far as I know, where are they prescribed most often? To young children for throat infections.
And I guess the factors at play here include: physician fear, parental anxiety, ignorance (?), or perhaps pressure?
Teenagers and older adults aren't much of an issue; that demographic is relatively healthy.

Look, melloworca6, if you want to have a serious discussion, I guess you should avoid making such sweeping generalizations. The issue with antibiotic consumption isn't really about the financial aspect as much as it is about the development of resistance. And frankly, I highly doubt you actually know how much different antibiotics cost, or how frequently certain ones are (incorrectly) being prescribed. Please.

I only mentioned antibiotics as an example. Why wouldn't you think the more expensive drugs get prescribed just as pointlessly?

And even if the price per box is $3.25, it’s still just $3.25 wasted. I think a box of Celebrex goes for about $27, which isn't exactly cheap if you ask me.

redridge13 said:Look, if you want to slide into my DMs with a list of names and phone numbers and expect me to actually pick up the phone and start dialing, you're dreaming. I'm not running a telemarketing agency here, man. Go ahead and send whatever you want privately if you need to vent, but don't expect me to act like some kind of automated calling service. I've got better things to do with my time.

Honestly, I’m just as baffled as you are. Something about this whole thing feels off to me, too.
The only logical conclusion I’m drawing from all this is that these people are living pretty damn well off those massive kickbacks they pull, and honestly? They have zero incentive to actually deal with more patients. Why bother busting their backs when the money is already rolling in?
Look, I’m telling you, they don't have more patients. I had an auntie from Medicare confirm it to me twice—and honestly, if you just head over to the Medicare website and check the tables for contracted teams, you can see exactly how many patients everyone actually has. It's all right there in black and white.

And just for the record, I’m not some elderly shut-in, I'm not immobile, I don't have some chronic illness, and I'm definitely not a junkie.
I do all my research through my private insurance provider, but I still need to swing by my GP's office to get a formal sick note processed. My pediatrician recommended it, and honestly, I need the paperwork—I’ve got a little preschooler at home who seems to catch every single bug going around. It feels like we're constantly fighting off something new.

So, did you finally manage to get your medical file opened?

melloworca6 said:I know gynecologists who have done the same thing. They're also paid per head, and if they still had room to take people on, they wouldn't be turning new patients away.

I'm certainly not going to cancel anything for her—I don't have any medical training.

As I mentioned, the grandmother was given an allergy med (Florida) by her doctor, even though she isn't allergic to anything. And if the doctor actually suspected an allergy, she should have sent her for allergy testing instead of just guessing. Besides, one of the side effects of the blood pressure meds she takes is itching, hives, and rashes, so the doctor really should have suspected that first.

And what kind of kid is going to give her Zaldiar 😲? That's basically tramadol; that stuff is for heavy-duty pain. Let's be real: aside from the usual issues old folks have with high blood pressure, heart problems, and joints, she doesn't have other issues and truly has no need for that kind of medication. On top of that, she knows how to take aspirin, and sometimes she'll pop something like Cafetin for pain.

She doesn't read the labels and has no clue what any of these drugs are for; the doctor hands them to her and she just takes them whenever she's hurting or feeling off. My mom lost her mind and grabbed all the instructions for the meds to bring home, just so she could see what on earth she’s actually taking and why.

And let me tell you one thing: half these old folks exaggerate and show up to the doctor for nothing. I saw a segment on TV recently where some grandma, maybe 60 years old, claimed she goes to see her doctor several times a week 😲.

I only mentioned antibiotics as an example. Why wouldn't you think the more expensive drugs get prescribed just as pointlessly?

And even if the price per box is $3.25, it’s still just $3.25 wasted. I think a box of Celebrex goes for about $27, which isn't exactly cheap if you ask me.

So, did you finally manage to get your medical file opened?

Yeah, I did. I ended up going to the woman who actually turned me away two days earlier (ironically, her colleague from the opposite shift was the one who sent me back to her in the first place)
Look, there are definitely spots available, but honestly, the reasons why they keep rejecting people are still a total mystery to me. 🙄

So, after my little "pilgrimage," I have to say I am extremely satisfied with our healthcare system.🙂

melloworca6 said:I know gynecologists who have done the same thing. They're also paid per head, and if they still had room to take people on, they wouldn't be turning new patients away.

I'm certainly not going to cancel anything for her—I don't have any medical training.

As I mentioned, the grandmother was given an allergy med (Florida) by her doctor, even though she isn't allergic to anything. And if the doctor actually suspected an allergy, she should have sent her for allergy testing instead of just guessing. Besides, one of the side effects of the blood pressure meds she takes is itching, hives, and rashes, so the doctor really should have suspected that first.

And what kind of kid is going to give her Zaldiar 😲? That's basically tramadol; that stuff is for heavy-duty pain. Let's be real: aside from the usual issues old folks have with high blood pressure, heart problems, and joints, she doesn't have other issues and truly has no need for that kind of medication. On top of that, she knows how to take aspirin, and sometimes she'll pop something like Cafetin for pain.

She doesn't read the labels and has no clue what any of these drugs are for; the doctor hands them to her and she just takes them whenever she's hurting or feeling off. My mom lost her mind and grabbed all the instructions for the meds to bring home, just so she could see what on earth she’s actually taking and why.

And let me tell you one thing: half these old folks exaggerate and show up to the doctor for nothing. I saw a segment on TV recently where some grandma, maybe 60 years old, claimed she goes to see her doctor several times a week 😲.

I only mentioned antibiotics as an example. Why wouldn't you think the more expensive drugs get prescribed just as pointlessly?

And even if the price per box is $3.25, it’s still just $3.25 wasted. I think a box of Celebrex goes for about $27, which isn't exactly cheap if you ask me.

So, did you finally manage to get your medical file opened?

