When you go to see your doctor for a problem, whether it’s a problem with your skin, like a rash or a growth, or even a pain in your knee, how do you know when you need a second opinion? Last week a patient asked me that question, and I paused and I looked up and said, “You know that is the most difficult question a patient has ever asked me in over thirty years”. I formulated an answer on the spot, and after thinking about this for a week, my answer remains the same. You just know it in your gut. This goes back to my belief that nobody knows their body like the patient. You’ve lived in it for your entire life, and I think that we as patients know our bodies, maybe even better than our doctors know our bodies. So, when you get information from your physician, whether it’s a diagnosis, or a treatment or suggestions. If somehow, in your world and body experience, it just doesn’t make sense or you just have a question, then maybe it’s time to get a second opinion. And that is with no disrespect to your physician, and I am a very big believer in the second opinion system, because there are no losers. And the reason there are no losers is, if the second opinion reaffirms what your physician told you, it gives you more confidence, makes you feel better and just increases the esteem in which you hold your doctor. And if the second physician gives you different information, information that then helps you or a different treatment, you benefit by the new treatment, and your first physician benefits in learning more about the issue at hand. So, I’m a big believer in second opinions, and if your gut tells you that you need one, there is no harm in getting a second opinion.
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