Medical Options

People are very unique creatures, there are no two people who are the same, not even identical twins.  When it comes to disease processes, we may have one name for it, but it will affect each individual differently because of our body makeup and how our body deals with the process or how it affects our unique different organs.   For instance, one person may have a bladder infection, and it may never happen again because that person did something once to cause it.  Or another person may have recurrent bladder infections because of pelvic organ prolapse that is working to bring the same bacteria to the bladder every time.  Another may have recurrent bladder infections from different bacteria because of a bladder abnormality that makes it easy to get a bladder infection from any cause.  One person has very painful bladder infections and the other has minimal discomfort.  Or another person never gets a bladder infection because of normal anatomy and some healthy habits.   Each person with the bladder infections should be treated differently, based on their individual situation.

We also have different perceptions and mental attitudes of our bodies and our medical problems.  A severe illness to one person could be a manageable process and to another may be devastating.  Pain for one person may be perceived as low and to anther it would be high.  Pain to one person will keep them from their daily activities and to another will not alter their day.   A person may have cancer and not want to treat it.

If someone has a medical problem, there are standard of care that should be followed.  There is the minimum protocol of evaluation that should be followed based on evidence based medicine, to ensure that most people with the symptom will be diagnosed appropriately and ensured accurately that a life-threatening condition would be found.  It is important to at least follow the standard of care for a management.  But not everyone is the same in their disease process and management.  Where it would be appropriate for one person to have standard of care follow-up and conservative management, others may benefit from more comprehensive managements.  

It is also very stressful to be told of an abnormality and that it should be managed.  Some people can be in denial, and some want to point blame.    It is very helpful to keep on task to mindfully manage a condition.

I believe it is important to follow the standard of care for any particular condition.  Not only that, but I feel it is important to tell the person what is standard care and what are other options.  A more comprehensive management may be appropriate for some people; such as wanting a hysterectomy for an advanced cervical abnormality on a pap, even if excision is standard of care.  I can tell of several instances where I have presented the standard management alongside more comprehensive managements, and people have chosen the more comprehensive, only to find that there is an additional more critical finding present.

These decisions of management are made by knowing the standards of treatment, the consequences of the treatment, how aggressive the disease, and how aggressive the person wants to be, and their attitude toward the condition.  I present the medical information and management choices, and the person can decide what is personally best for her or him.

These decisions lately are swayed also by the trend of people to become more demanding, more  aggressive and unpleasant, more critical, and wanting instant gratification and instant results, as per many psychology reviews.  Taking this into consideration, these characteristics will also influence people to choose hopefully correctly what is best for them, but it could also affect their final decision.

Overall, it is important for people to have knowledge of the array of managements available for a given abnormality.  I can provide that, to all my patients, and as a second opinion, which is another useful tool.  Let me know how I can help!  850-916-7766

Author

Karen E Kennedy MD Gynecologist for over 21 years in Gulf Breeze, FL, caring for patients in the Florida panhandle area.