Do you always have to do what the doctor says? Part 2: When the answer may be NO

Informed decisions require weighing all factors.

Don’t get caught in a bubble of confusion—

you might not escape (at least not on foot if you had a ruptured tendon, as I did . . .).

Read Part 1, When the answer is YES, about completing radiating treatments for cancer.

In Part 1, When the answer is YES, I promised to tell you the story of a time seven years ago when I did what a doctor told me to do and never should have. This is a long post that contains much important medical information, not only about my specific problem—a ruptured tendon in my foot requiring reconstructive surgery, but about what caused it—overuse of prednisone.

But the larger problem was this: I failed to follow “The Patient Path” to informed decision-making regarding my own healthcare and well-being primarily because I was busy . . . and I was impatient and just wanted to feel better and get on with it.

This mistake is partly the reason I started this blog in November 2013 after learning that I had uterine (endometrial) cancer—to help myself and others learn to make good healthcare decisions. 

Don’t let others—even experts—make decisions for you without your full knowledge and informed consent. By all means get expert advice—but always do your homework before following it.

Please click here to read the entire post.