doctors

[wilmet_forsyth]

Hi everyone, long time no see. I hope some people are still kicking around here, and doing well. I had a little anecdote I wanted to relate

Comments

[wolfmare]

So far as I've seen lately, pretty much all doctors are rabid about the subject. I usually end up either getting cranky, or go with the "just smile and nod" routine. If they tried billing me extra for their bullying though, oh hell no.

[nowthatsbleach]

Honestly, I fudge the truth about my smoking and pretend like I don't smoke to them. I can't stand the rabid anti types who love to lecture smokers(frequent smokers or infrequent non-daily smokers, the latter I fall into) on this issue. When if I gave a crap about quitting, I would ask them for advice. And maybe I'll cross that bridge later in life and want to quit, but who knows.

To the ones that are less lecturing(though it's hard to tell who will be an anti, and who won't), I might honestly state to them my smoking status. Too bad I'm not trusting of doctors and dentists to not be the anti lecturing type.

[leather_lungs]

I have heard the same story from several other people. I'm not so sure it is the result of growing anti-smoking sentiment, although I am sure that is part of it, as it is just another way the medical field does its damnedest to milk us for every penny it can. My Doctor has not tried it, in fact my smoking is almost never discussed except he (or the PA who actually sees me most of the time) asks if I am still smoking. I say yes and he or she says "You know that'll kill you, right?" I agree, and they tell me that if I decide to quit they can provide some help. That about it. A few years ago when I hit 40, my doctor put me through a series of insurance-required lung function tests, but all they did was confirm that pumping massive amounts of crap in my lungs since I was 11 years old has reduced my stamina. The PA administering the tests told me I scored a lot better than most of their overweight and non-smoking patients.