Healthcare?

I've been thinking a lot about my views on healthcare. The other day I came across a blog that really had me thinking.

I like the writer's style - sharp, witty, to the point. She starts out her diatribe on people's distrust of doctor's like this:

Your doctor is smarter than you are.

A whole lot smarter.

The ability to google and use Web MD doesn't make you more knowledgeable than your physician. And most certainly doesn't make you a physician yourself. Or a PA. Or an NP. Or a Nurse. Or even an MA. Sorry. (Disregard if you actually are one of the above.)

I admit, I find that I struggle with this a lot. Tim and I have attempted to navigate some middle ground between the approaches of the more "natural" healthcare provided by naturopaths (ND's) and the more "traditional" healthcare provided by MD's.

We find ourselves making the best decisions we can, a combination of both compromises and inconsistencies.

Take, for example our healthcare choices with the boys:

* Both of our babies were born by midwives, the second of which was also a ND (Naturopathic Doctor) who delivered Will at home.

* Yet, we take our boys to a regular pediatrician - an MD (Medical Doctor).

* We vaccinate our kids

* Yet, we spread out the innoculations, typically not getting more than one shot at a time so as to not overload their immune systems.

Why do I have such a hard time trusting doctors? I started under the care of an ND while yet in high school, mostly for chiropractic needs. Over the years, I have come to realize that these two schools of thought are most definitely pitted against each other.

MD's accuse ND's of being quacks with no training. ND's accuse MD's of having no genuine regard for the overall health of the patient - slaves to insurance and the system, all to willing to load patients up on potentially harmful and unneccessary drugs.

A controversy that leaves patients in the middle to attempt navigate between the two. Realizing there are merits to both.

I have to laugh when this blogger writes:

But do not, do not, do not go to your doctor's appointment, listen to what she has to say, take the prescription from her hand and then, rather than filling the script, head to your local health food store and ask the guy restocking Rice Dream Pies what to do for strep throat. Or even the lady standing near probiotics how to deal with Celiac disease. That's ignorant and asinine. Grow up and recognize people for what they've been thoroughly educated to help you with.

Rather, ask the guy with the Rice Dream Pies where you can find a mocha flavored one.

And the lady with the probiotics, ask her why not a one of those bottles on the shelves can guarantee their contents or has double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multi-center clinical study to back up their claims.

And listen to her waffle.

I think it was God's grace that I read this little diatribe prior to Jared's scorpion experience. While in the hospital, trying to make the decision about whether or not to give Jared the antivenin, I was racking my brain, thinking to myself, "I should call someone I can trust with more experience than I in this department."

Then, I realized there was no one I could think of to call at 4am that could appropriately weigh in on the decision with any level of expertise.

Then, reminded of this rant, this voice repeated in my head, "Your doctor is smarter than you are. A whole lot smarter."

I had to stop and breathe and ask her, the MD, the actual doctor standing in front of me, the one whose training had prepared her for this decision, the one whose job it was to help us and to prevent my son from falling into further harm, the one who is most definitely NOT out to get me ... I had to ask her what she would do if it were her three year old. And I had to trust her and take her advice.

I am so glad I did.

Jared is totally better. The only evidence of his ordeal is the brusing on his hands and arms from the needle marks. And, as Tim says, "if that is the worst of it, I'll take it."

So... all that to say, I am working through this issue. I am trying to get to the bottom of my philosophy when it comes to healthcare.

More than once I have found myself in a doctor's office, talking more than listening ... distrusting MD's as medicine pushers - as if they have some agenda that is furthered when my kids succumb to prescriptions.

What am I thinking? How annoying is that?

Anyone else struggle with this one, too?