It really depends, I guess. Is your grandmother still dealing with that itching sensation? Is she still taking Florida? Look, those side effects can be a real nightmare; sometimes it might just be easier to push through it if the treatment is only short-term, though I suppose blood pressure medication is a different story entirely. If she’s been on them for a long time and this itching just suddenly flared up and then vanished, it probably isn't caused by those meds.
Maybe you should bring it up with the doctor next time; if that itching doesn't clear up, I guess they might need to rethink the whole treatment plan. But then again, some people just have to endure it... they simply have to... there isn't really any other way... (not that I'm actually giving advice, obviously).

melloworca6 Asks:
And I suppose which kid is actually going to be given Zaldiar? 😲I guess that’s basically just Tramadol, which is usually reserved for when the pain is absolutely unbearable. To be fair, aside from those standard issues older folks deal with—you know, high blood pressure, heart stuff, and joint pain—she doesn't really have any other health concerns, so she probably doesn't even need something that heavy-duty. Besides, she's perfectly capable of just taking an Aspirin or maybe popping a Cafetin if things get rough.

I guess people act like you can't just take Zaldiar on occasion? Look, there are a ton of painkillers out there—maybe fifteen or twenty different types—and the standard procedure is usually to start with something mild, only for the patient to eventually turn to their doctor and say, "I need something stronger," and that’s just how the cycle goes. Zaldiar is undeniably potent, but I would argue it's actually quite effective and safe if used correctly; there's really no reason to be terrified of it, though I suppose the real issue arises if you're taking any medication long-term. But listen, when you're dealing with hip pain, an aspirin or a Cafetin isn't going to do much of anything. My theory is this: when the pain becomes truly unbearable, it might actually be better to just take one strong pill to suppress it immediately, rather than taking one weak pill, then another, and then having to keep increasing the dosage.

melloworca6 As if anyone actually cares what they have to say.
She doesn't bother reading the labels, nor does she seem to have any clue what her medications are actually for; she just takes whatever her doctor prescribed whenever she feels some pain or starts feeling under the weather. My mother finally lost her temper and grabbed all the instructions for the meds, bringing them home so she could figure out exactly what on earth she's been swallowing and why.

It sounds like a complete joke, but I witnessed it with my own eyes: "...I take those pills, you know, the ones I always take, little red ones, taken in the morning..." Ah...

melloworca6 said:I know gynecologists who have done the same thing. They're also paid per head, and if they still had room to take people on, they wouldn't be turning new patients away.

I'm certainly not going to cancel anything for her—I don't have any medical training.

As I mentioned, the grandmother was given an allergy med (Florida) by her doctor, even though she isn't allergic to anything. And if the doctor actually suspected an allergy, she should have sent her for allergy testing instead of just guessing. Besides, one of the side effects of the blood pressure meds she takes is itching, hives, and rashes, so the doctor really should have suspected that first.

And what kind of kid is going to give her Zaldiar 😲? That's basically tramadol; that stuff is for heavy-duty pain. Let's be real: aside from the usual issues old folks have with high blood pressure, heart problems, and joints, she doesn't have other issues and truly has no need for that kind of medication. On top of that, she knows how to take aspirin, and sometimes she'll pop something like Cafetin for pain.

She doesn't read the labels and has no clue what any of these drugs are for; the doctor hands them to her and she just takes them whenever she's hurting or feeling off. My mom lost her mind and grabbed all the instructions for the meds to bring home, just so she could see what on earth she’s actually taking and why.

And let me tell you one thing: half these old folks exaggerate and show up to the doctor for nothing. I saw a segment on TV recently where some grandma, maybe 60 years old, claimed she goes to see her doctor several times a week 😲.

I only mentioned antibiotics as an example. Why wouldn't you think the more expensive drugs get prescribed just as pointlessly?

And even if the price per box is $3.25, it’s still just $3.25 wasted. I think a box of Celebrex goes for about $27, which isn't exactly cheap if you ask me.

So, did you finally manage to get your medical file opened?

Oh, absolutely... the doctor I used to work for actually lost their temper once and wrote a note stating that patients coming in more than once a month have to make formal appointments! (which, I guess, really rattled a recovering addict who had to pick up Heptanone every two days) they also mentioned things were much better back when people had to pay a co-pay; people definitely feel the pinch when those frequent visits start adding up. It's honestly unbelievable to me that if you're responsible for a patient load of 2,500 people, you end up seeing 70 to 100 people every single day. Every single workday. I mean, I've actually witnessed patients complaining about how certain others among them are constantly hovering around the doctor 😂.
I suppose we should probably introduce some kind of course in elementary schools; you know, since they teach kids how to cross the street or walk on a sidewalk, they might as well teach them how to properly utilize health services and how to actually visit a doctor.

As for the actual excessive consumption of medication, I think that probably warrants its own field of study. What I'm describing is just what we're taught; you have little kids being prescribed Amoxicillin, Klavocin, even Sumamed... Silapen is decent because there's this somewhat cemented opinion that it's exclusively for strep throat, even though it isn't, so there's relatively less error there. (Though, if you look closely, mononucleosis can present with very similar symptoms)

Maria Gomez4 said:Can I ask a somewhat blunt question here—did you ever actually ask anyone to explain things to you?
In my experience, people have always been willing to walk me through everything (provided I actually asked), though I suppose that isn't always the case.
Maybe it is just an attitude issue, or perhaps I am wrong, but I suspect some people simply prefer to stay detached and avoid getting too involved with their own health. Or, I guess, maybe they are just intimidated by doctors, which might explain why they tend to corner interns to interpret their results, since interns usually don't mind helping out.

Why on earth would I need to pray to anyone just to get an explanation for the very reason I showed up?

