My son called from the emergency room before dawn and said, “Dad, the doctor is refusing to treat me. He says I’m faking it for drugs.” When I got there, the doctor’s s…

He also learned to advocate for himself in a way no son should have to. He learned to ask, “What is your differential diagnosis?” He learned to say, “Please document that you are declining to order testing.” He learned to walk out if a physician refused to listen and to seek another opinion before embarrassment could cost him safety. There was pride in that, yes, but also grief. A medical system that teaches patients defensive strategy before trust has already failed.