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Bill Heath's avatar

There is a fifth principle: Medicine is a team sport, and the patient is the team captain.

I am 75 and have more doctors than I know what to do with. My primary care provider and I discuss all procedures, tests and medications before anything is done. He is aware that I did med school in Germany, in German, nearly 40 years ago, never practiced and have forgotten most of the specifics I learned. I've told him that he gets the last word always; I trust his judgment ahead of mine. I have a palliative care NP who sees me about every other month (hospice light) and I call her to request specific medicines, most recently zofran and prednisone.

My new urologist and I discussed the necessary regular monitoring for bladder cancer. With my history he's opposed to anything more than annual cystoscopes, matching my opinion. My cardiologist and I have more a social relationship than a medical one; my pulmonologitst accepts that I'm going to die shortly so we keep things light. My neurologist is mostly a friend.

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A Midwestern Doctor's avatar

I appreciate you sharing this story.

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