Take the other day, for instance... I went in for an abdominal ultrasound, and honestly, the entire experience consisted of nothing more than being told to "take a breath," "hold it," and "just breathe"—followed by the standard, "wait over by the window for your results." Then, I finally get the report in my hands and it says:

Cholecystolithiasis—or what most people just call gallstones—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual reality of dealing with it. Essentially, you’re looking at solid deposits forming in your gallbladder, which can turn a routine Tuesday into a complete nightmare if they decide to migrate. It’s a bit like having a handful of gravel stuck in a delicate piece of plumbing; everything functions fine until a stone decides to wedge itself right in the narrowest part of the pipe. Once that happens, the discomfort isn't just a nuisance—it's a full-blown crisis.
Splenomegaly—essentially an enlarged spleen—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual sensation might suggest, though the underlying causes can certainly be serious. It isn’t a disease in itself, but rather a clinical sign that something else is going on within the body's internal ecosystem. Think of the spleen as a sort of high-tech filtration plant for your blood. When that plant starts swelling, it’s usually because it's being overworked—perhaps by fighting off a persistent infection, or due to issues with how blood cells are being produced or recycled. It could be anything from a relatively minor viral bout to more complex hematological concerns that require a specialist's touch. If you’re feeling that specific fullness or discomfort in the upper left side of your abdomen, it’s worth getting it checked out by a professional. It’s better to have a doctor run some standard tests—maybe some blood work or an ultrasound—to figure out if your "filtration plant" is just dealing with a temporary clog or if there's a deeper systemic issue at play. Always listen to those subtle cues your body sends; they're rarely wrong.

I did some Googling of these Latin terms and discovered that I have an enlarged spleen and gallstones... Should I be praying over this information, or was my doctor—the one who performed the exam—supposed to tell me directly?

Nicholas Chavez70 Asks:
It shouldn't be particularly difficult to distinguish between those who dress themselves up and those who just smoke like a chimney. When you look at the data—blood alcohol levels, the specific patterns of damage to the liver, brain, stomach, and kidneys—it becomes quite obvious how chronic drinkers differ from everyone else. It’s the same story with cigarettes; you have layers of tar and nicotine building up in the lungs year after year. Personally, I’m all for a dedicated surcharge on alcohol and tobacco to help fund Medicare, but that isn't true prevention. If you actually want to prevent health issues, the most effective method is prevention via the wallet—making the cost high enough that people think twice before they indulge.

So, get this—about nine months ago, I was recovering from surgery. While I was in the ICU, the doctor on duty was listening to my lungs when she suddenly shakes her head and starts muttering under her breath, something like, "Ugh, you smoke..." I could have sworn right then and there that I’ve never even touched a cigarette in my entire life. It’s honestly such a repulsive assumption to make. But here I am—the lucky one who basically grew up in a cloud of smoke, having spent twenty-three years breathing in secondhand smoke.

And how exactly would you go about proving that?

melloworca6 said:Look, don't try to lecture me on economics or money; I get it. My point is we need to find a way to penalize certain behaviors (take smokers or hypochondriacs, for example) instead of just cutting people off because some idiots exist or because some people simply don't care about their own health.

And honestly, they should start cleaning house with primary care doctors. I was looking at the prescriptions my grandma takes recently, and out of 5 or 6 different meds, at least two are totally useless. For instance, one side effect of a blood pressure med can be itching, allergies, or a rash. She probably got an itch from that, so they gave her an antihistamine. How many elderly people are out there complaining about what’s likely just a drug side effect, only to be handed more pills, and then spend months taking stuff they don't actually need?

Same thing happened when I was sitting in a waiting room at the doctor's office. This woman was telling how her mom had been coughing for months; they sent her through every test under the sun—immunology, everything—only for it to turn out the cough was just a side effect of her blood pressure medication.

There's your savings right there: pay a little more attention to the details. And don't even get me started on antibiotics being handed out like candy. People walk into the clinic with the flu and get prescribed antibiotics. If people knew that the flu is a virus and that viruses don't respond to antibiotics, then doctors should at least explain that to them, rather than just taking the easy way out and dumping antibiotics on a kid to get them out the door.
First, it's a total waste of money, and second, it's dangerous because bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant.

So you said you aren't a primary care doctor? 🙂

Good for you. We need more doctors like that. My old doctor couldn't even figure out how to use a computer, let alone search the internet.

My grandfather used to say back in the day—and he was one of those old-school types who didn't waste words—that things were built differently then. It wasn't just about the quality of the tools or the materials, though that was part of it; it was more about a certain mindset, a way of approaching life that seems to have slipped through our fingers lately. He had this quiet, steady way of looking at the world—not rushing to judgment, just observing—and he believed that if you took care of the small details, the big picture would eventually take care of itself. It’s a perspective that feels increasingly rare in such a loud, fast-paced era. Twelve varieties. It’s always the same cycle—you take a pill, then go in for a follow-up only to have the doctor tell you your stomach is acting up because of the medication, so they just hand you another prescription to fix the side effects of the first one. It's a bit of a loop, isn't it? 🙄

melloworca6 said:Look, don't try to lecture me on economics or money; I get it. My point is we need to find a way to penalize certain behaviors (take smokers or hypochondriacs, for example) instead of just cutting people off because some idiots exist or because some people simply don't care about their own health.

And honestly, they should start cleaning house with primary care doctors. I was looking at the prescriptions my grandma takes recently, and out of 5 or 6 different meds, at least two are totally useless. For instance, one side effect of a blood pressure med can be itching, allergies, or a rash. She probably got an itch from that, so they gave her an antihistamine. How many elderly people are out there complaining about what’s likely just a drug side effect, only to be handed more pills, and then spend months taking stuff they don't actually need?

Same thing happened when I was sitting in a waiting room at the doctor's office. This woman was telling how her mom had been coughing for months; they sent her through every test under the sun—immunology, everything—only for it to turn out the cough was just a side effect of her blood pressure medication.

There's your savings right there: pay a little more attention to the details. And don't even get me started on antibiotics being handed out like candy. People walk into the clinic with the flu and get prescribed antibiotics. If people knew that the flu is a virus and that viruses don't respond to antibiotics, then doctors should at least explain that to them, rather than just taking the easy way out and dumping antibiotics on a kid to get them out the door.
First, it's a total waste of money, and second, it's dangerous because bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant.

