Well I thought I'd share some news with you all that as I approach my 100th post (this is 94) I also received my 2000th page view. Hopefully the first 2000 of many. I have really enjoyed writing it and hopefully continue to do so.
It has also got me thinking that it is time to start writing my book on what I have learnt. I would love your thoughts on what you think about that idea and also what I should call it. Stay well everyone:)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
My biggest mistake
Today, I have decided to give you an example of the biggest mistake I, and my medical team ever made with my medical management. I think that this is important as it is incidents like this that I draw my knowledge on how to best manage oneself medically. The incident I am going to refer to was in 2001 when I had my very first perc.
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, or PCNL or perc, is a procedure for removing medium-sized or larger renal calculi (kidney stones) from the patient's urinary tract by means of an nephroscope passed into the kidney through a track created in the patient's back.
So before I had the procedure my surgeon ran me through everything and also said that afterwards he would order an x-ray just to check he had got all the stone. Three days after the procedure he did not order the x-ray but did order the removal of my nephrostomy tube which would allow access back into the kidney if needed.
When I quizzed the surgeon about the x-ray he said that there was no need as he was confident that he got all the stone. So the tube was removed and along with that easy access to my kidney. Three weeks later I had a follow up appointment and an x-ray and to my surprise he missed a bit.
That mistake landed me back in hospital for a further four operations, eventually ending in another perc a year and a half later.
So what did I learn from this? First, you must take charge to some degree for your own medical management. Second, even when you are feeling terrible, you still need to be assertive. Lastly, I should have sued him. A lot of the time I think that we sue to often and there are other times I could have sued and won but I didn't think it right. However, in this instance the situation was caused by my doctor being complacent and negligent. It cost me four more operations and seven days in hospital and who knows what it did to my mental health.
Next time I will talk about other mistakes I have made. There are a few of them, but I have to admit that some of them I would even make again as in hindsight with the information available to me at the time I would make the same choice. Until then, stay well:)
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, or PCNL or perc, is a procedure for removing medium-sized or larger renal calculi (kidney stones) from the patient's urinary tract by means of an nephroscope passed into the kidney through a track created in the patient's back.
So before I had the procedure my surgeon ran me through everything and also said that afterwards he would order an x-ray just to check he had got all the stone. Three days after the procedure he did not order the x-ray but did order the removal of my nephrostomy tube which would allow access back into the kidney if needed.
When I quizzed the surgeon about the x-ray he said that there was no need as he was confident that he got all the stone. So the tube was removed and along with that easy access to my kidney. Three weeks later I had a follow up appointment and an x-ray and to my surprise he missed a bit.
That mistake landed me back in hospital for a further four operations, eventually ending in another perc a year and a half later.
So what did I learn from this? First, you must take charge to some degree for your own medical management. Second, even when you are feeling terrible, you still need to be assertive. Lastly, I should have sued him. A lot of the time I think that we sue to often and there are other times I could have sued and won but I didn't think it right. However, in this instance the situation was caused by my doctor being complacent and negligent. It cost me four more operations and seven days in hospital and who knows what it did to my mental health.
Next time I will talk about other mistakes I have made. There are a few of them, but I have to admit that some of them I would even make again as in hindsight with the information available to me at the time I would make the same choice. Until then, stay well:)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Lucky I'm OK...
Well here is one out of the blue. There I was, not doing much really, just sitting down having lunch. I went to have a drink of my water when bang. I just passed out. I fell off my chair and banged my face on something because I had a bloody nose when I came round.
Apparently I was only out for a couple of seconds and the good wife quickly picked me up so when I awoke she was already by my side. With a brain stimulator inserted I didn't want to take any chances so I went straight to the doc. He did the standard tests and gave me a clean bill of health.
What worries me is immediately before and after I passed out I felt perfectly fine. Apart from when I was unconscious I have total memory recall and afterwards I am only sporting a swollen upper lip, a slight headache and a bruised ego. So effectively if it happens again I will have no warning as what caused me to pass out is a mystery.
However, the doc agreed that if it happened again I should have it investigated further. Until next time, stay well:)
Apparently I was only out for a couple of seconds and the good wife quickly picked me up so when I awoke she was already by my side. With a brain stimulator inserted I didn't want to take any chances so I went straight to the doc. He did the standard tests and gave me a clean bill of health.
What worries me is immediately before and after I passed out I felt perfectly fine. Apart from when I was unconscious I have total memory recall and afterwards I am only sporting a swollen upper lip, a slight headache and a bruised ego. So effectively if it happens again I will have no warning as what caused me to pass out is a mystery.
