It has been a while since I posted. I have had so many topics I have wanted to cover, but alas, life took over. So, I am writing this as I am sitting in the waiting room at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic waiting to see the doctors -- Dr Steadman and Dr Millet today. The doctors and physical therapists here are the best I have ever met. There is a level of consistency in the quality of treatment in all the different joint areas that I find unparalleled (and I have been searching, desperately to create that closer to home).
I have tried so hard to break the Steadman Hawkins clinic habit, but, I cannot seem to find doctors that 1- are willing to dialogue with me about the problems 2- are willing to think outside of the box, and 3- are willing to tread into non-standard treatment waters. (This is especially important when I am consistently challenged with perpetual joint issues -- first it was hips and knees, now we have added a problem shoulder and bilateral elbow problems. Christ, for a relatively healthy, strong, athletic person it seems very odd to be having all these joint problems. An additional component to the Vail cocktail (and sometimes the most important one) are the physical therapists that I have worked with. They are some of the most dedicated staff I have ever met. These are the staff of the Howard Head clinic in Vail. They focus on the patient, not on the clock. Sometimes I have had PT last for 5 hours and other times much less. Sometimes you have to wait, but I would rather wait for someone that is proactively trying to solve my physcial problem, rather than have an ontime appointment with someone who goes through a standard routine.
In the one session I had here today, they discovered a couple things about my knee mechanics, that no one ever thought of looking at. With scribbles on my knees, I stepped up and down on a platform while two therapists looked, measured, and tracked how I was mechanically functioning. In that process they were able to make modifications to my physical therapy program that have already made some differences in how I walk. I was once again duly impressed. (This is why I keep coming back).
Showing posts with label medical care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medical care. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
What should we expect from a doctor
For the last 5 months I have been interviewing doctors. Imagine that. See post below hunting for rabbits, or is it doctors and this post local ortho elimination process
We think of interviewing employees, nannies, schools that our children go to etc., but we don't interview doctors, who can have a big impact on your life, in more ways than the obvious. This becomes especially apparent with the chronically ill patient, because they usually have a much higher interaction with the medical community, usually have complex cases, and have a higher level of investment in the outcomes. Those people who go to the doctor a few times a year, or less, probably don't think too hard about the quality of their doctor's. (Or, I am just guessing)
After the first couple orthopaedic appointments I had early this year in CA I was so disgusted with the talk down to you approach that I decided to do what I have been needing to do and that is create a supportive medical team to help me navigate my increasingly complex medical situation. As I have eluded to in other posts this has been a difficult and often traumatic experience. Everyday brings new insight as well as more confusion when I interact with medical people. And, lately I have been doihng this alot. I have on average 3+ appointments per week. Some weeks I have had two a day, Monday through Friday. This includes maintainence appointments, such as allergy shots, chiropractic, physical therapy, and mental therapy. Then I have followup appointments with specialists: orthopaedic, cardiology, urology. Currently, I have a high rate of appointments because I have been trying to have a good team of people I can trust and rely on. The anxiety of not having that is very stressful. There are days I have been hopeful and there are horrible days, like when a doctor thought I was trying to be self important by seeing many doctors. I am beginning to believe that I am getting closer to creating a team of people who are thoughtful, compassionate, and will be a great support to my overall care. They may not have all the answers, but, they certainly seem willing to help me through the mess I am in. I have had to create a personal patient schema to keep track of the specialists that I need to deal with on a regular basis and how they overlap with other doctors.
I wonder if I am crazy sometimes because sometimes it seems I am pushing the system to do something that it is not designed to do. I keep wondering how do other people who have a long term condition that is less straightforward deal with this. There are days I want to crawl into a fetal position out of despair because I feel unsupported. Most of the local doctor's are new and I feel like I have to convince them of how difficult life is for me. Sometimes, I want to throw up my hands in despair and just stop trying, and crawl into a hole. Then there are those few occasions, when I want to throw my arms around a doctor and say thank you for hearing me, caring for me. Those are the doctor's that really surprise me! I get so prepared for what I think is a difficult conversation related to paperwork, or questioning of their proposed approach to dealing with my multiple conditions, and they simply say ok, no problem, let's try that. Sometimes, they even say, maybe they should talk to someone else. And, that is often times the most refreshing statement I ever hear. I got inspired to write this post after reading the following article Get Yourself a Thinking Doctor
Am I crazy to expect that a doctor should listen to you, not pretend to know everything, and ask questions to better understand what you are going through?
I have become increasingly amazed how doctor's actually think. On the one hand they say to me, boy you have lots of problems with your joints, or, boy you are a mess, and will keep us busy. On the other hand they think I am working full time after I have told them how devastated my life has become, and that I rely on my partner to take care of managing cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping. I just wonder who is listening. After those appointments I wonder what is wrong with me? I wonder, what did I do wrong? I generally come home dejected and worried about my future. These are the people who hold my future in their hands. OY!! Thankfully, those appointments get balanced out by those doctor appointments that hold a lot of compassion, understanding (or at least not dismissal), and feeling of care. And, those are the people that I move towards, embrace, and feel buoyed by in the midst of my own personal storm. That is when I feel calm and cared for.
So, what do other's experience? Am I the only one out there that is puzzled and surprised by the medical institution? Sometimes I really do feel alone in this mad mad world.
