“I Told You I Was Sick” For some people living with a chronic illness, being treated as a 'hypochondriac' is a traumatic, one-time event. It's that one unforgettable moment in a sick person's life when their doctor clears his throat in a certain way, throws a suspicious glance over his shoulder, or suggests that 'talking to someone' might help. Or, it's that not-so-subtle moment when the doctor rolls her eyes, sighs exasperatedly, and shouts, “Enough already! There's nothing wrong with you!” Suddenly, it hits you with gut-sinking clarity that the doctor you've put your faith in to heal you doesn't even believe you're sick. It's then that you're left wondering just how long you've been being humored. I think that's what gets to you the …show more content…
You see, I was born sick. From birth, I struggled with chronic digestive problems, a completely blocked nose that forced me to breathe through my mouth at all times, brain fog, behavioral problems, learning difficulties, and frequent infections. This was the 1980s when being chronically ill wasn't nearly as common as it is today. In a classroom full of healthy, energetic kids who were eager to learn, participate, and socialize, there I was, eyes glazed over, mouth agape, jumping at the slightest noise or touch, and constantly doubled over in stomach pain. The many health specialists I was taken to were sympathetic—at first. But when test after test came back “normal” or negative, the unanimous conclusion was that I was a manipulative child making it all up for …show more content…
It turns out I'm horribly intolerant to gluten. I also had a bunch of other food and environment allergies, as well as an autoimmune blood disorder called ITP. Even after I was able to tell people, “I told you I was sick”, the battle was far from over. As a matter of fact, it was just beginning. Because it was a naturopathic doctor and not a medical doctor who diagnosed me with gluten intolerance, it probably wasn't true. It was then that I realized just how much power those pediatric doctors actually had. It didn't matter that I had been diagnosed or even that I had blood work to prove my ITP. The image of me as a manipulative, attention-seeking liar was branded so firmly into the brains of those around me, that they couldn't let it go even after the evidence was right in front of them. It wasn't until 2014 when I became extremely ill and ended up in the hospital that I received the rest of the diagnoses I had been so desperately seeking. Now that everything is on paper and confirmed by multiple medical sources, I am treated like an entirely different human
“Cullen and Flein Concede that in rare cases, it is permissible for doctors to deceive a patient but only if the deception is for a short while and if the potential gain from the deception is probable and significant. (Cullen Klein
But one may wonder when DPB is necessary and what the benefits of such practice are. Cullen and Klein state that “this deception-to-benefit-the-patient view has a prima facie (at first glance) appeal,” although some may argue that this line of thinking has not yet been proven with positive results. One illustration to this theory is when a doctor tells a kidney transplant recipient that he is doing good and that the prognosis looks promising with the justification that the patient, although the kidney is not functioning at all, but after hearing the positive feedback from the physician, it may lift his spirit and regain full health. The physicians with this type of ideology presume that “a sick person isn’t made better by gloomy assessments.” This type of DBP is intended to be used in order to benefit the patient, however, there are no proven cases to confirm that this method works, and it’s merely intended as an effort for the physicians to make the patient feel better, furthermore, as stated by Cullen and Klein “In all but rarest cases, deceiving a patient ‘for his own good’ is an unacceptable way for a physician to try to help her patient.” (Cullen & Klein
This is made clear in the lines: “You see he does not believe I am sick!.If a physician of high standing.assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression -- a slight hysterical tendency -- what is one to do?” (Perkins, 2013. 76) From the start of the story, Perkins puts her narrator in a position in which she is surrounded by male authority figures who deny both her autonomy and her capacity to know herself.... ... middle of paper ...
... this incident really underlines some of the problems faced when making a diagnosis on a person.
In “Should Doctors Tell the Truth?” Joseph Collins argues for paternalistic deception, declaring that it is permissible for physicians to deceive their patients when it is in their best interests. Collins considers his argument from a “pragmatic” standpoint, rather than a moral one, and uses his experience with the sick to justify paternalistic deception. Collins argues that in his years of practicing, he has encountered four types of patients who want to know the truth: those that want to know so they know how much time they have left, those who do not want to know and may suffer if told the truth, those who are incapable of hearing the truth, and those who do not have a serious diagnosis (605). Collins follows with the assertion that the more serious the condition is, the less likely the patient is to seek information about their health (606).
Truth in medicine is a big discussion among many medical professionals about how doctors handle the truth. Truth to a patient can be presented in many ways and different doctors have different ways of handling it. Many often believe that patient’s being fully aware of their health; such as a bad diagnosis, could lead to depression compared to not knowing the diagnosis. In today’s society doctor’s are expected to deliver patient’s the whole truth in order for patients to actively make their own health decisions. Shelly K. Schwartz discusses the truth in her essay, Is It Ever Ok to Lie to Patients?. Schwartz argument is that patients should be told the truth about their health and presented and addressed in a way most comfortable to the patient.
