WhatNext wrote:
The trouble is I can't see myself walking in to my doctor's office and acting like I know more about this than he does. I can't see how it would come across any other way.![]()
WhatNext
It could very well be literally true that you do know more about this than your doctor. Not that it will do you any good to point it out, but facts are facts. I had an experience where my designated primary care provider doubled my statins, from 40 mg to 80 mg as a knee-jerk reaction to a very mildly elevated cholesterol number. Even my cardiologist sort of shrugged at that, seeming to suggest that he would not have done that, but he went along with the PCP because it is very important to him (the cardiologist) to make the point that PCPs are responsible for monitoring and controlling cholesterol, not him (the cardiologist). I also went along with it, for awhile, but it bothered me, so I consulted with a nurse practitioner who was happy to listen to my concerns and worked with me to lower the statins to 20 mg and review lab results that show this is a good level for me. Many medical practices include a nurse practitioner, and I have always found that they are much better listeners than MDs, are more open to patient input into decisions, and generally just better doctors. Clearly there are exceptions, but that has been my experience. If you have that option in your medical care situation, you might want to check it out.
Best of Luck to you.