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My grandfather had elective prostate surgery at the age of 92.  Family lore holds that it was an ill-advised decision that led to an untimely death. At his age, it was unlikely that an enlarged prostate was going to cause his demise. But he was uncomfortable enough to choose a surgical solution.  He survived the surgery well. He died of post-operative pneumonia.

Years later, when facing a medically implicated though not critical hysterectomy, I thought a lot about my grandfather’s decision. In fact, I tortured over it. I had three children. I knew I was young and otherwise healthy, yet what if something happened to me? Sure, the surgery would improve my quality of life. But there is always a risk when it comes to surgery. Was it worth it?

What makes elective surgery worth the risk? What exactly is an acceptable risk when it comes to any kind of medical care?

Of course there are no clear answers to those questions. The balance between quality of life and health is a delicate one, for sure. We live in a medicalized world that encourages us to “fix” our problems.  But just because the mountain is there does not necessarily mean we should climb it.  It’s not at all uncommon that a “cure” replaces an initial problem with a new one, often setting off a chain of reactions that at best causes complications, and at worst spirals out of control. 

The extreme example of this is in the realm of plastic surgery, where people feel the need to have their eyes or nose “fixed,” their tummies tucked, their chins enhanced, etc. In my opinion, Joan Rivers is a perfect example of the cure spiraling out of control, ultimately leading to a face that is hardly recognizable to its original owner.

I do not mean to suggest that we should not medically address our ailments and discomforts. Personally, I chose to have that hysterectomy, and it was the greatest gift I have ever given myself since I had children.

I do mean to suggest that one of the most important things to remember in the realm of medical care is that we have more choices than we tend to recognize. When we consider our choices, it would help to keep the following two principles in mind:

1.     Just because we CAN do a procedure, or a test, or try a new medication, or do surgery, does not always mean that it is the best decision. In fact, of the many options available to us, we must remember that one possible choice is to NOT take action.

2.     When facing medical decisions, many factors come into play. Our challenge is to find a way to look beyond the immediate symptoms to the big picture, and try to make decisions that consider what might happen several steps down the road, anticipating a possible chain reaction.  It’s not enough to make informed decisions – we need to make educated decisions.

To be educated consumers of health care – to make excellent decisions for ourselves – is harder to do than ever, because the health care system is no longer designed with the big picture in mind. Marcus Welby MD is a fiction of the past.

The more physicians specialize, the less access we have to generalists who can look at the big picture of our life and health and guide us in our decision-making.  We get pigeon-holed into looking at our arthritis separate from our digestive issues separate from our heart disease, and so on. In truth, they are all related.

So the next time you are facing a medical decision that is more complicated than whether to have the corns removed from the bottom of your feet, you might guide yourself with these questions:

·      What are my choices? (and remember, there will be more than one if you look for them)

·      What’s the potential gain?

·      What’s the potential risk?

·      What’s the possible impact in other areas of my health?

·      Am I doing this just because it’s possible, or do I really want the results?

·      What if I do nothing?

If nothing else, you’ll slow down the process enough to avoid reactive, desperate decision-making. You may still end up making that decision to have prostate surgery, or a hysterectomy, or even to have your eyes ‘done.’ But at least you’ll be making the decision with your eyes wide open.

Elaine Taylor-Klaus is a Life, Leadership and Parenting Coach and the founder of Touchstone Coaching and ImpactADHD™.  She is a regular ShareWIK.com columnist.

Read more articles by Elaine Taylor-Klaus here.

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