Why do people ask for medical info here?

[2girls4me]

There is a big difference I see here.

It is one thing to come on the board AFTER seeing an established medical professional (remember anyone on here can say they are anything, it doesn't make it true) and receiving a diagnosis, and a treatment recommendation and asking for emotional support, or asking someone who has been through the same to share their experiences, it is quite a different thing to come on here seeking medical advice, especially in an emergency situation, IN LIEU of seeking treatment from an established professional.

In the last thread I remember a poster was having what clearly could have been symptoms of a stroke, and she knew they were stroke symptoms, and sought diagnosis and advice on a Disney message board, no less. People gave her diagnosis ranging from migraine to asthma, which it could be, but why chance it? Think if the poster read on here Disneyreader12 said it was a migraine, or
asthma, or whatever and took that to heart and it actually was a stroke. That poster could have died or been left severely disabled. The general rule of thumb in medicine is "rule out the things that will kill you 1st."

Over the years I have read a lot of wacky medical info and advice on these boards, from people who have, and have made no bones about their dislike of the medical community who think that you can cure serious diseases with herbs and spices, to people who have every illness and allergy they ever heard of on "House."

I think it is one thing to offer your personal experience with a situation, treatment, disease, or procedure, and quite another to offer diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

This. This perfectly states the way I feel. The whole, "I have a rash on my toe, tell me what it is." really? We could all be 12 year old boys, why are you seeking our medical advice.

Support I get. That to me is different then diagnose me.

What blows my mind on here and elsewhere is posts telling coupled to get to therapy immediately. Like, don't stop anywhere go straight to a therapist for your failing marriage. I saw this when a poster asked about something that happened at a nye dinner. One post about an off meal has them running to therapy.

 

[Cantw8]

Ok so you quoted in all caps and added nothing TVguy.. Sorry bud, but what was the point?

I don't know what is funnier...what you wrote or the fact that you are laughing at it

 

[ebtbmom]

I posted when I thought I had shingles because it was weird and random and I didn't have anyone to get a personal perspective from. And for what it's worth I went to my local clinic 2 times and they didnt diagnose me, but armed with knowledge from here and other sites I got my doctor to refer me to someone who knew what they were doing! Nine days later I finally got the antiviral, little help then, and I'm changing doctors!

 

[disneyfans95]

There is a big difference I see here.

It is one thing to come on the board AFTER seeing an established medical professional (remember anyone on here can say they are anything, it doesn't make it true) and receiving a diagnosis, and a treatment recommendation and asking for emotional support, or asking someone who has been through the same to share their experiences, it is quite a different thing to come on here seeking medical advice, especially in an emergency situation, IN LIEU of seeking treatment from an established professional.

In the last thread I remember a poster was having what clearly could have been symptoms of a stroke, and she knew they were stroke symptoms, and sought diagnosis and advice on a Disney message board, no less. People gave her diagnosis ranging from migraine to asthma, which it could be, but why chance it? Think if the poster read on here Disneyreader12 said it was a migraine, or asthma, or whatever and took that to heart and it actually was a stroke. That poster could have died or been left severely disabled. The general rule of thumb in medicine is "rule out the things that will kill you 1st."

Over the years I have read a lot of wacky medical info and advice on these boards, from people who have, and have made no bones about their dislike of the medical community who think that you can cure serious diseases with herbs and spices, to people who have every illness and allergy they ever heard of on "House."

I think it is one thing to offer your personal experience with a situation, treatment, disease, or procedure, and quite another to offer diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

BINGO!

IT is the crazy folks that ask for help here, before they even try to talk to professionals.

Great post..

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I didn't post a question, but I figured out from a medical thread that my DH was having symptoms of appendicitis. They were not the USUAL symptoms you hear about, so DH was resisting going to the Dr for a week or so. I forced him to go based on that thread and he had emergency surgery the next day. So a Big Thank You to the DisBoards!!

Sometimes you learn new things on those threads...

Amen!

Your post brought tears to my eyes. Beautifully said. It sometimes makes me crazy, but mostly I'm often grateful and inspired by the humanity and compassion reflected on the Dis.

Yes, most people here on the Dis are very compassionate people and full of great advice and support.