However, the doc agreed that if it happened again I should have it investigated further. Until next time, stay well:)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Info for my readers
I don't know if you read my post titled "Dear Julia" or not, but I feel for my readers it deserves a little explanation.
Because of the path I have taken in life as a result of things I cannot control, I have become very passionate about health care for all. It is what inspired me to write this blog. I also feel that I can help by weighing in with my two cents about health care for all Australians by writing to the government.
So when I write a post like "Dear Julia" I will also be e-Mailing a copy to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and also to Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon. If anyone has any comments they would like to make, feel free to reply to my blog post and I will forward them to the relevant politician. Until next time, Stay well:)
Because of the path I have taken in life as a result of things I cannot control, I have become very passionate about health care for all. It is what inspired me to write this blog. I also feel that I can help by weighing in with my two cents about health care for all Australians by writing to the government.
So when I write a post like "Dear Julia" I will also be e-Mailing a copy to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and also to Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon. If anyone has any comments they would like to make, feel free to reply to my blog post and I will forward them to the relevant politician. Until next time, Stay well:)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Surgeon
You have to hand it to the surgeons, to have the guts to cut into someones flesh and tinker with their vital organs take something special. You could call it guts, confidence or arrogance, but the job really would take nerves of steel.
However, the two biggest problems to look for with a surgeon are arrogance and complacency. Unfortunately, given the nature of the type of person that is attracted to becoming a surgeon these two character traits are extremely common.
Don't get me wrong, a small amount of arrogance can be a good thing. It is a fine line between arrogance and confidence and you do not want a surgeon who isn't confident, second guesses everything he does and ends up mucking up your surgery. Alternatively, you don't want a doctor doing surgeries that they are not competent doing because they think they can.
Some of this can be up to you. Whatever doctor you need you should always do your research, and make sure they are not just a competent specialist, but competent in doing the surgery you are having. For example, I heard from an extremely reliable source in the medical fraternity that any orthopedic surgeon can perform hand surgery, but hand surgery is almost a specialty within a specialty. So make sure you get an orthopedic surgeon who specialises in hand surgery.
However, there is no room for complacency whatever! Whether you are having a triple heart bypass or a mole removed your doctor needs to be thorough and cross all the T's and dot the I's. If you think that your doctor is complacent, get another one. I have been a victim of this before but that is a story for another time.
Aside from looking for a surgeon who is not arrogant or complacent it is a good idea to look for someone who is old enough to be experienced but young enough to still have a sharp eye (late 30's to early 50's). Also check their credentials and do your research. Most important is to have a good gut feel for the surgeon. The last thing you want is to go under anaesthetic feeling nervous about your surgeon. You will be under enough stress without having to worry about that.
One last thing I like to do just before surgery is to look my surgeon in the eyes and make sure his head is in the game. So far I haven't had a problem, but for my own piece of mind I like to do it. Always remember you are well within your rights to ask for a second opinion or change your surgeon. Next blog I will give a specific example of a mistake I have made with a doctor. Until then stay well:)
However, the two biggest problems to look for with a surgeon are arrogance and complacency. Unfortunately, given the nature of the type of person that is attracted to becoming a surgeon these two character traits are extremely common.
Don't get me wrong, a small amount of arrogance can be a good thing. It is a fine line between arrogance and confidence and you do not want a surgeon who isn't confident, second guesses everything he does and ends up mucking up your surgery. Alternatively, you don't want a doctor doing surgeries that they are not competent doing because they think they can.
Some of this can be up to you. Whatever doctor you need you should always do your research, and make sure they are not just a competent specialist, but competent in doing the surgery you are having. For example, I heard from an extremely reliable source in the medical fraternity that any orthopedic surgeon can perform hand surgery, but hand surgery is almost a specialty within a specialty. So make sure you get an orthopedic surgeon who specialises in hand surgery.
However, there is no room for complacency whatever! Whether you are having a triple heart bypass or a mole removed your doctor needs to be thorough and cross all the T's and dot the I's. If you think that your doctor is complacent, get another one. I have been a victim of this before but that is a story for another time.
Aside from looking for a surgeon who is not arrogant or complacent it is a good idea to look for someone who is old enough to be experienced but young enough to still have a sharp eye (late 30's to early 50's). Also check their credentials and do your research. Most important is to have a good gut feel for the surgeon. The last thing you want is to go under anaesthetic feeling nervous about your surgeon. You will be under enough stress without having to worry about that.
