How one patient used the Internet to save his life

How often do you suppose patients just listen to one doctor, take what that person says as truth and never question the diagnosis or treatment?

Fortunately, today most people do try to learn more. Studies show they go online in increasing numbers, seeking information about their health, but it wasn't always that way.

Fifteen years ago, when Andrew Schorr was diagnosed with a type of leukemia, his doctors told him he needed chemotherapy right away for his "incurable disease," The New York Times reports in a recent article.

But Schorr went online to learn more about his disease and connected with an e-patient community. There seemed to be one constant in the members' comments—Dr. Michael J. Keating in Houston.

The Times reports that Keating told Schorr then he didn't need treatment unless his "condition began to progress." When it did several years later, Schorr underwent a regimen combining standard and experimental treatment. He's still alive, doing fine and the co-author with Mary Adam Thomas of a book, "The Web-Savvy Patient."

"Many doctors warn patients that they have to be careful of health information on the Web," Schorr says in his book. "That is true. But patient-to-patient connections online have helped me, and they can help you, too. So can online connections with medical experts and medical information."

Three tips from the author

In an interview with KOMO News, Schorr gives three tips from his book.

He says patients can use the Internet to find:

• Doctors who are cutting edge for the condition
• Medical facilities where patients have the best outcome
• Patient mentors who can share their knowledge

Do you have stories of "web-savvy patients" and how using the Internet made a difference in their lives?