>Kathy
>You said <<I think patients are much too compliant with what I consider
>"advice" from medical personnel. Someone sent me a private email about my
>decision not to do my last two chemo treatments, asking me if it was "legal"
>to refuse chemo...I also think this is how many people view medical advice
>-- like you MUST take the doctor's advice.  You don't have to!!!!>>

I've had similar experiences... a friend of mine just could NOT wrap her
head around that one could refuse an amnio "but.. the doctor will MAKE
you!"  She just couldn't believe the doctor did not have the power to MAKE
you.

Laurie suggested lecturing parents and general public on this... Might I
humbly suggest this is lectured on in med school?  no offense to the nice
docs out there, but after my MIL was recently told "I'm the doctor, you
don't question me" when a doctor who did not even introduce himself
informed her he was going to do a rectal exam and she asked why I'm not
real impressed with the humanity section of medical education.  My MIL also
works for a health networking group and was told to quit reffering people
to diabetes/AIDS/etc support groups... too many patients were getting
information and asking questions it seems.  When she mentioned the patient
has a right to make any decision they want, the docs were dumbfounded.
Then again maybe I live in a lousy area.  Jack practically laughed in my
face when I asked him to reccomend a clone of him for here =O

-wendey (studying LC in Montreal where there's lots of snow)

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