The 1998 film ‘First Do No Harm’ starring Meryl Streep portrays one mother’s battle against the medical system and it’s treatment of her son Robbie who has epilepsy.
One of her major problems is that the doctors insist on pumping her child full of drugs, which have no impact on his seizures and simply exacerbate the problem by making him sicker.
Many parents have been in this situation with their child where all they can see is their child suffering and so drugged up that they are not the happy smiling son or daughter they knew but someone wondering around in a haze.
Whatever you do, don’t question the wisdom of the all knowing doctor who has prescribed the drugs because at best they’ll look at you sympathetically, shake their head and say how understandable it is that you’re not coping but there’s really nothing they can do.
At worst they’ll treat you like some dribbling hysteric who’s going totally over the top and why can’t you just stand back and let them do their job like all the other parents?
Rubbish!!
Any parent would take one look at their child suffering and demand to know why and what they can do to stop it!
So follow your heart (and Meryl’s example). If the situation and what the doctors are doing feels wrong then it probably is and no-one can deny you the right to a second, third or fourth opinion.
Great scene!
You know, though, as I watched it, I realized that I felt anxious about the prospect of confronting three doctors at the same time. I guess, though, if I were as frustrated as she is, it would just spill out of me, too.