Stuck in the Middle … without YOU?

This will be a quick one!

I am just writing because lately I have found myself in the awkward position of being “stuck in the middle;” basically, I have found myself stuck in situations in which someone has said something to me about another person that “should” be conveyed to that person but is information that is so questionable that I feel it is not my position nor “should be” my position to convey. To clarify – Person A tells me that Person B does not have the authority to tell me “x” about my health when, in fact, Person B has more than enough authority to do so and Person B has “interests” in Person A’s practice in many regards. I hope that is enough clarification – it is a tricky position to be in, at best!

At any rate, I have found myself being told this kind of information in this sort of capacity; I have also found myself in a situation in which a Person C claims to know Person B very well and HAS KNOWN Person B “very well” for MANY YEARS … and yet you unknowingly tell Person C personal information about Person B you genuinely thought Person C would know about Person B but apparently didn’t know. Perhaps just my iteration of this situation conveys the “mess” I have been put in – and in many regards and in many ways I have not stated here!

My question for the evening, then, is this – what do you do when you have a good relationship with said “Person B” and you wouldn’t want to trivialize his or her relationship with Persons A or C (primarily A!)? I know the “right” thing to do is to keep it to yourself (or rather, to MYSELF), but some of the “information” directly affects my healthcare. How do you manage the handling of such “delicate information” with people with whom you necessarily remain in contact due to your health issues (or whatever other issues / causes may be in play!)? If I were the “best friend” of Person B, I would tell him or her what was said by Person A without question. However, I am not, and I do not feel that it is my position to insert myself in the middle in such a situation. “What Would YOU Do?”

Another related situation – what do you do / what would you do when Person C says Person B doesn’t have your best interests in mind when you trust Person B with your life? Which opinion do you trust – the one that is the most popular (this is medically speaking), the opinion of Person C, or the opinion of the person your just trust implicitly because he has ALWAYS done everything and more to help you? My vote, at least in this case, is to go with Person B. The tricky part with this one is to try to articulate the other opinion(s) to Person B when doing so calls into question your motives for doing so, despite Person B telling you directly to allow his / her assistance in such a case. This is often the problem with medical practices of all kinds – the people (doctors) with whom you need to get in touch and who have offered their assistance are nearly impossible to contact directly because you ALWAYS have to go through at least one receptionist … and – at least in my experience – medical receptionists are FAR from friendly OR accommodating!

At any rate, I hope you are all having a wonderful evening! Wishing you health and happiness, wherever you might be in the world!