So you said you aren't a primary care doctor? 🙂

Good for you. We need more doctors like that. My old doctor couldn't even figure out how to use a computer, let alone search the internet.

I honestly get a little anxious watching my doctor click through the exact same menu a million times—just pounding away at the keyboard with two fingers like she’s using an old typewriter.

If she realized that software isn't static—that you don't just use the same program every single day and constantly have to type things out—maybe she wouldn't be so perpetually lost in space and time... by the way, I've been seeing this woman for 40 years now.

Karen Young17 Asks:
I suppose I don't see why I should ever have to resort to prayer just to get someone to explain exactly what I came here for.

Because that’s just what decent people do. I mean, it's not like you showed up to a local farmers market specifically to buy lettuce, only to have a bunch of little gremlins jumping around you trying to hawk their products; even if you did go there for groceries, I guess having a bit of basic politeness wouldn't actually hurt anyone.

Karen Young17 said:Why on earth would I need to pray to anyone just to get an explanation for the very reason I showed up?

Take the other day, for instance... I went in for an abdominal ultrasound, and honestly, the entire experience consisted of nothing more than being told to "take a breath," "hold it," and "just breathe"—followed by the standard, "wait over by the window for your results." Then, I finally get the report in my hands and it says:

Cholecystolithiasis—or what most people just call gallstones—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual reality of dealing with it. Essentially, you’re looking at solid deposits forming in your gallbladder, which can turn a routine Tuesday into a complete nightmare if they decide to migrate. It’s a bit like having a handful of gravel stuck in a delicate piece of plumbing; everything functions fine until a stone decides to wedge itself right in the narrowest part of the pipe. Once that happens, the discomfort isn't just a nuisance—it's a full-blown crisis.
Splenomegaly—essentially an enlarged spleen—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual sensation might suggest, though the underlying causes can certainly be serious. It isn’t a disease in itself, but rather a clinical sign that something else is going on within the body's internal ecosystem. Think of the spleen as a sort of high-tech filtration plant for your blood. When that plant starts swelling, it’s usually because it's being overworked—perhaps by fighting off a persistent infection, or due to issues with how blood cells are being produced or recycled. It could be anything from a relatively minor viral bout to more complex hematological concerns that require a specialist's touch. If you’re feeling that specific fullness or discomfort in the upper left side of your abdomen, it’s worth getting it checked out by a professional. It’s better to have a doctor run some standard tests—maybe some blood work or an ultrasound—to figure out if your "filtration plant" is just dealing with a temporary clog or if there's a deeper systemic issue at play. Always listen to those subtle cues your body sends; they're rarely wrong.

I did some Googling of these Latin terms and discovered that I have an enlarged spleen and gallstones... Should I be praying over this information, or was my doctor—the one who performed the exam—supposed to tell me directly?

Nicholas Chavez70 Asks:
It shouldn't be particularly difficult to distinguish between those who dress themselves up and those who just smoke like a chimney. When you look at the data—blood alcohol levels, the specific patterns of damage to the liver, brain, stomach, and kidneys—it becomes quite obvious how chronic drinkers differ from everyone else. It’s the same story with cigarettes; you have layers of tar and nicotine building up in the lungs year after year. Personally, I’m all for a dedicated surcharge on alcohol and tobacco to help fund Medicare, but that isn't true prevention. If you actually want to prevent health issues, the most effective method is prevention via the wallet—making the cost high enough that people think twice before they indulge.

So, get this—about nine months ago, I was recovering from surgery. While I was in the ICU, the doctor on duty was listening to my lungs when she suddenly shakes her head and starts muttering under her breath, something like, "Ugh, you smoke..." I could have sworn right then and there that I’ve never even touched a cigarette in my entire life. It’s honestly such a repulsive assumption to make. But here I am—the lucky one who basically grew up in a cloud of smoke, having spent twenty-three years breathing in secondhand smoke.

And how exactly would you go about proving that?

My grandfather used to say back in the day—and he was one of those old-school types who didn't waste words—that things were built differently then. It wasn't just about the quality of the tools or the materials, though that was part of it; it was more about a certain mindset, a way of approaching life that seems to have slipped through our fingers lately. He had this quiet, steady way of looking at the world—not rushing to judgment, just observing—and he believed that if you took care of the small details, the big picture would eventually take care of itself. It’s a perspective that feels increasingly rare in such a loud, fast-paced era. Twelve varieties. It’s always the same cycle—you take a pill, then go in for a follow-up only to have the doctor tell you your stomach is acting up because of the medication, so they just hand you another prescription to fix the side effects of the first one. It's a bit of a loop, isn't it? 🙄

I honestly get a little anxious watching my doctor click through the exact same menu a million times—just pounding away at the keyboard with two fingers like she’s using an old typewriter.

If she realized that software isn't static—that you don't just use the same program every single day and constantly have to type things out—maybe she wouldn't be so perpetually lost in space and time... by the way, I've been seeing this woman for 40 years now.

Well, exactly. That medical report is intended specifically for your physician, which is why it’s written in a technical language and filled with terminology that seems completely foreign to most of the general public. I guess you should just ask whoever ordered the test what they actually found. After all, that report is only one small piece of the puzzle—it's just a fragment of the full picture. Only a doctor can see the whole thing, since they are the only ones with the actual expertise required to interpret those images correctly.

Karen Young17 said:Why on earth would I need to pray to anyone just to get an explanation for the very reason I showed up?

