Medical Intervention

I was brought up with a healthy skepticism of the medical field. My dad called doctors "quacks" on a regular basis, and my mom gave me money anytime I agreed to just stay home and try to get better on my own, instead of going to the doctor for an ailment.

When I was an undergrad, I went a few years without health insurance and thought nothing of it. Even when I got a nasty spider bite, I still saw no need to trust doctors better than my own body to heal. This all was reinforced when I working on my master's in Anthropology, since of course anthropology is very skeptical of western science in general and quite open to the possibility of "traditional" medicine having healing potential.

But now a days, my attitude has begun to change. I think it probably has something to do with my son, to wanting him to have the best possible health. Or maybe just that I myself am also getting older.

And it turns out, my mom and dad have softened towards doctors also. I even recently heard a story from my mom about the town doctor in Keflavík from when she was a kid, a nice man that she liked.

Comments

Harpa Jónsdóttir said…
A healthy skepticism is good I think. But sometimes nothing but modern medicine will do. I have learned that the hard way.
October 20, 2010 at 1:42 PM
Anonymous said…
I'm way more skeptical about all the "natural medicine" sector than ever real doctors.
October 21, 2010 at 4:06 PM
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