Guest guest Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 A couple of the most recent exchanges here are really making me nervous. I would encourage everyone on this group to refrain from asking for medical advice for ACUTE, possibly LIFE-THREATING situations, and this is especially true for little ones who can really get deathly sick fast. Likewise, I would encourage people in our group here against offering well-intentioned medical advice from the hip. There are so many hidden land-mines in this sort of guessing game than can give horrible consequences. At the very least, a mother could be calmed into ignoring her " mother's 6th sense " of her child's plight. I think this side use of our discussion group could turn into a lose-lose situation where someone eventually gets hurt bad. Back in the old days when I started veterinary practice (and the risk consequences for pets are still are smaller than for humans) I would always offer (when asked) my best free advice and opinions over the phone. Being in practice a while you get good at knowing horses are more likely than zebras, so, 99% of the time I was right, and when the exceptional case came in where the problem was much worse than the symptoms sounded, the owner was always forgiving often even thanking me for giving it my best shot, even if the animal died. They understood and admitted their own contribution in taking the path they chose. Over the years I watched the national mentality change to the point where if you were correct with the free advice, the owner would blow off the value of the wise, risky and free diagnosis saying " well, duh, it was easy, everyone knew it was nothing " BUT, god forbid, should you be wrong, there would be hell to pay, and often the client would claim they were trying to come in for an exam but " the vet told me it would be OK " , gave me some simple nostroms that didn't work and my precious would be alive today if I hadn't gotten this bad advice from this bad vet. All this takes place in court now where the good samaritan is the defendant and the hostile person will be very likely to take the innocent healer down for good. Nowadays, no doctor in their right mind would give medical advice based on a symptom or two over the phone or e-mail. The mom (or inquiring person) is with the patient directly, can take the temperature, can palpate the abdomen, can get that 6th sense that no person, no matter how many years of medical school, does not have and cannot have in a phone or e-mail format. Everything we do has some degree of risk, many of the food issues we discuss are controversial and ever-changing. I hope our group grows, I hope the information exchange continues to flourish, but, most of all, I don't want anything bad to happen to anybody. Best wishes, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Paranoid Will, I totally understand what you are saying and am certainly guilty as charged. I have even committed offenses on both sides of the issue at hand! I do have to say that although I believe you are technically right, I have a real need to LEARN from people who are like-minded and this can only be accomplished by the sharing of information. Whether this is the right venue for this is really not debatable, but sometimes desperate situations require desperate measures. I realize it is a risk, but a risk that I am personally willing to take. I don't wish to conform to the " changing mentality " of our society. I have never sued or been sued, so maybe you could call me inexperienced. Of course I would be devastated if harm came to someone as a result of something that I said or did, but it could happen as well if I declined to answer a question because I was more interested in covering my behind! I don't want my life to be ruled by FEAR. Rather I choose to continue to be a Good Samaritan (and to ask for help now and then.) Reckless Kathy Who can't imagine EVER influencing a mother to ignore her 6th sense! > A couple of the most recent exchanges here are really making me nervous. > > I would encourage everyone on this group to refrain from asking for medical > advice for ACUTE, possibly LIFE-THREATING situations, and this is > especially true for little ones who can really get deathly sick fast. Likewise, I > would encourage people in our group here against offering well-intentioned > medical advice from the hip. There are so many hidden land-mines in this > sort of guessing game than can give horrible consequences. At the very least, > a mother could be calmed into ignoring her " mother's 6th sense " of her child's > plight. I think this side use of our discussion group could turn into a lose- lose > situation where someone eventually gets hurt bad. > > Back in the old days when I started veterinary practice (and the risk > consequences for pets are still are smaller than for humans) I would always > offer (when asked) my best free advice and opinions over the phone. Being in > practice a while you get good at knowing horses are more likely than zebras, > so, 99% of the time I was right, and when the exceptional case came in > where the problem was much worse than the symptoms sounded, the owner > was always forgiving often even thanking me for giving it my best shot, even if > the animal died. They understood and admitted their own contribution in > taking the path they chose. > > Over the years I watched the national mentality change to the point where if > you were correct with the free advice, the owner would blow off the value of > the wise, risky and free diagnosis saying " well, duh, it was easy, everyone > knew it was nothing " BUT, god forbid, should you be wrong, there would be > hell to pay, and often the client would claim they were trying to come in for an > exam but " the vet told me it would be OK " , gave me some simple nostroms > that didn't work and my precious would be alive today if I hadn't gotten this > bad advice from this bad vet. All this takes place in court now where the good > samaritan is the defendant and the hostile person will be very likely to take > the innocent healer down for good. Nowadays, no doctor in their right mind > would give medical advice based on a symptom or two over the phone or > e-mail. > > The mom (or inquiring person) is with the patient directly, can take the > temperature, can palpate the abdomen, can get that 6th sense that no > person, no matter how many years of medical school, does not have and > cannot have in a phone or e-mail format. > > Everything we do has some degree of risk, many of the food issues we > discuss are controversial and ever-changing. I hope our group grows, I hope > the information exchange continues to flourish, but, most of all, I don't want > anything bad to happen to anybody. > > Best wishes, > > Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 AMEN Will, very well said. People (the majority, but probably not so on this list) today just have the mentality that they are never to blame for anything that happens to them....health, accidents, etc. We must be careful in our advise. Shari Call me PARANOID, but.... > A couple of the most recent exchanges here are really making me nervous. > > I would encourage everyone on this group to refrain from asking for medical > advice for ACUTE, possibly LIFE-THREATING situations, and this is > especially true for little ones who can really get deathly sick fast. Likewise, I > would encourage people in our group here against offering well-intentioned > medical advice from the hip. There are so many hidden land-mines in this > sort of guessing game than can give horrible consequences. At the very least, > a mother could be calmed into ignoring her " mother's 6th sense " of her child's > plight. I think this side use of our discussion group could turn into a lose-lose > situation where someone eventually gets hurt bad. > > Back in the old days when I started veterinary practice (and the risk > consequences for pets are still are smaller than for humans) I would always > offer (when asked) my best free advice and opinions over the phone. Being in > practice a while you get good at knowing horses are more likely than zebras, > so, 99% of the time I was right, and when the exceptional case came in > where the problem was much worse than the symptoms sounded, the owner > was always forgiving often even thanking me for giving it my best shot, even if > the animal died. They understood and admitted their own contribution in > taking the path they chose. > > Over the years I watched the national mentality change to the point where if > you were correct with the free advice, the owner would blow off the value of > the wise, risky and free diagnosis saying " well, duh, it was easy, everyone > knew it was nothing " BUT, god forbid, should you be wrong, there would be > hell to pay, and often the client would claim they were trying to come in for an > exam but " the vet told me it would be OK " , gave me some simple nostroms > that didn't work and my precious would be alive today if I hadn't gotten this > bad advice from this bad vet. All this takes place in court now where the good > samaritan is the defendant and the hostile person will be very likely to take > the innocent healer down for good. Nowadays, no doctor in their right mind > would give medical advice based on a symptom or two over the phone or > e-mail. > > The mom (or inquiring person) is with the patient directly, can take the > temperature, can palpate the abdomen, can get that 6th sense that no > person, no matter how many years of medical school, does not have and > cannot have in a phone or e-mail format. > > Everything we do has some degree of risk, many of the food issues we > discuss are controversial and ever-changing. I hope our group grows, I hope > the information exchange continues to flourish, but, most of all, I don't want > anything bad to happen to anybody. > > Best wishes, > > Will > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2004 Report Share Posted March 19, 2004 Hey Will, I don't know you. Maybe we'll meet at a trad. food meeting sometime (if there is one) I'm not sure if your responding here to my specific post. If you are, please be informed that my post was asking for hydration ideas (i.e. foods--since this thread is about foods, right?). Regarding being paranoid, that's really sad to me. If this mail group stated that all members are authorities in physical health and were offering advice in that stance, *then* you should be a little worried. But I surely hope that we don't get to a point where people are nervous about sharing their life experiences, and to the point that people put their or their children's lives in the hands of a complete stranger on an e-mail list. (!) This is just more evidence that humans belong in front of each other rather than behind a computer monitor. P.S. If anyone is wondering, I parent by my gut and didn't take my daughter in for an IV. She got breast milk and whatever else she asked for. She stopped throwing up yesterday morning, thankfully. Now she's got a little diarrhea. Thanks to all that gave their input, Amy > A couple of the most recent exchanges here are really making me nervous. > > I would encourage everyone on this group to refrain from asking for medical > advice for ACUTE, possibly LIFE-THREATING situations, and this is > especially true for little ones who can really get deathly sick fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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