98 Becoming a Patient
even think about it.’’ I thought: ‘‘No, people really do think about
it. Patients have almost died from it!’’
Suzanne’s sensitivity was heightened by having just seen such a patient in
the ER with this syndrome. As a fellow patient, she took that patient’s
experiences to heart.
Her doctor had never told her that it could happen, and given her
the option of taking it or not. Her arm was ripped up. It was
horrible. I told her to get a lawyer.
Yet when the treatment in question was for themselves, as opposed to
a patient, these doctor-patients now often altered their views of the as-
sociated risks and benefits. They realized that they may not only have
underestimated the relative importance of a side effect, but also, as a
result, have calculated risk-benefit ratios differently.
Physicians overvalued disease symptoms compared to side effects,
partly as a result of their training and socialization. For instance, many
doctors considered bipolar disorder very severe, while as a patient, Su-
zanne felt otherwise.
Every time a doctor says, ‘‘With the more severe patients, like the
ones with bipolar and schizophrenia, . . . ’’ I roll my eyes. Doctors
say with surprise: ‘‘I had a bipolar patient, and in fact she’s doing
really well!’’
She felt that such comments reveal physicians’ underlying attitudes and
prejudices about these patients.
Physicians may focus to such an extent on the need for a cure that they
feel it justifies almost any cost. In addition, physicians may feel guilt about
inflicting adverse symptoms on patients, and hence may pay less attention