Is an informed decision a result of the opinions of others or the knowledge and understanding of the situation? Why I ask is because I think all people understands what an informed decision is when they're buying the house, the car, the TV and so on, but when it comes to the one thing that matters more than anything in your life which is your health, then all of a sudden people throw that out of the window and just simply take things on faith.
Imagine if we would deal with all other areas in our life the same way we deal with health. Like buying a house and going for a meeting with a real estate agent. "Hey I want you to get me a house, you decide what's best for me. Here is the money and signature." That would probably not be the best way to get the house you want now would it.
Is it then any wonder why things get out of hand where you make bad decisions and often come back with "if I knew then what I know now I would never have done that". People probably research more about their toaster than they do about their medical condition. If you have a problem then more than likely it's not acute which means that you got at least several weeks, months and maybe even years to research the problem.
There are so much lack of understanding when it comes to health that it boggles the mind.
New parents are getting vaccines pushed on to them and told they have to vaccinate their children or they will be at great risk of catching and spreading diseases instead of advising them of handling various infectious diseases through isolation and proper nutrition.
Heart disease patients are thrown statin drugs to lower their cholesterol instead of advising them to cut out all cholesterol from their diet.
Type 2 diabetics are automatically thrown insulin and told they have to take it their entire lives instead of advising them to go on a whole food plant based diet that will in many cases cure their diabetes completely.
Cancer patients are rushed and pushed into taking radiation, chemo or surgery instead of advising them to change their lifestyle and go for a whole food plant based diet and start to meditate and deal with emotional and physical stress including the various other ways of dealing with cancer outside of the conventional health care.
On and on it goes and none is the wiser, the doctor is arrogant enough to think he knows everything because he gone through the "education" and the patient is naive enough to believe that the doctor knows what he is talking about. Nobody is stepping back and asking themselves, what if I'm/he/she is wrong, what if there is another way that may even be a better way and less risky.
People, we have a serious problem in the medical system and not just in any particular country, it's a global issue but the tide is turning slowly and gradually. More doctors are going to conferences in various countries to learn from people that are teaching plant based nutrition and it's power in healing people from all kinds of "chronic" diseases. More people like you and me are starting to take their health into their own hands instead of letting others decide what's best for them.
So once upon a time it was a doctor and he smoked Camel, the science was there and told to everyone but none was the wiser to ask if it was actually true or not. Not the doctor and not the patient and both of them suffered from their arrogance and naivete.
So do not let history repeat itself, ask questions, research and empower yourself with knowledge and understanding. If you still go through with the same proposed decision then at least you have made an informed decision instead of taking things on faith.
Note: I have nothing against the people in the medical system, I think most of them have the heart in the right place and got good intentions but we simply cannot afford to take things on faith, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" comes to mind. Everything is up for questioning and when it comes to important health decisions then we surely should ask questions and do our own research. I have the greatest respect for people that day in and day out care for people, just wanted to make that clear to avoid misunderstanding.