You're not the first doctor to give me some form of that lecture and warning. I've heard it many times over the years.
Yes, there is a risk to not seeing doctors and getting a symptom checked, and yes you have a point about early diagnosis.
You need to balance that against the risk of seeing a doctor.
I decided many years ago that I would avoid doctors as much as I could, and do all I could to care for my own health. I made that choice back in my 20's and I am convinced that I am much healthier now than I would have been if I'd decided otherwise. I think I made the right choice.
When you're dealing with the possibility of night sweats meaning cancer, yes, getting it checked out could be useful. You then need to balance that against the treatment that will likely be "recommended" - and you know as well as I do that it is very difficult to say no to a doctor's "recommendation".
In your case, part of your risk management as a doctor in the US today is what happens to you if you consider anything other than the standard cancer treatments - consider anything else and you risk losing your license. So no, your risk management and your patient's do not exactly coincide.
I've seen the standard cancer treatments up front and close. If I get cancer again I would much rather die of the disease than the treatment.
no subject
Yes, there is a risk to not seeing doctors and getting a symptom checked, and yes you have a point about early diagnosis.
You need to balance that against the risk of seeing a doctor.
I decided many years ago that I would avoid doctors as much as I could, and do all I could to care for my own health. I made that choice back in my 20's and I am convinced that I am much healthier now than I would have been if I'd decided otherwise. I think I made the right choice.
When you're dealing with the possibility of night sweats meaning cancer, yes, getting it checked out could be useful. You then need to balance that against the treatment that will likely be "recommended" - and you know as well as I do that it is very difficult to say no to a doctor's "recommendation".
In your case, part of your risk management as a doctor in the US today is what happens to you if you consider anything other than the standard cancer treatments - consider anything else and you risk losing your license. So no, your risk management and your patient's do not exactly coincide.
I've seen the standard cancer treatments up front and close. If I get cancer again I would much rather die of the disease than the treatment.