Take the other day, for instance... I went in for an abdominal ultrasound, and honestly, the entire experience consisted of nothing more than being told to "take a breath," "hold it," and "just breathe"—followed by the standard, "wait over by the window for your results." Then, I finally get the report in my hands and it says:

Cholecystolithiasis—or what most people just call gallstones—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual reality of dealing with it. Essentially, you’re looking at solid deposits forming in your gallbladder, which can turn a routine Tuesday into a complete nightmare if they decide to migrate. It’s a bit like having a handful of gravel stuck in a delicate piece of plumbing; everything functions fine until a stone decides to wedge itself right in the narrowest part of the pipe. Once that happens, the discomfort isn't just a nuisance—it's a full-blown crisis.
Splenomegaly—essentially an enlarged spleen—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual sensation might suggest, though the underlying causes can certainly be serious. It isn’t a disease in itself, but rather a clinical sign that something else is going on within the body's internal ecosystem. Think of the spleen as a sort of high-tech filtration plant for your blood. When that plant starts swelling, it’s usually because it's being overworked—perhaps by fighting off a persistent infection, or due to issues with how blood cells are being produced or recycled. It could be anything from a relatively minor viral bout to more complex hematological concerns that require a specialist's touch. If you’re feeling that specific fullness or discomfort in the upper left side of your abdomen, it’s worth getting it checked out by a professional. It’s better to have a doctor run some standard tests—maybe some blood work or an ultrasound—to figure out if your "filtration plant" is just dealing with a temporary clog or if there's a deeper systemic issue at play. Always listen to those subtle cues your body sends; they're rarely wrong.

I did some Googling of these Latin terms and discovered that I have an enlarged spleen and gallstones... Should I be praying over this information, or was my doctor—the one who performed the exam—supposed to tell me directly?

Nicholas Chavez70 Asks:
It shouldn't be particularly difficult to distinguish between those who dress themselves up and those who just smoke like a chimney. When you look at the data—blood alcohol levels, the specific patterns of damage to the liver, brain, stomach, and kidneys—it becomes quite obvious how chronic drinkers differ from everyone else. It’s the same story with cigarettes; you have layers of tar and nicotine building up in the lungs year after year. Personally, I’m all for a dedicated surcharge on alcohol and tobacco to help fund Medicare, but that isn't true prevention. If you actually want to prevent health issues, the most effective method is prevention via the wallet—making the cost high enough that people think twice before they indulge.

So, get this—about nine months ago, I was recovering from surgery. While I was in the ICU, the doctor on duty was listening to my lungs when she suddenly shakes her head and starts muttering under her breath, something like, "Ugh, you smoke..." I could have sworn right then and there that I’ve never even touched a cigarette in my entire life. It’s honestly such a repulsive assumption to make. But here I am—the lucky one who basically grew up in a cloud of smoke, having spent twenty-three years breathing in secondhand smoke.

And how exactly would you go about proving that?

My grandfather used to say back in the day—and he was one of those old-school types who didn't waste words—that things were built differently then. It wasn't just about the quality of the tools or the materials, though that was part of it; it was more about a certain mindset, a way of approaching life that seems to have slipped through our fingers lately. He had this quiet, steady way of looking at the world—not rushing to judgment, just observing—and he believed that if you took care of the small details, the big picture would eventually take care of itself. It’s a perspective that feels increasingly rare in such a loud, fast-paced era. Twelve varieties. It’s always the same cycle—you take a pill, then go in for a follow-up only to have the doctor tell you your stomach is acting up because of the medication, so they just hand you another prescription to fix the side effects of the first one. It's a bit of a loop, isn't it? 🙄

I honestly get a little anxious watching my doctor click through the exact same menu a million times—just pounding away at the keyboard with two fingers like she’s using an old typewriter.

If she realized that software isn't static—that you don't just use the same program every single day and constantly have to type things out—maybe she wouldn't be so perpetually lost in space and time... by the way, I've been seeing this woman for 40 years now.

It feels a bit harsh to make assumptions like that, but I suppose the doctor is actually quite skilled. Maybe you’re just feeling frustrated because of your smoking environment; those surroundings probably aren't doing you any favors, I guess.

Karen Young17 said:Why on earth would I need to pray to anyone just to get an explanation for the very reason I showed up?

Take the other day, for instance... I went in for an abdominal ultrasound, and honestly, the entire experience consisted of nothing more than being told to "take a breath," "hold it," and "just breathe"—followed by the standard, "wait over by the window for your results." Then, I finally get the report in my hands and it says:

Cholecystolithiasis—or what most people just call gallstones—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual reality of dealing with it. Essentially, you’re looking at solid deposits forming in your gallbladder, which can turn a routine Tuesday into a complete nightmare if they decide to migrate. It’s a bit like having a handful of gravel stuck in a delicate piece of plumbing; everything functions fine until a stone decides to wedge itself right in the narrowest part of the pipe. Once that happens, the discomfort isn't just a nuisance—it's a full-blown crisis.
Splenomegaly—essentially an enlarged spleen—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual sensation might suggest, though the underlying causes can certainly be serious. It isn’t a disease in itself, but rather a clinical sign that something else is going on within the body's internal ecosystem. Think of the spleen as a sort of high-tech filtration plant for your blood. When that plant starts swelling, it’s usually because it's being overworked—perhaps by fighting off a persistent infection, or due to issues with how blood cells are being produced or recycled. It could be anything from a relatively minor viral bout to more complex hematological concerns that require a specialist's touch. If you’re feeling that specific fullness or discomfort in the upper left side of your abdomen, it’s worth getting it checked out by a professional. It’s better to have a doctor run some standard tests—maybe some blood work or an ultrasound—to figure out if your "filtration plant" is just dealing with a temporary clog or if there's a deeper systemic issue at play. Always listen to those subtle cues your body sends; they're rarely wrong.

I did some Googling of these Latin terms and discovered that I have an enlarged spleen and gallstones... Should I be praying over this information, or was my doctor—the one who performed the exam—supposed to tell me directly?

