Comment by hestipod | Hacker News Reader

Comment by hestipod | Hacker News Reader

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I went through immunotherapy several years ago, for an iatrogenically induced issue which angers me more, and I think it permanently damaged me. I was quite sick for a while after and have never felt "the same" as before. I know that's vague and easily dismissed but it's as if the side effects of the treatment never went away. I also just spent months and a LOT of money on multiple biopsies apropos of the post's title, one of which got infected and created a whole other level of pain, stress, and cost, for a misdiagnoses. I never needed to be cut up and infected. This happened to me long ago in a more severe way with surgery as well that disabled me. Misdiagnosed by multiple doctors, spent tens of thousands, worse off. I would have had a much higher quality of life overall had I never gone to a doctor in this country. They have never gotten it right from small to big issues, and ruined my life in the process. I guess I need to just learn my lesson that the system can never be trusted here. But it's hard when you have pain or problems and want a solution. In my professional and personal experience the potential negative outcomes are always massively underplayed to patients. Medical errors/misdiagnoses are the THIRD leading cause of death in the USA. If I had been properly informed about any of the big issues I suffered I would have never agreed to "treatment" and better off for it.

All too common. I’m still dependent on a drug which was meant to be temporary but I was given such a high dose it permanently altered me. I’ve spent years tapering down and looking at another year to finally get off it, with no underlying issue anymore. Painfully slow, tedious, and maddening at times. I’m sorry you had to go through that.

I understand what you are going through and am sorry I cannot solve it for all of us in this boat. I try my best not to dwell in the past and be angry, but its so hard when the past's errors and slights affect your quality of life every day.

> I guess I need to just learn my lesson that the system can never be trusted here.

I made a similar generalization about dentists a number of years back. I regret making that generalization now.

I wish I had instead decided “that one can’t be trusted, let me try another”.

I have done that, repeatedly over many decades, and most of them have made me worse to the point nothing can be done IF you find a good one. You can't be an expert in everything and often learn someone is bad too late. Since I live in a country where healthcare is a profit driven business I have been priced out of "trying another" as a result of the damage done and loss of life and income. I cannot afford to keep trying new ones until I find an honest and competent one in most cases. Not at the US prices.

I also went through that with dentists years back and had several in a row insisting I needed lots of expensive work but I kept spending on more opinions as it was out of line with my historical dental health. I lucked into one that confirmed I did not need any of that, proved why to my satisfaction, and said its a real problem in the business and I have been with them ever since.

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