Three years ago tomorrow, I learned I wasn’t going to die — at least not before Christmas. September 20, 2004 was the day I learned I didn’t have cancer afterall — despite 10 weeks of insistence on the part of a handful of doctors and two pathology labs that I had a strange and aggressive […]
Thanks to CNN for sharing my story Read More »
A week ago, I posted about Blamers and Fixers. Blamers are those people who have been hurt by our healthcare system in some way, and can’t get beyond the hurt. They are stuck in the anger, frustration and pain. It’s understandable, certainly, especially in cases where some permanent horror has come from it. From the
Doctors are Blamers or Fixers, too Read More »
Still in Sarasota, FL visiting my parents and almost dropped my teeth at a story Dad told me last night. See what you think. Several years ago, Dad began receiving materials about heart health from the local pharmacy, part of a national chain. He tossed them; in his mid-70s, Dad’s heart was going strong (still
Prescription Dangers = ID Theft Possibilities Read More »
I’m spending a few days visiting my parents in Florida and brought along Dr. Jerome Groopman’s book, How Doctors Think. This is my second reading of this incredibly eye opening and wonderfully useful book. I’m a major fan. This time I’m actually highlighting and post-it noting and starring and turning down page corners. It will
Docs: It’s OK to Say You Don’t Know Read More »
You’d be amazed at the email and postal mail I receive from patients who have been hurt by the medical system. Perhaps not at the numbers — I receive a handful each week. Instead, you’d be amazed at what they ask me to do. I’ve put the people who write to me about medical errors
Blamers and Fixers: Which One Are You? Read More »
An article in US News and World Report quantifies the number of deaths and injuries that result from doctors’ handwriting and the abbreviations they use on prescriptions. Reassuringly, those errors cause only a small percentage of the 7,000 American deaths attributed to medication errors each year. It turns out that there are thousands of those
Drs Abr Can Mk U Sckr Read More »
I read a story in my local paper yesterday entitled Internet gives angry consumers new power, which began with a story about a man named Sterling Bishop who was unhappy with the work Pep Boys had done on his car. Mr. Bishop made a video showcasing the shoddy work, put it out on You-Tube, and
Health Consumer Power via the Internet Read More »
Since my post yesterday about the article in the Chicago Tribune about doctors apologizing, a handful of readers have sent me an email asking whether the doctors involved in my misdiagnosis debacle ever apologized to me. Good question! and the answer is yes… and no…. Truth is, I didn’t give them much choice. There were
Did My Doctors Apologize? Read More »
