Delayed Diagnosis: What It Can Do To You & Your Family

When you have something wrong with you, or suspect something is, you need immediate medical advice and treatment. Nobody wants to have something diagnosed but not treated. Better yet, none of us want to be misdiagnosed or be given a delayed diagnosis. So what happens when your child wasn’t diagnosed in good time and thus, suffers a lifelong illness? What happens when you are not given a diagnosis in good time and you go through rapid changes when you could have planned them out? It can change you and your family’s life forever. 

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Delayed is not always detrimental

Defacto, a delayed diagnosis is when you have been examined but the doctors haven’t been able to work out exactly what is wrong with you. This could be due to multiple professional opinions not being able to agree with each other and thus, rather than giving you a false diagnosis, they wait it out for more evidence and test results. If it’s not serious, a delayed diagnosis could be better. As long as you won’t be harmed for the delay, getting the right treatment is going to be worth the wait. So always listen intently to what you are being told by the doctor and ask questions for why the delay is occurring. Write down the reasons or remember them so you could explain them to your spouse or child.

A detrimental delay

A delay to a growing or increasing illness is a detriment. Time is of the essence for some illnesses and the later the treatment, the bigger the harm. This is why medical malpractice attorneys should be contacted when you do feel that your healthcare has been woeful and you want compensation to pay for our healthcare bills. It’s good to record everything, including video on your smartphone. You could do this in your car after a meeting with your doctor and voice your concerns. Date everything and be detailed in your videos so your legal team has more to work with.

Helping your family

A delay in your diagnosis can mean you have to skip a holiday because you might need to use that money to pay for medical bills. It can also mean you cannot travel as you may give your illness to other family members. It can also mean you have to take time off work, or your child has to take time off school. These things can greatly harm your family life and your individual routines. To prevent mental anguish you could try to continue working from home, or have a series of homeschooling sessions. At least this way, it won’t feel like a dark cloud is hanging over you.

A delayed diagnosis can be good and in your favor. Better to get a solid diagnosis than a faulty one and take incorrect medication or worry needlessly. A delay can be the opposite too, harming family life, your mental health and your long-term health.