I'm the sort who just says, "I can actually take it, tell me the side effects.... Sounds unpleasant.... Uh huh, and is there anything you could do for me if that happens or am I screwed? Either way, just trying to plan my day."
I'm normally pretty rational about risk assessment. For instance, no worries getting on an airplane or worries about terrorist strikes. But that's partially because I have virtually no control over those things and so as a good Taoist, I don't sweat it.
But here, I'm the one who has to actually take that carcinogenic pill, stick it in my mouth, and swallow. That seems to make a difference, at least in the "Oh shit, don't let me end up as a fascinating sidebar in a medical textbook" department. I'm still going to take the medicine, I'd just be happier without knowing the intricacies of the black magic powering it, just as I'm happy flying without knowing the failure rates of the various components of the metal tube that holds me 35,000 feet over the Earth's hard, unforgiving surface.
[nods] Knowing pretty much how doctors work, I'm good with it most of the time. I've been called an immensely pleasant patient, customer, etc. Nurses seem to like me, doctors don't usually mind. I've pretty much taken the attitude of:
"Well, I'm probably screwed and odds are not much is gonna change that, but if it does then that'd be lovely.... I'm sorry, what's that...? No, no, that's fine, I know it's not your fault, and thank you for trying. I appreciate the effort.... O, that's going to happen? Well that's unfortunate.... Anything to be done about it...? Didn't think so.... So how's your kid doing again with that basketball thing....? Glad to hear it."
Yeah, my gastroenterologist is a good guy. I think he actually appreciates knowing that he doesn't have to use small words with me and can describe things in clinical detail, and that I'll relay my symptoms in a methodical timeline with relevant data on fever, pain, etc.
As opposed to just meandering around about everything I did for the last two weeks, or sitting there like a lump and waiting for him to ask leading questions. I know this because much of what I do is similar to the discovery process for medical professionals: "Okay, so when did your computer first show symptoms? What kind of symptoms? What were you doing before that? Okay, now what were you REALLY doing before that?"
So I feel their pain. It's just that when *I* try something without 100% chance of knowing if it'll work, the downsides are typically no result at all. And none of the things I have a person try
could give them cancer. Still kinda perturbed by that. I know everything is potentially toxic/carcinogenic in a large enough quantity or over a long enough exposure...but this stuff is actually banned from use on livestock because of it. That raises a yellow flag to me.