Where do you suppose we got the idea that all our aches and pains, bumps and bruises, moods and maladies are so shockingly dangerous?
“You’ve had a cough for 2 whole DAYS???
You should get that checked out!”
“You twisted your ankle really bad, dude.
You should get that checked out.”
“That rash could be a sign of something really serious.
You should get that checked out.”
OK. Everybody take a breath and look around to see where you left your common sense. And while you’re at it…STOP listening to the drug commercials on your TV.
You don’t need a doctor to tell you to put your sprained ankle up and slap an ice pack on it, do you? Rest, ice, compression, elevation. Was anybody listening in health class? This is easy stuff. And sprains heal…all by themselves. Sprains heal even if you do everything wrong. Even if you keep working your job walking miles on a cement factory floor in bad shoes. Even if you put heat on it. EVEN if you play basketball because the guys can’t win without you. The ankle will hurt longer. You play, you pay. Not a bad arrangement if you can take it.
The problem is that after a week or so of doing everything wrong, you are tired of the ankle hurting. So you complain to someone, perhaps your friend sitting on the barstool next to you. Then you hear those six pricey words…”You should get that checked out.” You go to the emergency room because of course this conversation happened late at night when nothing else is open but bars and ERs. After an X-ray…normal, an exam by the doctor…painful, you are sent on your way with a few pain pills and instructions to ‘follow up’ with your own doctor in a few days. Your reward for this evening jaunt? A very large bill…ouch…that really hurts!
Corporate medicine profits from your bad judgment.
You won’t find medical advice on this blog. This is a guide to navigating the wild place out there…corporate medicine land. I can help you find your way. I’ll remind you to take a breath, look around, and pick up your common sense. I’ll help you remember what you learned in health class, or teach again the lesson you skipped. I’m a nurse. It’s what I do.