Jessica Terry, a Washington state high school student, struck a blow for autodidacts everywhere when she took charge of her own health. Having been a long-time sufferer of severe stomach pains and weight loss issues, she had been looked at by numerous doctors, with no positive diagnosis in agreement. Knowing that something was nonetheless definitely wrong with her, however, she applied her new ability to analyze her intestinal slides — taught to her during a science class — and brought to light a heretofore-unseen granuloma, or area of inflammation. This was confirmation at last that she has Crohn’s disease.
Jessica will now get the treatment she needs, which will be a long road for her, as Crohn’s is currently uncurable, but at least now she knows for sure. No thanks to the numerous doctors who had the same slides to peruse, and presumably years of training, yet were unable to provide any certainty. Now, to be fair, granulomas aren’t always present, but one would think that given Jessica’s symptoms, extra consideration would be given to her intestinal samples. Difficult? Sure. Part of the job? Absolutely.
We sometimes take it for granted that doctors have all the answers, even when their answer is to shrug their shoulders and claim ignorance. But sometimes you just know that something is wrong, and it’s important to remember that physicians are just humans after all. They make mistakes and have bad days, just like anyone else.
We should be teaching our kids how to stand up for themselves, especially when it concerns their health. Rudeness is not an issue when it involves one’s body. Sometimes it can make the difference between unnecessary pain and a simple solution. Medical staff are there to serve the public, not to lord it over them. They’re there to help, not to throw up their hands and look baffled. Certainly, new conditions are discovered all the time, but this was a clear-cut case of something that could have been caught by a professional. The fact that it took a teenager is something of a black mark against those who told her there was nothing going on. Let’s teach our kids to be a little more involved in their own health, like Jessica Terry. It can only help in the long run.
