TCB (or PVC, if you prefer),
It makes me angry to hear about the treatment you're receiving from your doctor. It's just like what I experienced. So little compassion, so much one-size-fits-all. One doctor pooh-poohed my request for a colonoscopy at age 50, gave me a sigmoidoscopy instead, telling me it was the same thing (literally!), then, when it was negative, gave me a verbal pat on the head, completely ignoring all my concerns. I dropped that doc. (He also did some very sloppy prescribing.) Another doc, says to me whenever I express a concern about my health, "But you look so healthy!" Arrrgghhh!! For me, it was a matter of hitting the books, reading up as much as I could, and then being VERY selective with the docs. I have no health insurance, all visits are in cash out of my pocket, so if a doctor or treatment doesn't help, well, you get the picture.
My conclusion, after many years of seeing dozens of doctors and receiving lots of treatment: that the majority of practitioners are far behind the research. There is a LOT of research taking place, but in order to keep up with it, said practitioner must do a lot of reading and/or attend seminars. Most, in my view, have chosen to maximize profits by seeing more patients and have neglected the keeping-up part. I know a number of retired physicians; what they say isn't pretty.
Sorry to be so negative, but that's my view.
