The patient seen by his primary care physician is treated for lower back strain, chronic in degree. He takes certain medicines
for pain and almost lives a normal life. Then one day the agony of his malady is too great for his prescription drugs. Instead of being seen by his main doctor, another man of
medicine checks him out. He sees and hears things differently. The end result is the man who married my niece was being trweated for the above diagnosis. His real ailment was lung cancer. Two years and many treatments later he passed away. The right test was not done because the doctor didn't believe that was the problem. Had the man received a second opinion six years prior, who knows the end of the story.
Any doctor worth his weight in salt is not afraid to run another test or ask a colleague about one of his patients. The permission from the
patient would come first naturally. Does missing something mean one is a bad doctor? No, it only shows he is Human. He or she can make a wrong diagnosis. There is no shame in being wrong. The regret should come from not looking deep enough or listening more closely to the patient.
Anyone diagnosed with a disease should not be afraid to ask for a second opinion. Every doctor should be more than willing and happy to recommend another physician in the field. Life is meant to lived without a painful end. Maybe the second doctor will agree with the first, but at least the patient has some assurance where she can do.