10 Reasons why Men don't Willingly seek Medical Help

As I wrote about two weeks ago, I have been experiencing some medical issues during the past few weeks which have caused me to visit doctors of various professions on four occasions. During this time, it has become clear to me that the medical professions really cater to women. The whole experience is set up to cause women to feel comfortable. Men on the other hand appear to be after thoughts in the patient care arena.

Men want answers--and then results. I am a "do this and then . . . " kind of guy. My recent experience has been anything but definitive.

So I think I have discovered some reasons why men do not like to seek medical treatment, unless we are unconscious and being taken for medical treatment in an ambulance after some horrific accident.

1. Usually, the symptoms go away before I can get an appointment. And then I feel stupid going to the doctor.

2. I am feeling so much better by the time I get an appointment that I should have canceled the appointment, but I didn't have the time to call and cancel or it was too close to the appointment and I didn't want to pay the cancellation fee.

3. There is almost never a definitive answer--just more referrals and more tests.

4. "Take two aspirin and call me if you don't get better," is a real treatment plan.

5. The doctor tells me: "Don't laugh when I tell you what you have, it is real."

6. My reaction when receiving the name for my diagnosis is "No kidding, did someone get their doctoral thesis coming up with that?"

7. The is such a treatment plan as, "Well there really isn't anything to help, it will either go away on its own and not return, or go away and return, or not go away." I needed four doctors and 45 minutes alone with my thoughts in a really noisy MRI to get that?

8. I get stuck in a small room or 30 minutes waiting for a doctor to see me, armed with only my iPhone are really lousy reception. And I am watching the clock tick closer to my scheduled racquetball match time getting stressed about being late--and then they come to take my blood pressure!

9. I'd say I'd rather have a root canal than go to the doctor--but wait, dentists are doctors, too!

10. In the end, I am expected to feel better because what I have has a name, there isn't any effective treatment, and it will either go away or not on its own. And I saw four doctors to tell me that, why?

So my recent experience left me less than fulfilled.

Face it, I'm a guy! I guess that is why they call it medical practice and not medical science.

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