HealthWeb Navigator is all about making sure everyone can find reliable information to learn about their health. But what do you do with this info when it is hard to understand, or saying the opposite of something else you've seen? Which do you trust?
We always recommend patients talk about what they find online with a medical professional. They went to school to learn this stuff! At the same time, you don't have to have a medical degree to be a sharp reader, a critical thinker, and an attuned listener to your own body. And health workers should approach these conversations with patience, humility, and compassion because no one knows the full extent of medical science. There's always room for everyone — EVERYONE — to learn more, to respond to others with respect and goodwill.
Which is why stories like this make us deeply sad and yet hopefully optimistic. This woman brought her concerns to her doctor, based on good information, even though the doctor denied her theory again and again. Her story fell on deaf ears. Turns out that she was right all along and lived in pain for many years. Thankfully she found the care she needed.
Has this ever happened to you? Do you have an experience where you were right and the doctor was wrong? If so, we hope you'll feel comfortable opening up about it and sharing your story below. We think this type of occurrence happens more than is openly talked about and would love your (or a loved one's) perspective.