In conclusion to my case study on Zeena Frome, I’m diagnosing her with the medical disorder, Hypochondria. She has shown many signs of this medical condition like her continuous consumption of medication, excessive doctor’s visits, and her continuous pains and discomfort. I believe that the best way for Zeena to treat this illness would be to follow the recommendations above of getting a therapist, along with trying to break the ongoing cycle she has put herself in. By following this, she should be able to start seeing some improvement overtime. Although she may not make a full recovery, this will certainly help her a great
In conclusion, doctors have a moral obligation to tell patients the truth about their illnesses, unless the patient clearly states that he or she does not want to know. Medicine is a field that works to treat the patient. This means that physicians are there for guidance, using expertise and years of education to guide them to a cure. This does not mean that a physician should make decisions about the patients without proper consent. Believing that patients will misunderstand the diagnosis, or assuming that they won’t want to know are not valid reasons for keeping information from the person. Communication is important in a medical setting, and is especially important when talking about the health of an individual. With relevant, appropriate and humanistic communication, telling a patient their diagnosis can and should be done in a caring way.
Imagine having a life threatening disease and not even knowing it. This was the case for me. I was brought up eating healthy wheat bread and grains. Much to my surprise I would learn it was actually hurting my health. I have always had “stomach issues” and being lactose intolerant, I blamed it on that. I never thought it could be something else. Last year I learned I was anemic; soon I was lying in the hospital with a blood transfusion and wondering why. I ate extremely healthy foods and was sure I should have retained those nutrients. Once my blood work came back I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I was burning more calories than I was eating without knowing it. To top it off I had a rash on my face that seemed to never go away. Anemia, hyperthyroidism, lactose intolerance and having rashes are all symptoms of celiac, you would think after all of this a doctor would either test me or at least mention it. That was not the case. Instead, I learned of this medical condition through three-time daytime Emmy winning actor Sarah Joy Brown. Sarah J. Brown is a fellow celiac sufferer who spreads awareness of CD to her fans, friends and family through her facebook and twitter accounts. I will be forever grateful to her. Celiac disease is life threatening and more should be done to spread knowledge and awareness on the subject.
The lack of communication between patient and physician is a difficulty that this group experiences. The patient may be in denial, angry, and or frustrated and may not be able to communicate their feelings to the physician. It is important that the physician and team be aware of the body language. The physician needs to take the time to listen, and ask open-ended questions so the patient can reveal what is going on with them. Being supportive, sensitive, and nice will go a long way with this
My kids have had no childhood illnesses other than chickenpox, which they both contracted while still breastfeeding. They too grew up on a healthy diet, homegrown organics etc. Not to the same extent as I did, though, as I was not quite as strict as my mother, but they are both healthier than I have ever
major cause of all of my issues. However, my intuition told me they were wrong, and so I went to see a
Using narratives to gain an insight into human experience is becoming an increasingly popular method of exploration. Assuming that people are in essence narrative beings that experience every emotion and state through narrative, the value of exploring these gives us a unique understanding. Narrative is thought to act as instrument to explore how an individual constructs their own identity (Czarniawska, 1997) and explain how each individual makes sense of the world around them (Gabriel, 1998). It may also give us an understanding into individual thought processes in relation to individual decision making practices (O’Connor, 1997). It is evident from studies such as Heider and Simmel (1944), that there appears to be an instinctive nature in people to introduce plots structures and narratives into all situations, with an intention to construct meaning to all aspects of life in its entirety. The value of narrative is that it is a tool that allows us to understand what it means to be human and gives us an insight into a person’s lived experience whilst still acknowledging their cultural and social contexts. Narrative is thought to be significance as it is ‘a fruitful organizing principle to help understand the complex conduct of human beings (p.49)’ (Sarbin, 1990) The construction of a person’s narrative is thought to be dependent on each person’s individual awareness of themselves and the circumstances that surround them. However, a debate to whether a person is able to formulate a valid narrative in the face of a mental illness such as schizophrenia has emerged. Sufferer’s symptoms are often thought to interfere with their abilities to perceive within a level deemed acceptable to their society’s norms and therefore the validity ...
Consequently, it can be assumed that doctors might tend to avoid such a confession in order to maintain their image of being a “good doctor” (J.Shahidi). Not being a good doctor may eventually lead to doctor’s loss of business and as a result physicians may tend to hide the truth even if it opposes patient autonomy
I am sentimental, out-going, indecisive, understanding, curious, naive, lazy, and young. I want to be ... , well a lot of things, and growing is discovering what they are. I feel people cannot see the potential within, although there is no one to blame but myself. I look to others for approval instead of to myself. I aim to please; it leads to approval. I don’t like to discuss my faults; I pity myself.