We think of interviewing employees, nannies, schools that our children go to etc., but we don't interview doctors, who can have a big impact on your life, in more ways than the obvious. This becomes especially apparent with the chronically ill patient, because they usually have a much higher interaction with the medical community, usually have complex cases, and have a higher level of investment in the outcomes. Those people who go to the doctor a few times a year, or less, probably don't think too hard about the quality of their doctor's. (Or, I am just guessing)
After the first couple orthopaedic appointments I had early this year in CA I was so disgusted with the talk down to you approach that I decided to do what I have been needing to do and that is create a supportive medical team to help me navigate my increasingly complex medical situation. As I have eluded to in other posts this has been a difficult and often traumatic experience. Everyday brings new insight as well as more confusion when I interact with medical people. And, lately I have been doihng this alot. I have on average 3+ appointments per week. Some weeks I have had two a day, Monday through Friday. This includes maintainence appointments, such as allergy shots, chiropractic, physical therapy, and mental therapy. Then I have followup appointments with specialists: orthopaedic, cardiology, urology. Currently, I have a high rate of appointments because I have been trying to have a good team of people I can trust and rely on. The anxiety of not having that is very stressful. There are days I have been hopeful and there are horrible days, like when a doctor thought I was trying to be self important by seeing many doctors. I am beginning to believe that I am getting closer to creating a team of people who are thoughtful, compassionate, and will be a great support to my overall care. They may not have all the answers, but, they certainly seem willing to help me through the mess I am in. I have had to create a personal patient schema to keep track of the specialists that I need to deal with on a regular basis and how they overlap with other doctors.
I wonder if I am crazy sometimes because sometimes it seems I am pushing the system to do something that it is not designed to do. I keep wondering how do other people who have a long term condition that is less straightforward deal with this. There are days I want to crawl into a fetal position out of despair because I feel unsupported. Most of the local doctor's are new and I feel like I have to convince them of how difficult life is for me. Sometimes, I want to throw up my hands in despair and just stop trying, and crawl into a hole. Then there are those few occasions, when I want to throw my arms around a doctor and say thank you for hearing me, caring for me. Those are the doctor's that really surprise me! I get so prepared for what I think is a difficult conversation related to paperwork, or questioning of their proposed approach to dealing with my multiple conditions, and they simply say ok, no problem, let's try that. Sometimes, they even say, maybe they should talk to someone else. And, that is often times the most refreshing statement I ever hear. I got inspired to write this post after reading the following article Get Yourself a Thinking Doctor
Am I crazy to expect that a doctor should listen to you, not pretend to know everything, and ask questions to better understand what you are going through?
I have become increasingly amazed how doctor's actually think. On the one hand they say to me, boy you have lots of problems with your joints, or, boy you are a mess, and will keep us busy. On the other hand they think I am working full time after I have told them how devastated my life has become, and that I rely on my partner to take care of managing cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping. I just wonder who is listening. After those appointments I wonder what is wrong with me? I wonder, what did I do wrong? I generally come home dejected and worried about my future. These are the people who hold my future in their hands. OY!! Thankfully, those appointments get balanced out by those doctor appointments that hold a lot of compassion, understanding (or at least not dismissal), and feeling of care. And, those are the people that I move towards, embrace, and feel buoyed by in the midst of my own personal storm. That is when I feel calm and cared for.
So, what do other's experience? Am I the only one out there that is puzzled and surprised by the medical institution? Sometimes I really do feel alone in this mad mad world.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Where is House when you need him?
Have you ever had the feeling that you are just not happy with the care that you receive? Need a more supportive doctor? Or, a doctor that talks to you rather than at you?
Well that is where I am at. I am so tired. I am tired of not having proactive, intelligent medical team to help me navigate the increasingly complex world my body seems to choose to live in. I have lost control. I am along for the ride hoping for the best. And, trying to fight for the best.
On the orthopedic front, I have up to now felt fairly well taken care of by virtue of the team in Vail. With the separation from the team I fell so much more vulnerable. It frustrates me to no end.
Somewhere in my heart I believe that I should be able to surround myself with supportive, intelligent, and reasonably proactive care. Wow, what a concept. The fact that this is not happening is really maddening. As a result I need to actively pursue and ultimate go through a measured and controlled interview process for new doctors in those areas of care that I am particularly concerned about. I know it may sound egotistical, but, currently more times than not I feel like I could run around certain doctors methodological approach. i really want someone or someone's to take things off my shoulder. I feel increasingly burdened and a sense of no where to turn for a helping hand to lift me out of the morass of medical complications. Between the AVN, ON, osteonecrosis, avascular necrosis (whatever you call it) of the hips and knees, and the whole bladder/UTI, etc....I am sick of it.
Well that is where I am at. I am so tired. I am tired of not having proactive, intelligent medical team to help me navigate the increasingly complex world my body seems to choose to live in. I have lost control. I am along for the ride hoping for the best. And, trying to fight for the best.
On the orthopedic front, I have up to now felt fairly well taken care of by virtue of the team in Vail. With the separation from the team I fell so much more vulnerable. It frustrates me to no end.
Somewhere in my heart I believe that I should be able to surround myself with supportive, intelligent, and reasonably proactive care. Wow, what a concept. The fact that this is not happening is really maddening. As a result I need to actively pursue and ultimate go through a measured and controlled interview process for new doctors in those areas of care that I am particularly concerned about. I know it may sound egotistical, but, currently more times than not I feel like I could run around certain doctors methodological approach. i really want someone or someone's to take things off my shoulder. I feel increasingly burdened and a sense of no where to turn for a helping hand to lift me out of the morass of medical complications. Between the AVN, ON, osteonecrosis, avascular necrosis (whatever you call it) of the hips and knees, and the whole bladder/UTI, etc....I am sick of it.
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