Re: Wow!

I am just thinking now about my dog Charlotte. When I found her ten years ago she had a maimed front leg -- it had clearly been broken and not set, and had healed crookedly, paw permanently facing outward at a somewhat jaunty angle.

I took her to a vet to get it looked at, and he said, "We need to take that leg off! It's just going to slow her down." I was horrified and went to another vet, who said, "let's see how she does with it" -- and the truth of the matter was, as soon as Charlotte figured out how to use it for balance, she *did* use that leg -- it has never been able to fully support her, but it does give her a little to stand on or to hold her up when she's sitting, etc. (Vet #2 also took X-rays and said they could do several operations involving re-breaking and setting, etc. for partial fixing, but that it would be really painful and expensive and she advised against it.)

Anyway, the point being, what if we didn't listen to our guts and go elsewhere, or tell healthcare professionals "No"? The only other time I have had that same feeling as at Vet #1's -- where I felt like I was really getting in between someone and what they needed to be OK somehow -- was at my girls' first doctor's office early on, where I wouldn't let them get vaccinations. The pediatrician was ugly about it, and I thought on the way home, "She REALLY, TRULY believes that if they don't have their vaccinations, they'll perish!" -- that maybe it wasn't just about the money but about having the idea that her knowledge was all the information in the world about the subject at hand. That's pretty powerful -- to make a lot of money by telling clients/patients that procedure A or medicine B or process C is absolutely essential, and that the alternative to the procedure or medicine or process is fatal or completely harmful. Money and authority are such a potent combination and it's no wonder it can get really creepy and uncomfortable to question these people or say no to them.

I went to the dentist about 7 or 8 years ago and he wanted to remove my wisdom teeth. At the time I bought into doctors and dentists, etc. -- but, I didn't have much cash (or dental insurance), and also I hate having peoples' hands in my mouth and all those sounds they make with those awful metal instruments. Anyway, the end result was that I just didn't go back and my teeth seem about the same. I am glad I still have them, and in retrospect, I don't see why I would have needed them out as I had four other teeth pulled in 8th grade at braces time -- there is plenty of room in my mouth! I also went through a similar problem with my gallbladder -- without an exam, the doctor wanted to take my GB out. I think I am just opposed to extracting, removing, amputating or otherwise doing anything final like that.

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