YOUR CANCER YOUR LIFE – RIGHT TO MORE THAN ONE OPINION (INTRODUCTION)
Remember, if you find it impossible to get the information you want from your practitioner, there are alternatives. Every patient is entitled to a second (or third, or more) opinion. This may be from doctors or any other type of practitioner. You may quite happy with your practitioner’s experience and technical skill but find that he or she is no good at communicating. This is sufficient reason to ask for another opinion. If the problem is with a medical specialist, you may be able to get the information through the doctor who referred you, or ask to be referred to another specialist. The referral can be from your local doctor or the first specialist. After seeing the second (or third, or more) practitioner(s) you are entitled to choose whichever one you prefer for your continuing care. You can always go back to the first one if you wish. Don’t feel silly about doing this if, in the end, that is what you prefer.
This sounds easy on paper but, of course, we all know it’s not. It takes courage and determination to ask for a second opinion. Many practitioners will try to talk you out of it because it is inconvenient—they may even see it as insulting. Stick to your guns. You are that important. You deserve the best. You’re not there to protect your practitioner’s ego.
*9/40/1*
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Tags: Cancer, General health