One last thing I like to do just before surgery is to look my surgeon in the eyes and make sure his head is in the game. So far I haven't had a problem, but for my own piece of mind I like to do it. Always remember you are well within your rights to ask for a second opinion or change your surgeon. Next blog I will give a specific example of a mistake I have made with a doctor. Until then stay well:)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Specialist
The specialist is Sylvester Stallone going around blowing stuff up. But for this purpose it is the specialist physician. And not to be confused with a surgeon. A surgeon is a person who does the operating or cutting. A physician treats you outside of the OR and normally specialises in a disease type eg. an oncologist treating cancer) or a part of the body (eg. a neurologist treating the brain). At the moment I am consulting with 4 specialist physicians, two neurologist, a nephrologist and a haemotologist.
So what should one look for in a physician. Well, specialists tend to be a little more quirky than your GP, and often come over a bit geeky. Normally, in their chosen field they are more intelligent than you or I could ever hope to be, but there are better ones, so here are my tips.
1. I know I said that they are normally intelligent, but it is normally good to check anyway. Look up their qualifications and their professional associations as a starting point.
2. Google the name of your doctor. If it's public record, good or bad, you will normally be able to find the information on line.
3. Talk to your GP. If your GP has recommended the specialist, ask why. If you have sourced your own, use the opportunity to open a dialogue with your GP about the pros and cons of your choice.
4. It is important to have a degree of respect and likeness for the doctor. If you don't you are likely to reject his advice which will only be to your own detriment.
5. Make sure he is a realist. Your doctor should take into account your lifestyle and other medical problems when evaluating your treatment options. After all, life isn't just about curing all your medical problems, it is about making the most out of your time on this planet. Your doctor should be realistic about weighing up all factors.
Remember, it is never too late to change a doctor if you are unhappy with your current one and you always have a right to a second opinion. Next time I will talk about surgeons. Until then, stay well:)
So what should one look for in a physician. Well, specialists tend to be a little more quirky than your GP, and often come over a bit geeky. Normally, in their chosen field they are more intelligent than you or I could ever hope to be, but there are better ones, so here are my tips.
1. I know I said that they are normally intelligent, but it is normally good to check anyway. Look up their qualifications and their professional associations as a starting point.
2. Google the name of your doctor. If it's public record, good or bad, you will normally be able to find the information on line.
3. Talk to your GP. If your GP has recommended the specialist, ask why. If you have sourced your own, use the opportunity to open a dialogue with your GP about the pros and cons of your choice.
4. It is important to have a degree of respect and likeness for the doctor. If you don't you are likely to reject his advice which will only be to your own detriment.
5. Make sure he is a realist. Your doctor should take into account your lifestyle and other medical problems when evaluating your treatment options. After all, life isn't just about curing all your medical problems, it is about making the most out of your time on this planet. Your doctor should be realistic about weighing up all factors.
Remember, it is never too late to change a doctor if you are unhappy with your current one and you always have a right to a second opinion. Next time I will talk about surgeons. Until then, stay well:)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Dear Julia
Dear Julia,
After writing my last blog it became clear to me of some of the mistakes that have been made in your policy. Mainly, I am referring to super clinics. They are a bad idea and here is why:-
1. I am a fan of the family doctor. One GP means that you have continuity of treatment which means quality of treatment. A super clinic would do away with the one doctor and leave many doctors to treat one patient which could lead to a multitude of mistakes.
2. The quality of doctor within these clinics will be greatly diminished. Super clinics will be a haven for doctors who are not as competent as others and junior doctors who are using the clinic as a stepping stone. Neither of these scenarios give patients quality or consistency.
3. It will compete with established family practices. Current practices where the principal doctor (and guardian of their standards) is also the owner will be undermined by the super clinic, and the end result will be diminished patient care.
4. It will be a target for junkies. With less accountability for the patient it will be easier for drug users to obtain script for addictive pharmaceuticals, which in the long term will not assist patient health and only serve to put greater stress on the system in general.
On a positive note, I do applaud your decision to increase hospital funding. However, seeing as the federal government is the primary investor in Australian health care isn't it time all public hospitals in Australia came under federal control? I can think of many reasons why this would be a good idea, but that is another topic.
If you or a member of your staff would like to discuss any of the above, please feel free to contact me. For all my other readers, next time I will talk to you about how to choose a specialist physician. Until then, stay well:)
4. It will be a target for junkies. With less accountability for the patient it will be easier for drug users to obtain script for addictive pharmaceuticals, which in the long term will not assist patient health and only serve to put greater stress on the system in general.
On a positive note, I do applaud your decision to increase hospital funding. However, seeing as the federal government is the primary investor in Australian health care isn't it time all public hospitals in Australia came under federal control? I can think of many reasons why this would be a good idea, but that is another topic.
If you or a member of your staff would like to discuss any of the above, please feel free to contact me. For all my other readers, next time I will talk to you about how to choose a specialist physician. Until then, stay well:)
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