How To Be A "Fox Mulder"

 “Knowledge is power!” “Reading Is Fundamental!” “The more you know, the more you grow!”

 Boy…I guess those Saturday morning PSA’s sandwiched in the middle of my cartoons DID work, because years later, I STILL remember them! (Along with the words to most of the Schoolhouse Rocks series…*grin*)

 And ya know…they were right! Since all this started a year ago, I have read more non-fiction than in the last 20 years combined. And it HAS empowered me! Reading has helped me realize that Docs aren’t the Gods I used to believe they were…the “unquestionable” beings I was raised to place total and perfect trust in.

 Reading has saved me months of painful suffering. (“Hey, ya wanna check my flippin’ gallbladder?” “Hey, have ya thought about trying Neurontin?” ) Reading has also helped me realize that my health is ultimately in my hands…my responsibility…my RIGHT! Two books that have helped immensely in that education are “How Doctors Think” by Dr. Jerome Groopman and “The Empowered Patient” by Elizabeth S. Cohen.

By Jerome Groopman

 “How Doctors Think” was a complete eye opener! The fact that it was written by a Doctor only added to the “Really!?!” factor. Dr. Groopman interviewed countless Docs and Technicians as well as patients, to come to the conclusions he presents in hopes of helping current and future patients avoid the pitfalls of miscommunication, misdiagnosis, and unneeded suffering. He explains the system that fosters too little time spent in the examination room, pushing unnecessary meds, and pigeon-holing patients with labels that follow them from Specialist to Specialist.

 The book opens with the recounting of one woman’s 15 year (Yep, I said 15!) ride on the healthcare merry-go-round that almost cost her her life! If not for one Doc who threw out all the opinions of previous Specialists and thought “outside the box,” she probably would have ended up dying. (Comforting thought!)

 This book is an excellent resource for figuring out which buzz-words will break the set pattern of the modern-day Q&A examination, when to find a new Doc, and how to force a Doc to listen. I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone forced to deal with Docs on a regular basis! (Or even if you only deal with them once a year…)

 “The Empowered Patient” is another one I can not recommend enough! (And I’m only half-way through it at this point!) Ya gotta know when the first chapter is titled “How To Be A Bad Patient” it’s going to be a fun ride! This book is fun to read, in plain and simple English, and packed full of good info!

 Ms. Cohen covers several points that were covered in Dr. Groopman’s book, but from the patient’s point of view. There are worksheets and websites included to help you be as prepared as any Boyscout for any eventuality that could befall you during your Doc visit odyssey! This book has already inspired me to reorganize my mobile-file-folder of Medical Records to make it easier to navigate during visits. (The mobile-file-folder was a tip I picked up from Dr. Groopman, by the way!)

 I can almost guarantee that reading these two books will turn you int the Fox Mulder of the Medical World…trust no one and question everything! (I'm such a geek!)

 Now that I’ve done my part to promote Medical Dissonance, I’ll just finish by saying I hope you find these two books as eye-opening and down-right enjoyable to read as I did!