Difference in Opinions

One thing is for sure when facing any health condition, especially lung cancer, is that everyone has an opinion. Sometimes, opinions are warranted, and sometimes, they feel like rubbish. It is important to surf through multiple viewpoints to keep sanity in grasping what is happening in real-time.

Building trust and following guidance

Surfing through the opinions that make sense is the first course of action in moving forward. The relationship you build with your doctor should be one of trust, and though that may not be the case for everyone, it should be the first line of guidance in getting you through this journey.

After completing testing and providing a diagnosis assessment, you'll move forward as needed. This significant opinion will include what this physician suggests based on results and the stage of your disease.

It is now the patient's prerogative to move forward however the doctor may suggest. In a perfect world with a good health team, most of the I's are dotted in providing the best projection in care. The patient takes heed and moves accordingly with that vital opinion.

Navigating conflicting opinions

We all know one or two people who swear by all means their way of thinking is the beneficial route, despite what a doctor suggested. At the end of the day, the decision falls on the person going through the trial and tribulation.

However, it is unfortunate because processing all of the information that has just been thrown on your plate now includes deciding which voiced opinion is the one to go with. Sometimes, a know-it-all suggests their views based on a negative experience they may have had.

We do know negative experiences can warp the best thinking when trying to make the best decisions. The know-it-all stage tends to keep confusion as the first line of defense in proving a point that perhaps the tests are inaccurate and the doctor is not equipped to offer the best kind of care. The know-it-all all means the best but the lines of opinions get tangled in making the best decisions, and the less tangled the better.

Looking for clarity

Again, in a perfect world, the experience may be stellar, and the trust may be present early on. In the case the know-it-all is off-mark, or the doctor is teetering, then this is when another pair of eyeballs need to step to the front of the line.

Again, this is another opinion, and it may be a difference of opinion from the first doctor. It may feel like a continual limbo of who to believe and who to trust. Trust doesn't come that easily for many, which is why many people may follow the advice of the know-it-all.

The smooth and calming doctor's bedside manner helps smooth out any hesitation in the endgame. Sometimes, it may feel like you don't have much wiggle room to seek other care, especially when treatment is suggested to move forward immediately. Moving where you are comfortable continuing the conversation is okay.

A difference of opinions can be complex, and, in some cases, both points can be true regarding whom to listen to. However, you're deciding to do what is best for you.

The time to fight is now, with integrity, grace, hope, and a smile…when you feel like it.