Nicholas Chavez70 Asks:
It shouldn't be particularly difficult to distinguish between those who dress themselves up and those who just smoke like a chimney. When you look at the data—blood alcohol levels, the specific patterns of damage to the liver, brain, stomach, and kidneys—it becomes quite obvious how chronic drinkers differ from everyone else. It’s the same story with cigarettes; you have layers of tar and nicotine building up in the lungs year after year. Personally, I’m all for a dedicated surcharge on alcohol and tobacco to help fund Medicare, but that isn't true prevention. If you actually want to prevent health issues, the most effective method is prevention via the wallet—making the cost high enough that people think twice before they indulge.

So, get this—about nine months ago, I was recovering from surgery. While I was in the ICU, the doctor on duty was listening to my lungs when she suddenly shakes her head and starts muttering under her breath, something like, "Ugh, you smoke..." I could have sworn right then and there that I’ve never even touched a cigarette in my entire life. It’s honestly such a repulsive assumption to make. But here I am—the lucky one who basically grew up in a cloud of smoke, having spent twenty-three years breathing in secondhand smoke.

And how exactly would you go about proving that?

My grandfather used to say back in the day—and he was one of those old-school types who didn't waste words—that things were built differently then. It wasn't just about the quality of the tools or the materials, though that was part of it; it was more about a certain mindset, a way of approaching life that seems to have slipped through our fingers lately. He had this quiet, steady way of looking at the world—not rushing to judgment, just observing—and he believed that if you took care of the small details, the big picture would eventually take care of itself. It’s a perspective that feels increasingly rare in such a loud, fast-paced era. Twelve varieties. It’s always the same cycle—you take a pill, then go in for a follow-up only to have the doctor tell you your stomach is acting up because of the medication, so they just hand you another prescription to fix the side effects of the first one. It's a bit of a loop, isn't it? 🙄

I honestly get a little anxious watching my doctor click through the exact same menu a million times—just pounding away at the keyboard with two fingers like she’s using an old typewriter.

If she realized that software isn't static—that you don't just use the same program every single day and constantly have to type things out—maybe she wouldn't be so perpetually lost in space and time... by the way, I've been seeing this woman for 40 years now.

It’s probably for the best that his grandmother is the one canceling the appointment, though I suppose I should hope she's actually a physician. But then again, as strange as it might sound, I guess the stomach lining really does need protection if the treatment ends up being overly aggressive.
Look at it this way—if you go by the data available online, like from UC Berkeley, the average life expectancy for an American man following something like World War I was only about 53 years. So, I guess, without those pills—even considering they might be eroding his stomach lining—he’d most likely be six feet under right now, resting under a marble slab and serving as nothing more than a feast for the worms.

I guess I start getting a little worked up whenever I watch my doctor click through the exact same thing for the millionth time, just pounding away at the keyboard with her fingertips like she’s operating some old-fashioned typewriter.

Karen Young17 said:Why on earth would I need to pray to anyone just to get an explanation for the very reason I showed up?

Take the other day, for instance... I went in for an abdominal ultrasound, and honestly, the entire experience consisted of nothing more than being told to "take a breath," "hold it," and "just breathe"—followed by the standard, "wait over by the window for your results." Then, I finally get the report in my hands and it says:

Cholecystolithiasis—or what most people just call gallstones—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual reality of dealing with it. Essentially, you’re looking at solid deposits forming in your gallbladder, which can turn a routine Tuesday into a complete nightmare if they decide to migrate. It’s a bit like having a handful of gravel stuck in a delicate piece of plumbing; everything functions fine until a stone decides to wedge itself right in the narrowest part of the pipe. Once that happens, the discomfort isn't just a nuisance—it's a full-blown crisis.
Splenomegaly—essentially an enlarged spleen—is one of those medical terms that sounds much more intimidating than the actual sensation might suggest, though the underlying causes can certainly be serious. It isn’t a disease in itself, but rather a clinical sign that something else is going on within the body's internal ecosystem. Think of the spleen as a sort of high-tech filtration plant for your blood. When that plant starts swelling, it’s usually because it's being overworked—perhaps by fighting off a persistent infection, or due to issues with how blood cells are being produced or recycled. It could be anything from a relatively minor viral bout to more complex hematological concerns that require a specialist's touch. If you’re feeling that specific fullness or discomfort in the upper left side of your abdomen, it’s worth getting it checked out by a professional. It’s better to have a doctor run some standard tests—maybe some blood work or an ultrasound—to figure out if your "filtration plant" is just dealing with a temporary clog or if there's a deeper systemic issue at play. Always listen to those subtle cues your body sends; they're rarely wrong.

I did some Googling of these Latin terms and discovered that I have an enlarged spleen and gallstones... Should I be praying over this information, or was my doctor—the one who performed the exam—supposed to tell me directly?

Nicholas Chavez70 Asks:
It shouldn't be particularly difficult to distinguish between those who dress themselves up and those who just smoke like a chimney. When you look at the data—blood alcohol levels, the specific patterns of damage to the liver, brain, stomach, and kidneys—it becomes quite obvious how chronic drinkers differ from everyone else. It’s the same story with cigarettes; you have layers of tar and nicotine building up in the lungs year after year. Personally, I’m all for a dedicated surcharge on alcohol and tobacco to help fund Medicare, but that isn't true prevention. If you actually want to prevent health issues, the most effective method is prevention via the wallet—making the cost high enough that people think twice before they indulge.

So, get this—about nine months ago, I was recovering from surgery. While I was in the ICU, the doctor on duty was listening to my lungs when she suddenly shakes her head and starts muttering under her breath, something like, "Ugh, you smoke..." I could have sworn right then and there that I’ve never even touched a cigarette in my entire life. It’s honestly such a repulsive assumption to make. But here I am—the lucky one who basically grew up in a cloud of smoke, having spent twenty-three years breathing in secondhand smoke.

And how exactly would you go about proving that?

