Do not expect your doctor to share your discomfort. Involvement
with the patient's suffering might cause him to lose valuable scientific
objectivity.
Be cheerful at all times. Your doctor leads a busy and
trying life and requires all the gentleness and reassurance he can get.
Try to suffer from the disease for which you are being
treated. Remember that your doctor has a professional reputation to uphold.
Do not complain if the treatment fails to bring relief. You
must believe that your doctor has achieved a deep insight into the true nature
of your illness, which transcends any mere permanent disability you may have
experienced.
Never ask your doctor to explain what he is doing or why he
is doing it. It is presumptuous to assume that such profound matters could be
explained in terms that you would understand.
Pay your medical bills promptly and willingly. You should
consider it a privilege to contribute, however modestly, to the well-being of
physicians, health care managers and other humanitarians.
Do not suffer from ailments not covered by your health care
plan. It is a waste of resources to contract illnesses that are beyond your
means.
Never reveal any of the shortcomings that have come to light
in the course of treatment by your doctor. The patient-doctor relationship is a
privileged one and you have a sacred duty to protect him from exposure.
Never die while in your doctor's presence or under his
direct care. This will only cause him needless inconvenience and embarrassment.