In the last thread I remember a poster was having what clearly could have been symptoms of a stroke, and she knew they were stroke symptoms, and sought diagnosis and advice on a Disney message board, no less. People gave her diagnosis ranging from migraine to asthma, which it could be, but why chance it? Think if the poster read on here Disneyreader12 said it was a migraine, or asthma, or whatever and took that to heart and it actually was a stroke. That poster could have died or been left severely disabled. The general rule of thumb in medicine is "rule out the things that will kill you 1st."

.

That poster was me. I did ask if that could be a symptom of a stroke, or had anyone ever had any experience with this kind of thing. It was also very late at night when I posted that and my doctors office was not even open.

I am not stupid enough to sit at home and only seek advice from the dis when I have a very good Dr. and I live less than five minutes from a hospital. If I felt like something bad was about to happen I would have gone to the ER right then like most people in the world would. I was just asking a question on a community board where I have seen others do the very same thing. I see no harm in it at all.

By the way, I did go to the Dr. and it was anxiety, which I suspected. It's a weird symptom, but maybe that will help someone else here on the dis one day. You just never know.

Do you (general you) know what I hate more than anything on the Dis? People who complain about threads that they show no interest in, or that they think are useless. My advice to them is simple, avoid those threads and read about things that you do care about. There really is no need to attack or embarrass anyone on the Dis.

 

[badblackpug]

Amen!



Yes, most people here on the Dis are very compassionate people and full of great advice and support.



That poster was me. I did ask if that could be a symptom of a stroke, or had anyone ever had any experience with this kind of thing. It was also very late at night when I posted that and my doctors office was not even open.

I am not stupid enough to sit at home and only seek advice from the dis when I have a very good Dr. and I live less than five minutes from a hospital. If I felt like something bad was about to happen I would have gone to the ER right then like most people in the world would. I was just asking a question on a community board where I have seen others do the very same thing. I see no harm in it at all.

By the way, I did go to the Dr. and it was anxiety, which I suspected. It's a weird symptom, but maybe that will help someone else here on the dis one day. You just never know.

Do you (general you) know what I hate more than anything on the Dis? People who complain about threads that they show no interest in, or that they think are useless. My advice to them is simple, avoid those threads and read about things that you do care about. There really is no need to attack or embarrass anyone on the Dis.

The ER is open very late at night, I know, I work there very late at night.

I can't tell you how many people who said, "It didn't seem like anything." "It's just a headache." "It's just indigestion." "It's just stress." Who later ended up in the ICU, operating room, or in a bag. You are lucky it wasn't more serious. Even waiting to see your very good doctor the next day would have been too late if you had actually had a stroke. There is a very limited amount of time in which a stroke can be treated.

PSA to all: Time is brain.

Posting about it and saying it "may help someone some day" may be true, but it also may be harmful. Maybe the next person having those symptoms IS having a stroke, but they stayed home and posted about it, because, "So and so said it didn't seem like anything bad, and it was just anxiety." We are talking about people's lives here, not about booking a hotel we don't like. Asking for experiences and support is one thing, asking for diagnosis is quite another. Many people on that thread did tell you to go to the ER.


I will still say to everyone it is ill-advised to seek medical diagnosis and advice on a message board. The same reason no one will give you medical advice over the phone stands here. If they cannot examine you, they cannot give you accurate info. Not to mention everyone thinks that people here are on the up an up. The people posting with your medical advice could be 12 year olds home and bored. Untreated mentally ill, or just plain liars. (shall we go back to the "I'm 7 months pregnant and my husband is having an affair" thread, or perhaps the "My daughter died of leukemia, 1/2 my family has cancer, I have premies with rare congenital birth defects, and I have cancer" thread.)

The threads I don't like are people who ask for opinions then get all angry or hurt when they don't get the opinions they want to hear.

Lastly, if you are too sensitive to have people comment on your posts perhaps a public internet forum is not for you. If you put is out there for public consumption it will be consumed and digested.

 

[Jedana]

I don't come for the medical help, I come for the "real life" experiences that can help.

For example, my DH is on the transplant list for a kidney. I know what is going to happen medically; I know what I have to do as far as paperwork and getting things lined up with the insurances. But I dont' know how to deal with it mentally, or if I really need to have that back up person or any number of other things.