Is Your Prescription a Hall Pass or Lottery Ticket?

As much as I love learning, I did not always love school. We moved a lot, and I was too shy to do well as the new kid. At a new high school during my freshmen year, I discovered the joys of the hall pass. Being handed one gave me a feeling of freedom. With it, I was safe to evade the pressures of the classroom and wander the halls aimlessly. If a teacher stopped me to see if I should be in class, all I had to do was show my hall pass, and I'd be on my way. I think of a hall pass as something that is assured to protect you. Let's say a hall pass works at least 8 out of 10 times. There are hall passes, and then, there are lottery tickets. I've heard it said that lotteries are secret taxes for those with poor math skills. If you have a few dollars to spare, it may be fun to buy a lottery ticket and imagine striking it rich. On the other hand, if you are hungry, your last few dollars are better spent on a meal than on an infinitesimally small chance at fortune. You cannot rely on a lottery ticket when it really needs to count. I'm not a seasoned gambler, but for the purposes of our discussion, let's say your odds of a lottery ticket working are lower than 1 in 10. Last week, a new patient told me she wanted to stop taking her cholesterol pills but was afraid to do so. Her prior doctors gave her the medicine with the implication that it would keep her safe and definitely work. To her, the medicine felt like a hall pass that was protecting her from heart disease, but how well do...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news