"Differential Diagnosis"

I pride myself in being a keen observer and oftentimes a cynical commentator of the human condition.? My mind thrives when solving problems or observing interesting happenings around me.? Since one can not simply observe life, I find myself living through my own sets of interesting experiences in which I do my best to reflect upon, rationalize, and add my own criticisms.? How would one expect to grow and learn from an experience if you don’t take the time to analyze it.

Its during these observations that I’ve noticed how often people tend to project controlling behavior onto something/someone in order to attain their desired results.? The guy on the corner shouting commands at his disobedient dog, the woman at the night club glaring her menacing eyes at her headstrong boyfriend, the busy doctor cursing at his unresponsive computer. These are all situations in which people are attempting to control something/someone to fit their own perceived rules of behavior for that thing/person.

Unfortunately, most things in life don’t simply fall into order after receiving a glaring look or upon hearing a menacing expletive.? Quite the contrary, especially when dealing with such fragile things as people’s own emotions and egos.? No, that is one territory where a forceful nature, controlling tendencies, or a rushed approach will definitely not achieve the desired long-term results in a relationship.

As an observer, you oftentimes alter the behavior of your subjects by merely being present, this is known as the “Observer effect.” ? Its my belief? that in a conformist, self-centered society where people place such high emphasis on what “others” may think of them, the observer effect? or some form of it, is present at all times.

This omnipresent effect coupled with some people’s projection of controlling behavior towards others, in addition to obsessions with personal ranks/titles in a relationship with too much commitment from either party, leads to a scenario doomed to fail due to the unhealthy amount of pre-existing, implied expectations. ???I???m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you???re not in this world to live up to mine.??? – Bruce Lee

Catheters are some of the most unfriendly pieces of medical tubing a guy will ever have shoved into him. Luckily enough, I’ve never had to have one just yet.

Even luckier for me is one of this years winners of the Medical Design Excellence Award. The GeeWhiz Condom Catheter is a simple, leak free external catheter by Leading Edge Innovations Inc. The keyword here is external. Hooray for medical innovations! No more tubing shoved up your junk!:)

You’ve arrived at your doctor’s office fifteen minutes early for your appointment, you casually walk over to the front desk and let them know you’ve arrived. You’re then asked to have a seat in the waiting area while the doctor finishes up with his last appointment. Thirty minutes later, you’re still waiting to be seen!

Fast forward another thirty minutes, now you’re sitting in a room being asked ridiculous questions by a nurse, as she finishes up and walks out the door, she says the doctor will be with you in a few minutes. Ten minutes go by and the doctor finally walks in the door.

Your doctor studies your chart, asks you a few brief questions, then pulls out his magical pad and hands you your salvation. A brief explanation of your illness and the medications he’s prescribed for you, and out the door he goes. Just under ten minutes! So why did he take so long to see you?

One of the most common complaints I hear from people about doctors, is that they’re always running late. You wait, wait some more, and when the doctor finally sees you…its a quick in and out. He doesn’t chit chat with you, he doesn’t ask you how your cat Mr.Cuddles is doing, nothing. Just in and out, how rude! More »

I recently came across a post detailing a trip to an emergency room. In this post, the patient’s family member was asking the blogosphere why they should they pay for medical services rendered if the diagnosis and resulting treatment was incorrect. Although I’m not a medical treatment personnel in any way, I believe I can address this issue.

Medicine is and always will be a practice. You don’t see doctors establishing medical service centers, they establish medical practices. So what does that mean? It means that no matter how much schooling, experience, or fancy equipment a doctor has, he is essentially still making an educated guess when it comes to diagnosing your illness. A doctor can never master medicine like a mathematician can master formulas, a doctor only practice the techniques of treating and diagnosing using the ever changing tools and techniques of his profession.

So why are you paying for someone to merely guess? A doctor’s guess isn’t as bad as it sounds, doctors have spent years in school learning to connect the dots between symptoms and illnesses. They have a wide variety of techniques and equipment to help them gather data unique to your situation in order to make a more educated and refined diagnosis. You are paying for the time and effort it takes to make a normal person into a fully equipped, stethoscope carrying doctor. Not to mention the medical supplies and lab tests used to diagnose and treat you. These things add up.

Is a doctor’s guess always right? Oh no, doctors make mistakes just like everyday people. The amount of mistakes and gravity of their mistakes depends on their training, experience, amount/quality data gathered from patient, and equipment/facilities available to them. Illnesses manifest themselves in many different ways in many different people. Some people have a higher tolerance of pain than others, so what seems like excruciating pain to one person, may only be a mild discomfort to another. Viruses, such as the cold virus, tend to mutate through out their existence bringing forth new symptoms and rendering older treatments ineffective. These constantly changing variables make it that much harder to diagnose and treat many illnesses accurately.

