Medical Procedure

Here’s a difference (OK, another difference) between my wife and me: When my wife has a minor “procedure” (read colonoscopy) and is instructed not to drink any alcohol for the rest of the day of the procedure, she doesn’t. She has coffee to keep her awake through the afternoon, and then water with dinner. When I have the same procedure and am instructed not to drink any alcohol for the day of the procedure, I’m having a beer within minutes of my getting home from the procedure and a glass of wine (or two) with dinner that night. Actually, the day before the procedure, I cut the horrific syrup that’s meant to ream your bowels with vodka (despite the non-alcohol admonition in the instructions). My wife’s thinking is – as I suspect many people’s thinking is – that you should follow the instructions of your health professionals. My thinking is that my health professionals are covering their legal butts. If they don’t caution you against doing just about anything – wearing jewelry, driving, drinking alcohol, eating fatty foods, watching reality TV – then they could be charged with malpractice if your body or mind should react in some unfortunate if unlikely way. I don’t buy it. I understand it from an insurance point of view. But insurance is a scam meant only to make money for the insurance companies. So I’m not wont to follow medical instructions that derive from the threat of law suits. I’m comfortable knocking back a PBR and watching Dancing With the Stars.