My grandfather used to say back in the day—and he was one of those old-school types who didn't waste words—that things were built differently then. It wasn't just about the quality of the tools or the materials, though that was part of it; it was more about a certain mindset, a way of approaching life that seems to have slipped through our fingers lately. He had this quiet, steady way of looking at the world—not rushing to judgment, just observing—and he believed that if you took care of the small details, the big picture would eventually take care of itself. It’s a perspective that feels increasingly rare in such a loud, fast-paced era. Twelve varieties. It’s always the same cycle—you take a pill, then go in for a follow-up only to have the doctor tell you your stomach is acting up because of the medication, so they just hand you another prescription to fix the side effects of the first one. It's a bit of a loop, isn't it? 🙄

I honestly get a little anxious watching my doctor click through the exact same menu a million times—just pounding away at the keyboard with two fingers like she’s using an old typewriter.

If she realized that software isn't static—that you don't just use the same program every single day and constantly have to type things out—maybe she wouldn't be so perpetually lost in space and time... by the way, I've been seeing this woman for 40 years now.

It's probably because that entire generation grew up learning how to use typewriters, so they might actually be better at it than you or me! (And you know, you only use one finger on those old machines anyway).
But look, she isn't clicking and typing like that because she enjoys it, nor is she being paid based on her click count... she's doing it because you approached her for help, so maybe try showing a little respect!

Maria Gomez4 said:

Karen Young17 Asks:
I suppose I don't see why I should ever have to resort to prayer just to get someone to explain exactly what I came here for.

Because that’s just what decent people do. I mean, it's not like you showed up to a local farmers market specifically to buy lettuce, only to have a bunch of little gremlins jumping around you trying to hawk their products; even if you did go there for groceries, I guess having a bit of basic politeness wouldn't actually hurt anyone.

Well, exactly. That medical report is intended specifically for your physician, which is why it’s written in a technical language and filled with terminology that seems completely foreign to most of the general public. I guess you should just ask whoever ordered the test what they actually found. After all, that report is only one small piece of the puzzle—it's just a fragment of the full picture. Only a doctor can see the whole thing, since they are the only ones with the actual expertise required to interpret those images correctly.

It feels a bit harsh to make assumptions like that, but I suppose the doctor is actually quite skilled. Maybe you’re just feeling frustrated because of your smoking environment; those surroundings probably aren't doing you any favors, I guess.

It’s probably for the best that his grandmother is the one canceling the appointment, though I suppose I should hope she's actually a physician. But then again, as strange as it might sound, I guess the stomach lining really does need protection if the treatment ends up being overly aggressive.
Look at it this way—if you go by the data available online, like from UC Berkeley, the average life expectancy for an American man following something like World War I was only about 53 years. So, I guess, without those pills—even considering they might be eroding his stomach lining—he’d most likely be six feet under right now, resting under a marble slab and serving as nothing more than a feast for the worms.

I guess I start getting a little worked up whenever I watch my doctor click through the exact same thing for the millionth time, just pounding away at the keyboard with her fingertips like she’s operating some old-fashioned typewriter.

It's probably because that entire generation grew up learning how to use typewriters, so they might actually be better at it than you or me! (And you know, you only use one finger on those old machines anyway).
But look, she isn't clicking and typing like that because she enjoys it, nor is she being paid based on her click count... she's doing it because you approached her for help, so maybe try showing a little respect!

Oh, the arrogance of youth!🙄
Forty is young. That woman can barely get herself organized, let alone retire before 65. She’s got 25 years left to go—she hasn't even hit the halfway point of her career yet.
By the way, a little typing lesson: you actually use all your fingers on a typewriter, 10
If she saw how much joy she could find working for a private firm, she might actually be a speed-typing champion!
But she doesn't have to. She'll still be working tomorrow, next year, and ten years from now, moving at that same sluggish, uninterested pace.
Why shouldn't this doctor show some respect to the people coming to her for help? Isn't the fact that they're coming to her—putting themselves in a vulnerable position—respect enough? It's not like she's God Himself descended to Earth; there's no need to bow down!

Maria Gomez4 said:

Karen Young17 Asks:
I suppose I don't see why I should ever have to resort to prayer just to get someone to explain exactly what I came here for.

Because that’s just what decent people do. I mean, it's not like you showed up to a local farmers market specifically to buy lettuce, only to have a bunch of little gremlins jumping around you trying to hawk their products; even if you did go there for groceries, I guess having a bit of basic politeness wouldn't actually hurt anyone.

Well, exactly. That medical report is intended specifically for your physician, which is why it’s written in a technical language and filled with terminology that seems completely foreign to most of the general public. I guess you should just ask whoever ordered the test what they actually found. After all, that report is only one small piece of the puzzle—it's just a fragment of the full picture. Only a doctor can see the whole thing, since they are the only ones with the actual expertise required to interpret those images correctly.

It feels a bit harsh to make assumptions like that, but I suppose the doctor is actually quite skilled. Maybe you’re just feeling frustrated because of your smoking environment; those surroundings probably aren't doing you any favors, I guess.

It’s probably for the best that his grandmother is the one canceling the appointment, though I suppose I should hope she's actually a physician. But then again, as strange as it might sound, I guess the stomach lining really does need protection if the treatment ends up being overly aggressive.
Look at it this way—if you go by the data available online, like from UC Berkeley, the average life expectancy for an American man following something like World War I was only about 53 years. So, I guess, without those pills—even considering they might be eroding his stomach lining—he’d most likely be six feet under right now, resting under a marble slab and serving as nothing more than a feast for the worms.

I guess I start getting a little worked up whenever I watch my doctor click through the exact same thing for the millionth time, just pounding away at the keyboard with her fingertips like she’s operating some old-fashioned typewriter.

It's probably because that entire generation grew up learning how to use typewriters, so they might actually be better at it than you or me! (And you know, you only use one finger on those old machines anyway).
But look, she isn't clicking and typing like that because she enjoys it, nor is she being paid based on her click count... she's doing it because you approached her for help, so maybe try showing a little respect!

