No Room for White Lies
in Good Medicine
Recently, one of my
physician friends told me, “Patients lie.”
Lie? I asked her
to elaborate.
She explained that
many patients aren’t completely honest with
their doctors. They embellish or withhold
the truth about symptoms, triggers, habits,
history, or any other piece of information
that could help their physicians help them.
Therefore, she often feels as if some
patients expect her to read their minds or
second guess them.
Giving my friend’s
statement more thought, I realized that
sometimes we patients may be dishonest with
our doctors because we might not want to
admit the truth, or because we are afraid
they will judge us.
How dangerous that
could turn out to be!
There are some
common lies that may affect our medical
treatment. If diet is a factor in your
health, you may be reluctant to admit that
you’ve eaten something you know you
shouldn’t. Maybe something hurts more than
you care to admit. Perhaps you are covering
up a bad habit, including smoking or too
much alcohol. Or a certain behavior or
symptom may be embarrassing.
Have you ever been
less than honest with your doctor? Don’t be.
Even a small fib can put your health, and
possibly your life, at risk.
Your doctor’s job
is not to judge you. There is no complaint
she hasn’t heard before, no body part she
hasn’t seen before, no smell she hasn’t
smelled before, no test result she hasn’t
reviewed before. No doctor is going to send
you away because she disapproves of you or
your behavior.
When it’s time to
visit your doctor, make up your mind to be
completely honest. Don’t try to tell her
what you think she wants to hear, or what
you think she expects to hear, or even what
you wish was true.
Share information
with your doctor as objectively and
thoroughly as you can. Writing down the
relevant facts ahead of time will help you
do so. Keep track of your symptoms, when
they started and how often they occur.
Record possible triggers including
activities, or food you’ve eaten. If you’re
visiting a new doctor, share your medical
history that might affect your current
problems.
One more thought.
If other doctors are like my friend, they
may assume you’re being less than truthful.
So tell them you know that can be a problem,
and that you’re being honest, so they can
make the best recommendations possible for
your situation.
© 2006 Trisha Torrey
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