Doctors are humans, and humans may err.

When facing illness or complex medical situations, it is recommended to consult with a few doctors and specialists and receive another opinion. Sometimes, doctors, just like any person, are affected by money and greed when recommending a specific procedure or medication. Sometimes one doctor has the specialty expertise you require, and sometimes this specific private or public health doctor doesn't have it.

At the end of 2016 I started feeling pain in my toe. I was going through a mentally loaded period of many tasks and monetary concerts, couldn't sleep well and was tired and stressed. I initially thought I had a stress fracture or that I need some rest. I went to sleep thinking I'd wake up fine, but I woke up to find the situation has worsened. My left knee was swollen and my foot was essentially paralyzed. My right foot also began swelling, I was feverish and felt pain. Any effort to stand up resulted in immense pain and a return to bed.

I was first taken to a young on-call doctor at Asaf Harofeh hospital. The doctor – an orthopedist couldn't identify the problem. I knew something was wrong and booked an appointment with another young orthopedist who also didn't understand the issue. I began to think perhaps I was hallucinating, and my family members began to think I was seeking attention. I was physically and emotionally exhausted, but didn't give up and trotted with crutches to an older, graying doctor. The doctor immediately recognized the issue – Gout, and prescribed painkillers alongside a referral to blood tests and a rheumatologist.

In 2016, Major General Giora Island was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The tumor removal surgery was a colossal fail – the prostate was removed, but the tumor was not, and Island had to undergo radiation therapy and worse-suffered from excruciating pain, which will most probably continue for the rest of his life.

His personal experience and results motivated Island to thoroughly investigate the way prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated in Israel. In his research, which is took over two years, and which is compiled in his book, he learned that the main damage inflicted upon men suffering from the illness is largely due to lack of information or even wrongful information provided by the doctors.

In his book "Prostate Cancer Signs," Island provides invaluable information to prostate cancer patients, enabling them to ask their doctors the right questions and make informed decisions during this challenging time. Unlike journalistic articles written by doctors, this book offers a unique perspective from someone who has personally experienced the illness. Given the high prevalence of prostate cancer and the significance of early detection, it is highly recommended that every man over the age of fifty reads this book.

To ensure an accurate and prompt diagnosis for you or your family members, it is advisable to have a family insurance plan that includes an ambulatory appendix. This appendix grants access to private doctors with varying deductibles (typically ranging from approximately NIS 630-1000, depending on the policy), and allows access to advanced diagnostic centers equipped with sophisticated technology such as MRI or PET-CT. These centers can swiftly diagnose conditions within a few days, saving you from months of waiting time often experienced in public healthcare systems.