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Get A Second Opinion (medical)

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Ward County Notary Services 607851

It can be hard to get an appointment with your doctor and then to get a second opinion in a timely fashion may seem like a very daunting task. Cemetery's are full of people who otherwise may have lived longer had they seeked out a second opinion. 

Good RX has some very good information on second opinions. Many communities only have one hospital to choose from (Like Minot ND) but you may be able to get a second opinion from an independent clinic (we have many). I personally benefited from a second opinion just last month in regards to a dog bite.

The inspiration for this post is I lost a good friend last week who failed to get a second opinion after she went to her Dr. due to pain in her arm and slurred speech. Her Dr. dismissed her saying "I don't think it's a heart attach". Hours later she had a massive stroke and passed on a few days later. Jan was only 45 years old and left behind a loving husband and two teenage boys.

I am going to tell you a little more through out the week but can you imagine the rage and sorrow Jen's husband is going through? The hospital is very powerful and I have been told (my office is in a nest of lawyers) that there is not an attorney in the State of ND that will go after them so my friend needs to find an out of State lawyer to sue for malpractice.

 

 

Posted by

Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Bob - unfortunately sad stories such as the one you share are not totally unknown or unfamiliar.  The topic of "seconds" whether in the discussion of opinions or chances remain a part of the discussion in everyday life.  

Aug 12, 2024 06:12 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Michael Jacobs you are spot on that stories like this abound for sure. My wife lost here brother to this same hospital because no other Dr. wanted to step on the toes of his doctors original opinion.

Aug 12, 2024 07:40 AM
Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

Bob, I couldn't agree more. We have to advocate for ourselves even with excellent doctors. You have to read up on treatments and solutions and bring them to the forefront. It seems medical options are changing so quickly that doctors cannot keep up. It also helps to have someone advocate for you when you cannot. 

I'll also add that I suspect some decisions are made based on whether you have insurance and/or if your insurance will pay for certain things.

Aug 12, 2024 06:16 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Sadly I agree with you about the insurance Carla Freund . This is what really scares me about Medicaid & Medicare or any government run health care program.

 

Your point about educating ourselves is also very important.

Aug 12, 2024 07:43 AM
Michael Elliott
Fathom Realty - Burlington Township, NJ
Burlington, New Jersey Residential Sales

Bob, I am so very sorry for your loss.   Second opinions can be crucial, as you know.  

Aug 12, 2024 06:23 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Thank you Michael Elliott . Jen was a kind and loving person. Her husband Mitch is on a emotional roller coaster of emotion trying to process it all.

Aug 12, 2024 07:45 AM
Michael Elliott

I am sure he is...heartbreaking.  I am sure he appreciates your comfort and support.  

Aug 12, 2024 07:47 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Oh my goodness, Bob... what a terrible story about your friend. It underscores how many doctors STILL don't know how to properly diagnose women when it comes to heart disease and stroke.

Aug 12, 2024 07:36 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

So true Nina Hollander, Broker . Believe it or not her Dr. is a female Dr. How does ANY Dr. dismiss two major signs of a stroke?

Aug 12, 2024 07:47 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker

Bob "RealMan" Timm hi Bob... our older daughter suffered a stroke in February... also many warning signs had been ignored... in this case both by her doctor and her. 

Aug 12, 2024 08:04 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Sorry to hear that Nina Hollander, Broker . I hope/pray she is okay today.

Aug 12, 2024 08:37 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

I am sorry for your loss.

This is good advice to share and is especially important for those of us in the advanced seniors category. 

 

Aug 12, 2024 07:37 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Amen Roy Kelley . Jen was only 49 years old. Besides telling her Dr. that she had two major signs of a stroke and of course telling the Dr. that she was concerned that she may be having a stroke Jen was also over weight which should have concerned her Dr. Why wouldn't a Dr. at least run a test or two to alleviate Jen's concerns?

Aug 12, 2024 07:51 AM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Bob and I am so sorry for the wife if the husband was only 45.  I am going in for some surgery August 26 and now sure about it.

 

Aug 12, 2024 08:57 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

It's the other way around Will Hamm . The wife died.

Aug 12, 2024 08:59 AM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Sorry Bob, my wife came into my office to talk and then afer she left type my comment

 

Aug 12, 2024 09:33 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Not a problem Will Hamm . Wives can be distracting .😊

Aug 12, 2024 10:32 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

 

Gheez Bob "RealMan" Timm - the doctor did not "think" it was a heart attack - well now what part of medical school was missed?  Are we not supposed to test to rule out? Heartbreaking. 

I agree, many people died at the hands of the doctors they trusted with the care.  

Thank God you got a second opinion on the dog bite. 

 

Aug 12, 2024 09:37 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

I think she (the Dr.) missed healthcare 101 Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist . I am lucky I got a 2nd AND 3rd opinion on the dog bite or I may have lost my leg from the knee down.

Aug 12, 2024 10:34 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

FEATURED IN CRAP-TACULAR

 

Mr. Crappy Says

DUMP Crappy Medical Opinions

Get a Second One!

💩💩

💩

 

 

Aug 12, 2024 09:38 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Thank you Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist and Mr . Crappy.

Aug 12, 2024 10:35 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Bob- I am very sorry for your friend's loss and yours as well.  We chased Larry's heart issue 5 months only to find he had a 99% blockage in one of his arteries. We only discovered that after we told the doctor to order an angiogram or we're going to another cardiologist. We have to take charge of our health. 

Aug 12, 2024 06:37 PM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Isn't that something Kathy Streib when we lay people have to tell someone with 12 years of medical education what the problem is? I'm glad Larry finally got the care he needed.

Aug 12, 2024 07:29 PM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

A second and even third opinion is always worthwhile and I see it as similar to how we usually refer vendors.  I try to refer at least 3 solid vendors, then allow clients to choose who they feel most comfortable with.

Aug 13, 2024 05:07 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Great real estate comparison Brian England . Thank you.

Aug 13, 2024 06:11 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Bob, I am so sorry about your friend. So young and so tragic. Unfortunately, there is a massive uptick in these situations. 

Aug 19, 2024 05:45 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Thank you for your condolences Dr. Paula McDonald . You have to wonder why her Dr. didn't order tests immediately when she described two major signs of a stroke. 

Aug 19, 2024 07:05 AM
Jeffrey Richman
Immediate Home Solutions - Myrtle Beach, SC
Creative Real Estate Specialist

Hi Bob,

So very sorry for your loss.  There are many people that will not get a second opinion or don't think that they need one because they think their doctor is the best.  You are absolutely right in that with something potentially dire, a second opinion is needed

Aug 19, 2024 06:37 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Thank you Jeffrey Richman . Even if it doesn't seem dire but has the potential to become dire I encourage a 2nd opinion. That is exactly what I did in regards to a recent dog bite. In fact it was a third opinion that may have saved my leg. In that case I did not actually look for a 3rd opinion... a Dr. , whom I did not know, saw my bite and was very alarmed when she saw it.

Aug 19, 2024 07:10 AM
John Juarez
The Medford Real Estate Team - Fremont, CA
ePRO, SRES, GRI, PMN

My first thought upon reading your post was "stroke". What a shame that the doctor did not run any test that might have determined the real problem.

Aug 22, 2024 10:44 AM