The perils of being your own doctor
This could just as easily be about the perils of knowing how to look up symptoms on the web.<p>If you&#x27;re reading Hacker News you&#x27;re probably used to reading fast, integrating new knowledge into a mental model and applying it all to solve the problem at hand. You often have to be an &quot;instant expert&quot; in everything. So the temptation is to be an instant expert in your own (self-diagnosed) condition.<p>Here&#x27;s my advice after spending way too much time with doctors over the last year (since my wife was diagnosed with cancer).<p>1. Knowledge: A doctor will have far more general medical knowledge and experience than you. Your GP or specialist should be the bedrock of any diagnosis or treatment. However, it is absolutely possible to read the literature and get a more current or targeted understanding of <i>some</i> of the nuances of your particular disease. Don&#x27;t be afraid to discuss them with your doctor, even seek second and third opinions, but don&#x27;t just rely on your own judgement instead of theirs.<p>2. Motivation: Doctors are conservative: they need to avoid liability and maintain good relationships with their peers. As a patient you will have a different risk&#x2F;benefit calculation. In some cases you will need to push your doctor to perform that specialised test instead of just offering reassurance, or to try that experimental treatment instead of the &quot;reasonable futility&quot; of standard care.<p>3. Symptoms: You know best your own symptoms, but you may not have the objectivity or experience to understand them and compare them to other people. You should document them as much as possible, maybe even graph them or make charts, to make this information accessible to your doctor. I&#x27;ve found that a simple timeline containing symptoms, measurements and interventions can be incredibly useful in tracking a condition.