Middle Aged Mama

Blogging about my Midlife Adventures

Why I’ve Lost Faith in Doctors

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used tissues I have been overcome by the Dreaded Lurgi.

Hubster and Miss 16 got it first and I was kept busy nursing them. Both were sick for 2 to 3 weeks.

Then I began sniffling. No sooner did I think I was over my little “cold” (and feeling rather smug that it hadn’t hit me as hard as the others!) than it turned into full scale flu – with all the delights that brings. I was in bed most of last week with the severe headache, sore throat, fevers, cough and all the rest of it. Oh and did I mention I got conjunctivitis as well?!

Why I’ve Lost Faith in Doctors

I must confess that I didn’t see a doctor despite my illness; it seems I have lost my faith in the medical profession over the past few years. Here’s why they are no longer my first port of call when I am actually sick:

  • Hubster and Miss 16 both went (at separate times) as they needed medical certificates for work/school – which cost a fortune.
  • It was nearly impossible to get an appointment for either of them – I had to beg and plead for them to be squeezed in, as our local clinic (with several doctors) was fully booked out. Do we live in Timbuktu or Outer Mongolia? No, downtown Cleveland, on the outskirts of Queensland’s capital city! I don’t like going elsewhere as they have our full medical records, including what drugs cause us adverse reactions, something I have trouble remembering even when I’m well let alone in the fog of flu.
  • My favourite doctor at the clinic is usually booked up a month in advance. She’s great for more serious or womanly complaints (she was the one who diagnosed my depression in 1998, and arranged for my hysterectomy last year) but because she IS so great, she’s very popular!
  • Hubster had 2 courses of antibiotics – but it really didn’t seem to help him get better any more quickly.
  • Miss 16 was prescribed rest and paracetamol only – which we really didn’t need a doctor to tell us. If it weren’t for the school needing a medical certificate, I wouldn’t have bothered to take her.
  • Then when I fell sick, I was too ill to be bothered to fight for an appointment, let alone pull myself together to get to the doctor’s surgery. And I figured it hadn’t helped the hubster or Miss 16, so why bother?
  • I’m seriously fed up with the side effects of antibiotics and if possible would rather go without!

It makes me wonder how health officials can have reliable statistics on outbreaks of the flu etc, when you can’t even get in to see a doctor!

Is it just me or have you also lost faith in our health system?

It’s Monday, time to join in with Kirsty at My Home Truths for I Must Confess and Alicia at One Mother Hen for Open Slather.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • So sorry to hear you’ve had a negative birth experience – from what I hear, you’re definitely not alone …

  2. Poor you, Janet. Get well soon xoxo. I must admit we have an amazing medical centre here in Theodore, where we can get in to LOOP (Locals Only, One Problem), clinic when we need to see a doctor quickly. This operates 4 mornings a week, for an hour or two. I avoid doctors as much as possible though, because I don’t want to catch any thing else nasty while I’m waiting to see the doctor!!

    • Thanks Liz – sounds like you get better medical access in the outback than we do in suburbia! xxx

  3. No, it’s not just you. I’ve lost faith in parts of the medical professional too. There are some fabulous doctors out there that actually think, question and investigate and then there are some out there that seem to write out a medical certificate and prescription without really thinking, or order blood tests. I believe part of the problem is the culture of needing a medical certificate if you can’t go to work or school.

    While I am amazed at the knowledge and advances of the medical profession, I feel that doctors sometimes give us a bandaid for problems that are broader and deeper than they appear. A lot has to be said for making diet and lifestyle changes.

    I know not everyone will agree with this, but these are my thoughts after spending 12 months with a poorly understood medical condition.

    Cheers,
    Lynda

    • One of the good things about going to a clinic is that they have the awesome thorough doctor for important things (even though it takes a month to get in), and some not so great ones to just give you a script or medical certificate when necessary – and they all have your file and notes 🙂

  4. My faith is waning and has been for a while. It’s expensive, and I only go if I have to. They should know if I turn up, it must be serious. So I was very disappointed to be sent home after fronting there with my kids, twice, only for them to be later admitted to hospital, one seriously being flown to Adelaide. After all that, I am still grateful that we have the access to a clinic and a hospital if we need. Apparently they have started bulk billing for kids visits now at our clinic, but I bet you have to ask.

    • I’ve had that happen to – although we’ve paid for an after hours doctor to come out at night or on the weekend, only to end up at the hospital within the next 24 hours!!!

  5. Never had much faith in them to start with…. The Pharmacuetical companies rule them…..

  6. I totally agree with you and avoid them as much as I possibly can. I have found that unless A has an chest infection with a cold there’s no point in getting anti-biotics. Even if you have fly, unless you have an infection, it will just run it’s course no matter what you do. We try to keep our liquids up, dose up on paracetemol and rest. As you say, unless you need a sick certificate, no point in going.
    Hope you are feeling heaps better by now !
    Me

    • What a shame we need medical certificates so much! Clogs up our health system unnecessarily …

  7. I have a really good GP that I go to. They have a few doctors in the practice, who are all good and they don’t over prescribe anti-biotics. My only complaint is the ridiculous amount of waiting time, even after you’ve made an appointment and that is no bulk billing for adults, only children. Hmph.

    Hope you are feeling much better now. xo

    • Yep, hate waiting around – probably get more germs in the waiting room ugh.

  8. Sorry to hear about the dreaded lurgi Janet! It hit us very hard last week too – all four of us have been sharing snot & misery! I avoid the GP unless it is absolutely necessary but I am grateful mine is pretty good & not too quick to dish out antibiotics or other ‘quick’ fixes! Feel better soon!

  9. I did a few years ago – when it was taking 5 weeks to get in to see our local doctor! Thankfully we have a good after hours GP access service here (which we used on the weekend) and an acute care clinic at my local GP once a week, so you can get in for things like flus, infections etc. Interestingly, the GP we saw on the weekend only prescribed anti-biotics for the worst case, because of the threat of resistance. He said my bigger girls (who weren’t so bad) would be fine to fight it themselves (which they were). I feel your pain though!

  10. Hi Janet, I try to give doctors a miss when I have the flu as it is usually viral and my doctor doesn’t give antibiotics unless bacterial infection. A waste of money and time. Hope you all feel better soon xxlisa

  11. I hear you! It’s almost as if you need to know you will be sick a month in advance if you want to get an appointment at the moment.

  12. I haven’t lost complete faith in the system but it is frustrating not to be able to get an appointment when you need it and to pay so much for the times that you can. I hope you’re on the mend now Janet!

  13. Sounds like you have the “Man Flu” …. I will be your GP for this post ….. You need to go straight to bed and leave all the housework for your hubster to do. Just make sure you moan every few hours so he knows how sick you are and continues to bring you food and drink in bed. Worth a try????

    • Tee hee hee that’s what I did all last week 🙂 thankfully feeling a LOT better now!