Posted by Racer on October 15, 2004, at 12:31:22
In reply to Tip: Call your doc when you don't notice progress, posted by utopizen on October 14, 2004, at 20:23:31
If you've got a doctor who is responsive to that sort of thing, or you have access to the doctor via telephone or voicemail, that's great advice. Some of us don't or haven't got that sort of access.
From July 2003 through August 2004, I was in crisis and uninsured. I got on the list to get treatment through the county in July, but nothing had happened by the time the crisis got to the point I attempted suicide in September. After being released by the hospital, I was finally seen in late September. From then until August, I did receive treatment -- but had no access to assistance of any sort between appointments. Side effects, no matter how severe, MIGHT get me a return call from an office clerk, often with no other response than, "Keep taking the medication as prescribed, and talk to the doctor about it at your appointment next month."
Again, if you have access to adequate health care and medication support, your advice is great, and it's well worth taking. For some people, though -- growing numbers, too, which we should all remember on the first Tuesday in November -- it's just not possible to act on it.
(But thank you, because it is a very, very good point, and I think it is overlooked quite often.)
poster:Racer
thread:403142
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041012/msgs/403378.html