DIY medicine – Lee Duigon

Bean at a Hospital | Funny Clips | Mr Bean Official

All right, maybe it’s not as bad as having Mr. Bean for your doctor…

I went to the labs today, expecting to have a certain test ordered by my doctor. The nurse came out, took my prescription slip, and came back in 30 seconds with a “kit” (I guess you’d call it a kit) for doing the test yourself, at home.

I am not a fan of D.I.Y. medicine. To me it looks like an attempt to shift responsibility to the patient. “Well, we told him how to do it, we can’t help it if he fonged it up!”

What’s next–Do-It-Yourself abdominal surgery? “Each kit contains a brand-new scalpel–and enough anesthetic to knock out a water buffalo!” Is that where we’re headed?

I am distracted, and have no idea what to put on this blog today.

Cartoon Skater Falling of His Skateboard. Stock Illustration - Illustration of skateboards, activity: 24828648

Don’t worry, the doctor will fix you up easy-peezy!

So a guy in Colorado broke his leg skateboarding and had to go to the emergency room. And as he lay there waiting for his leg to be tended to, he noticed the doctor hunched over a computer screen. When he managed a little better look, he discovered that the doctor was watching a tutorial on how to set a broken leg (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12310959/I-swear-Ive-Patient-Colorado-films-doctor-watching-YOUTUBE-tutorial-perform-medical-procedure-moments-doing-him.html).

“It didn’t bother me or make me nervous,” said the patient. Gee, it would’ve made me pretty nervous. [Note: video shot by the patient is included in the Daily Mail post.]

Like, it could’ve been worse. Maybe the doctor needed a refresher course on treating a broken leg, and didn’t know he needed it. Maybe the doctor had absolutely no idea what to do. Maybe there was something critically important that he knew he ought to remember, but didn’t. I mean, how many times did your parents tell you, “If you don’t know, ask”? I’m sure they wouldn’t have let you treat a broken leg if you didn’t know how.

I really don’t like to think that the doctor who’s treating me may not quite know what he’s doing. You really shouldn’t have to try to pick it up as you go along. Heck, what’s next–a DIY operating room? “Measure twice, cut once… Or was it measure once, cut twice? Damn…!”

Stay healthy! It’s just much safer.