Dr. Thompson's Blog

What is Ahead for the United States?

I heard an excellent talk this weekend by Rick Steves, the travel writer and TV presenter. He talked about his concern in the many nations he had visited where the leaders worked hard to dumb-down their citizens, so they could become dictators.  As I listened I thought about how Trump tried to do this and is still trying. Not only Trump, but several of the Republican Governors. During thus awful pandemic several of the governors, who have strict vaccine requirements for kids in school, now are fighting President Biden about the vaccine mandate. That makes no sense. Not only do I see a lot of dumbing-down on TV, but I see it in our education system and sadly even in some U.S. medical schools. 

I had one doctor who never once looked at me on my visit to him but spent the whole time looking and typing on his computer. No, I never went back. Some medical schools are not teaching the art or love of medicine but it is all about clicking on computers.  Also the students are telling the heads of the programs want they will and will not do and what they will and will not listen to. It is truly amazing.  

I have great concerns about what children are learning today and their fixation  on their Smart phones and computers. I fear that many are not learning or being taught about history. One college sophomore, a friend told me, did not know who Hitler was. I was astounded.

Be Aware of Medical Misinformation, Unnecessary Tests, or Medications

Medical misinformation or unnecessary tests can cause a lot of problems and hurt patients.  There are some excellent Internet sites such as the Mayo Clinic, but even medical books can have statements that are incorrect.  Several years ago an article of mine was published about a Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient who had a child. I had sent blood from the patient, his wife, and child to a prominent geneticist at USC Medical Center to ensure the child was the son of the father.  Probably still in medical books today you may read that Duchenne dystrophy males are unable to  have  children. The Internet has several websites that contain erroneous information, so it is always wise to check with a physician you trust if you have a medical question. When you see an M.D., it is also wise to ask why a specific medical procedure, X-ray, MRI or blood tests are needed. My  granddaughter saw an internist for a physical exam at a California medical school. However, the physician did not take a history or do a physical examination but instead ordered a bunch of lab tests, none of which were indicated. The one test she should have ordered was not ordered. She also never called my granddaughter to give the results of the tests.  So bad medicine exists even in medical schools. If a new medicine is prescribed, you want to be sure it does not interact with any other medication you may be taking. Too many physicians do not check about interactions. A good pharmacist can help if you have questions. Some medicines should not be taken on an empty stomach, so that is also wise to check. 

Medical Errors in Best Selling Novels

I  have always been a reader even as a little girl. Now I am finding it hard to read novels for relaxation if they contain medical problems. Most of the authors either don't do adequate research or they don't get a physician to check on what they are writing. I particularly enjoy British authors but now I am reading a book by a British author I probably will give to the Goodwill and not finish. A child in the book has a serious medical problem for  which the solution given in the book is absolutely wrong. Even a Google computer search would have told the author the facts were erroneous. My concern is that parents who have a child with a similar problem and who may not be very educated will be upset and think the information is correct.

Medical care in the U.S. has deteriorated so badly that misinformation in a book by a best selling author could cause damage. I find that many pediatricians spend little time with their patients and don't get to know their families as I did. One parent did not even remember the name of her child's pediatrician because she said a different partner always seemed to be taking  her calls. So if a parents wants to ask about a medical problem, the 8.5. minutes that many HMO's and doctors allow is not time enough to ask questions.

I have always been surprised and pleased about how Alan Alda and the others in the old MASH TV series did such an outstanding job of usually being very correct about their medical facts. They did an amazing job and obviously had a good medical consultant. So as with everything else in novels or on the Internet it is always wise to check and double check medical facts. 

Medical Errors in Novels by Best Selling Authors

I am always surprised and concerned when I read a novel by a best-selling author and find major medical errors. I would assume that any author would do research before having a  character in a novel be disabled because of a  medical problem. Don't these authors do any research?  The Internet is a fairly reliable source of information, but some of it is outdated or incorrect. It would be very easy for an author to contact an expert who is knowledgeable about a particular disorder. I  have found that the real experts are very generous about giving information. 

When I was in private pediatric practice I had an expert I could contact about snake bites, another about dog bites and another about infectious diseases. They were always pleasant and glad to help. They made a real difference in my ability to care for children who had unusual or dangerous disorders.

In a novel I started reading recently, the author describes a major character as having multiple sclerosis. Her information is totally outdated and scary for someone who has the disorder or has a friend or relative with multiple sclerosis. Now a monthly intravenous injection is given  and the patients can work full-time, travel and exercise. In the book I started reading, the character was almost bed-ridden and on her way to dying. That is in a book recently published. 

In a book I read some time ago, a child was in a wheelchair at age eight because of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Having directed 6 neuromuscular programs and seen hundreds of youths with the disorder I was outraged. With proper medication, physical therapy, and orthopedic surgery  at the appropriate  times, I kept boys walking into their teens. 

Medical Errors in Popular Novels

I have always enjoyed reading and find a good novel to be relaxing. However,recently I am finding more and more medical errors in books published by major publishing companies. I am puzzled why the editors don't have someone with a medical background check that the details are correct when a medical problem plays a major role in a novel. Not only are these errors annoying, but I think they can also cause problems. Recently, I started reading a novel where one of the children had been diagnosed as having Asperger's Syndrome. Not only was the syndrome misspelled throughout the book, but many of the details were incorrect. The child was put on a gluten-free diet, not at a doctor's recommendation,, but from a source on the Internet. There has not been any acceptable medical research finding that this diet can help. Instead, it can cause harm because some necessary nutrients will be missing from the diet. If a child has Celiac disease, a gluten-free diet is needed, but not otherwise. 

Another novel was even more upsetting, because the author had a boy in a wheelchair at age eight with the diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. She also called it a disease and made several statements that were totally inaccurate. No boy with this disorder should ever be in a wheelchair at age eight. I have been the physician for countless youths with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and with appropriate physical therapy, night braces, stretching,orthopedic surgery and prednisone have kept many of the boys walking into their teens. I cannot imagine being the parent of a boy with this type of muscular dystrophy and reading all the inaccurate statements in this novel. That would be very upsetting. 

Mental Illness and Parenting

With so much discussion now about the Tucson shooting, mental illness is receiving more attention. There is certainly a hereditary or genetic component to some mental illnesses and it would be interesting to know about the Tucson shooter's family history. It would also be important to know how he was parented.

As a pediatrician, I read the account of Amy Chua's book, Battle Hym of the Tiger Mother, with horror. I amazed that Penguin Press would publish such a book. I guess money was their only interest. Having had parents like Amy Chua when I was in private practic, I know what effect such parenting can have on a child's mental health. I hope her two daughters have other adults with different parenting styles care for them when she is working. I remember one father sending his two-year-old to an educational nursery school at the local college so that he would be sure to be admitted to Harvard. When I asked how much free play time the child had, he could not or would not answer.  Children need to be able to chase butterflies, play games of their own devising, read fun book, and just dream. Trying to teach a pre-schooler to read is most unwise. Each child must develop and grow at his or her own speed.

I remember one professional father who pushed his duaghter so hard that she later jumped from a high window at her university. At New York University, the library has high balconies that have been ideal for students' suicides. Because of the many suicides at colleges, extra mental health professionals are being employed. I hope no parent will copy Amy Chua's parenting methods. If so, I fear the results.