So now that we understand doctors a little more, lets take a look at the restrictions placed upon them by your insurance company. Its been established that doctors can only guess what ails you, but the more data the doctor has to analyze, the more accurate his diagnosis. Sometimes its necessary to conduct various lab tests in order to gain more data. These tests are expensive due to their complexity and materials needed, so your insurance usually covers them. However, since insurance companies want to prevent excessive spending, they will setup internal limits that limit the amount of services your insurance company will pay for. Most insurance policies detail the amount of in-patient days they will cover, the amount of medical lab exams a doctor can perform, etc. A doctor may have several ideas about your ailment, but if the insurance will only pay for 2 lab tests, he still might not have sufficient data if the tests are inconclusive. To make matters worse, if a doctor makes a diagnosis with this limited data, and gets it wrong he will be held responsible for any possible side effects of the resulting treatment. With the growing perplexity of illnesses, the escalating cost of equipment, and the limitations placed upon you by an insurance company, its tough out there as a doctor.

As far having to pay for the treatment prescribed by the incorrect diagnosis, I don’t really see what can be done about that. I know I wouldn’t purchase any medicine or equipment that has been opened or previously used to any degree. Eww.

I’ve always felt out of place with my peers.? I’ve always? felt more mature, and ahead of my friends and fellow class mates.? While they were out partying and enjoying their high school? years, I was in my room learning the inner workings of all things technology, and looking for ways to become more knowledgeable in preparation for a career in IT.? While they were out starting and ending relationships every other week, I took my time searching for that special someone.? While they enjoyed living off of their parent’s money for years, I worked for my money.

During high school, I worked at a fast food joint.? Obviously, this wasn’t my job of preference,so after about a year I left to better things.? After graduation, I began working at a local tax place.? I quickly outgrew that job about a year later, and moved on to work at a local bank.

In no time at all, I became a customer favorite teller and knew all the ins and outs of the teller program.? But with exceptional knowledge comes danger of over stepping your bounds.? Lets just say I accidentally accessed some restricted information while striving to learn more.? Having been singled out as a potential “hacker” and being distrusted by upper management, I decided to leave on my own terms about a year after being hired.

I quickly landed a job at a local Internet service provider, where I rose from a simple receptionist to one of the wireless Internet? pros at the shop.? Turbulent times followed with this company? as it? struggled to survive using outdated technology? & methods, while a new company with? newer tech? moved in.? For various reasons involving the free market, my time there ended in about a year.

My next job was a network cable installer on the local clinic on base.? There, I stumbled into my perfect job by lending a helping “techno” hand to the right person.? My helpful nature, and being at the right time &? right place got me my? current job.

I can honestly say, I? landed the job of my dreams early on in life.? This is the job I? always thought I wanted,? and since? being hired, I? have labeled myself quite successful.? Why not?? The goals I set for myself have all been accomplished beyond what I would have imagined.? Even others looking upon my life have stated how lucky I have been, or commented? about? how well I? have my stuff? together.

This brings us to the present…I’ve been at this job about 2 years now, and with each year that goes by, I feel as thought I’ve accomplished nothing.? Each encounter with an old ‘friend’ leaves me amazed with their personality’s growth.? Most of them have learned and matured more than I ever have, and I ask myself how this is possible.? Did I somehow stop growing, allowing them to pass me?? Or is this a result of their laid back carefree? attitudes finally catching up to them and forcing them to? “grow up”?? Most friends & acquaintances from my? years have all become parents, soldiers,firefighters, husbands, wives, correctional facility employees.? My personal accomplishments pale in comparison to fighting for our country,putting out fires,? raising a kid,making a marriage work, or helping reform people.

Am I looking for personal glory? I hope not, but I am looking for a way to continue my growth.? The problem is, I just can’t figure out how!? I’ve taken an interest in medicine, and have had the idea of becoming a Physician Assistant stuck in my head for the past year now.? Following this path will put me on a long and hard path to becoming a life saver.? Surely I will find meaning in saving people’s lives?? But how many years of my life will I have to give up just to start over in a new field?

However at the same time, I had the opportunity to move to San Antonio and work on the largest DoD Medical Systems database in the world!? There, I can learn from straight from the head honcho’s of my field, putting me in the perfect position to quickly? ascend the ladder of knowledge.? I would be on the fast track to becoming an expert in the field.? But will I find meaning in maintaining? a system much like my own, only on a larger scale and a bigger city?

Would allowing myself the weakness caring for someone again be the key to happiness?? Would a wife bring meaning into my life?? Would kids?? Hell, would joining the military benefit me?? Should I? drop everything and just go to medical school?? ? Would? climbing to the next rung of my current career solve my dilemma?? These are things I constantly ask myself, even if? some of them? do sound ridiculous.

I’ve reached a mental dead? end, and don’t know how to get past it.? ? However, I do know that I MUST find a way to? figure things out.? I? MUST? set my next set of goals based on what I wish to accomplish these next few years.? I MUST figure out out what my priorities in life are…I HAVE TO do something before I wither into meaningless dust.