A Second Opinion in Medical Matters? Always

Although not about breast cancer, I think for me this has a direct bearing on any kind of medical treatment.
This week I got a result that I wanted. Without going into too much background detail, I’ve had constant problems with my teeth, throughout my life, in spite of a pretty strict cleaning regime. I have a really good dentist but he’s a three hour drive away and last year I had a problem with a tooth (a molar) and being more interested in the pain and being busy at work, when I heard my dentist was on holiday I didn’t ask the question if someone else could see me. Instead I found a local dentist. That tooth was extracted. So that was essentially okay, but then that very helpful dentist left the local practice. So a while later when they had found someone else I went back to the local practice. This new dentist told me I needed seven (yes 7 crowns replacing)! Now my original dentist who is a three hour drive away had already said these seven crowns are fine. Not just that fact, but I also queried that I had a top right hand molar and I felt there was a problem with that crown. The local dentist said no, just the other seven? So I asked for a second opinion.
Four months later I got an appointment at the dental hospital two hours drive away in the other direction and the consultant dental surgeon, after taking a thorough history and various X-rays, said essentially he agrees with my dentist who is three hours drive away re. longevity of the crowns and also with me re. The molar, which the local dentist says is fine.
The moral of this story is ask for a second opinion and persist, you know your own body.

And what did I say, well I said I was unhappy, that I didn’t believe what had been said, that I wanted to avoid paying out £465.—per crown (you can do the sums times seven), that I believe I know my body and I wanted to avoid lots of pain and discomfort.

Stand up for what you know is right and for your body.