Aha, great. Well, in my book, the bare minimum of politeness and professionalism would be for the technician performing an ultrasound not to discuss the findings out loud with a nurse as if there were a cadaver on the table rather than a living patient who isn't deaf. It’s called RESPECTING the patient.

If they have no intention of EXPLAINING what they see, then at least don't scare me half to death with comments about mortality.

Case one—about 15 years ago, during a pelvic ultrasound, the doctor loudly remarks to the nurse that the left ovary is MISSING. Of course, he says this out loud, but not to me. When I (politely!) ask, absolutely shell-shocked, what it means that it's gone, I get this smooth, arrogant response: "Ask your gynecologist... next!"

Naturally, I head home on the bus, completely in tears—one ovary missing. And I had two. Just a little while ago. Where did it go???
Epilogue: Through private channels—basically using a connection—I was able to get an emergency scan later that very same day (specifically at 10 PM), and both ovaries were present and perfectly fine. They just couldn't see it past the intestines. Was it really that hard to just say that, or is causing shock and stress for a patient just part of the job?

Case two—a private cosmetic clinic, a routine checkup, all paid for by the company... Abdominal ultrasound: once again, ignoring the fact that I am not under general anesthesia and can hear everything being said, the doctor coldly dictates to the nurse that I have a 3-centimeter mass on my liver. Upon my questioning—again, met with a brush-off—I go home in tears because my grandfather passed away from liver cancer. But hey, I guess I should just wait for the "ordering physician."
Epilogue: It was a harmless hemangioma. Since then, I avoid routine checkups because there's a higher chance I'll die from the sheer shock right there in the office.

So, "missing left ovary" and "3cm liver mass" fall under technical language incomprehensible to the masses, but commenting as if the person undergoing the scan (while fully conscious) isn't even in the room is perfectly acceptable?
Human and professional? ☕

And for the record, 40-year-olds aren't elderly, nor are we technologically illiterate. And yes, people used to type on typewriters with ten fingers. Personally, I use two on my laptop, but I'm faster than some people who use ten. Regardless, poking away with a single finger on a keyboard is certainly not a relevant issue within our healthcare system.

Generally speaking, I believe a system is only as good as the individuals operating within it.

I’ve been lucky enough, and persistent enough, to find specific professionals who have truly earned my complete trust and respect through their genuine expertise and care.
Unfortunately, I’ve also run into those types of people who use "the system" as an excuse for their own lack of professionalism and basic humanity—but I’ve learned how to navigate around them.

If I had to point out what I consider the weakest link in the chain, it would probably be the nursing staff. In my experience, both growing up and as an adult, I’ve encountered the most coldness and arrogance from them. Honestly, I’d venture to say that out of every ten nurses, maybe only two or three actually live up to the title.
At least, that’s been my personal experience. On the other hand, I haven't had any issues with the doctors at all.

And once again, I suppose it seems like a nurse is making roughly double—if not even more—than a physician...

I suppose I should probably mention that femmelatin is still around, though I guess it doesn't really matter much anymore given how everything has changed. Maria Gomez4 says:
It would be a baseline requirement of decency and professionalism if someone working an ultrasound wouldn't just carry on loudly with a nurse as if there isn't a living patient sitting right there on the table instead of some corpse, especially since I’m clearly not deaf. I guess that's what people call having a shred of respect for a patient.

I suppose it’s especially true when people start oversharing their private business, though I’ve always felt that being polite isn't just some action you perform—it's more of a fundamental character trait. You either have class or you don't. For instance, if you walk into a Target and the clerk fails to acknowledge you, which they really should do, you're still going to be the one to offer a greeting, simply because that's what a decent person does. 🙂 I suppose you think you understand exactly what I’m trying to get at, though I highly doubt that's actually the case.

I suppose I should probably mention that femmelatin... Maria Gomez4 says:
So, apparently, saying things like "missing left ovary" or "a 3 cm mass on the liver" qualifies as some kind of impenetrable medical jargon to the average person, yet it’s perfectly acceptable to discuss a patient—who is fully conscious and actively searching for answers—as if they aren't even standing right there in the room. I guess it's just standard practice now to ignore the actual human being involved, maybe.
I suppose one might question whether there is any actual humanity left in this profession, though I suspect true professionalism has become just as much of a myth. ☕

I suppose that’s why so many people—even patients, I guess—prefer to keep their eyes shut and their mouths shut regarding what they actually see or do. 🙂

And just imagine if he actually did find something? I suppose I wonder whether you would prefer him to comment on it casually like that, or if maybe it would be better if it were all condensed into one detailed report that could be presented to you properly.

If we’re actually going to sit here and apply some basic logic to this, a three-centimeter entity just doesn't make any sense, because... I guess you clearly didn't quite grasp the point.

I suppose one could argue that femmelatin represents a certain kind of social phenomenon, though I find myself increasingly skeptical about whether such things actually hold any real substance. Maybe it’s just another fleeting trend that people cling to, but I honestly feel like we're just spinning our wheels at this point. Maria Gomez4 says:
I suppose it’s worth pointing out that people in their 40s aren't exactly elderly, nor are they incapable of navigating basic technology. And for what it's worth, back in the day, people actually used all ten fingers on a typewriter; meanwhile, I probably only use two fingers on my laptop, yet I still manage to outpace plenty of people who claim to be using all ten. Honestly, though, someone pecking away at a keyboard with a single finger is likely not a significant issue within our healthcare system.

First off, digital integration in the medical field has been incredibly sluggish; I mean, it’s honestly shocking that some clinics around here are still relying on typewriters. I suppose one has to wonder how you would even begin to tackle the issue of such slow typing speeds, not to mention the general lack of basic computer literacy among the staff.
Forty years old? Man, you’re actually pretty lucky... I guess the average is probably pushing fifty-something anyway.
I honestly have no idea how you people manage to type away with all ten fingers on a keyboard; I guess my coordination just isn't there, because by the time I even attempt to press the first key, it’s already stuck, and I’ve somehow moved on to hitting the next one before the first one even registers.