The internet is wonderful...most of the time. Doctors hate it. It's done nothing but make patients dumb. There are a LOT of dumb patients in the world.
Just look at these stories from doctors of Reddit. They describe some of the most incredible and the most idiotic people they've ever had to deal with. From the life-threatening to the mundane minor injury, people say and do some really dumb stuff around doctors. Enjoy!
(Content edited for clarity.)
Doctors Are Just Scamming Their Patients
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She was saying that her son doesn’t need glasses and that the doctor is only saying that he does because he wants to sell glasses. She says that she only brought her son in because there was some form for school that needed to be filled out and that doctors are all con artists trying to push unnecessary medications and interventions. The doctor tried to calm her down and explain that he’s only trying to help them but that she was free to get a second opinion and gave her a copy of the kid’s prescription and sent them on their way. About four months later the lady is back asking for another copy of her son’s prescription. Apparently, the first semester midterm results were in, and her son failed them all because he couldn’t see the board in his classes and needs glasses!”
Refusing Treatment That Would Save Their Lives
“I’m a radiation therapist. We treat cancer patients and I’ve got quite a few who stand out.
1) Had a patient with rectal cancer demand a certain timing for his treatment. When we couldn’t accommodate his request, he threatened to not come for his treatment at all. I don’t know how that’s supposed to be a threat to us, when you refuse to come for treatment for your own cancer.
2) Had a head and neck patient who presented with a very small, treatable lump. We use thermoplastic shells to immobilise head and neck patients. Because of all the critical structures in that area, it’s important to make sure that the shell is tight and they can’t move very much. This patient refused treatment because the shell was uncomfortable. We cut holes in the shell, made it slightly looser but he still refused. We have other methods of helping them to tolerate the shell such as sedation. This patient refused any help. Kept saying treatment wouldn’t help him. Came back 2 months later, the lump had grown bigger and was causing him severe pain. Did a new shell for him. Started treatment. He came for two sessions out of 30 and refused the rest. Came back one month later- the mass had eroded out of his skin, you could see bone and pulsating vessels. Again, we did a shell and he came for one treatment and refused to come back. He eventually died. Had 2 young sons.
3) Had a patient who stopped treatment halfway. This is unadvisable because the dose we give is supposed to be the most effective against the cancer. Any less and you risk recurrence. When asked why she stopped, she insisted that God would take care of the rest and prayer would be enough from here on.
I’ve also seen a number of patients who refuse treatment and insist on alternative medicine. They almost always end up coming back with the cancer metastasizing.”
It’s Important To Look Good Even At The Expensive Of Your Health
“So many to choose from. The common ones are:
-People who regularly drink, smoke, and worse not wanting to be a ‘pill taker’ or put ‘unnatural’ things in their bodies when I try to prescribe them medicine.
-Opioid addicts who come up with every reason in the book why any pain medicine that is not an opioid is too dangerous to take. This is like saying you’re going to swim across shark-infested waters because the well-constructed bridge to walk over them may collapse.
However possibly my most favorite one was this idiot who came in because he thought he had appendicitis. Turns out he was actually right in that he did – and it had a micro perforation and abscess already on CT because he’d sat on it a couple of days. So Mr. Idiot had googled it and decided that since in some places they treat appendicitis with antibiotics he was going to do so for his appendicitis. I explained very patiently for way too freaking long that the research into that only applies to simple early non-abscessed appendicitis and was not appropriately applied to his situation. (And I am bitter that I will never get that half hour of my life back.) His main reason for wanting to avoid surgery? He didn’t want scars on his six-pack. (If you haven’t already gotten the picture here, think of The Situation from The Jersey Shore.) I refused to participate in his stupidity and prescribe antibiotics, so he left against medical advice. Fast forward 2 days. He had purchased fish antibiotics and was taking that to treat his abscessed appendicitis. He now is septic with a fever of 103, a Lactate of 6, and systolic BP in the 80s (which is really sick).
Fortunately for him, he was young/healthy and it’s actually really hard to kill young healthy people. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but you have to work really hard. So Mr. Idiot pulls through but ends up with a full laparotomy (zipped right down the middle of his six-pack) instead of the nice little laparoscopy scars he’d have had if he’d come in the first day.”
Big Farmer Is Out To Get All Of Us
“I’m not a doctor, but I assist on a clinical trial and my main job is screening potential participants. I have to ask a list of questions about their medical history and current substance use. And I’ve heard the wildest stuff I’ve ever heard in my life at this job. Some people just want to feel smart.
Yesterday I interviewed this guy who, upon being asked if he had any existing medical diagnoses, told me that when he was born he was admitted to a study on ‘infants of greatly superior cognitive intelligence.’ When I told him he was ineligible for the study, he scoffed and said something that was so stupid it took all of my willpower not to roll my eyes in response.