Returning to Canada for Health Insurance

[kcowan]

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Originally Posted by Meadbh I wondered out loud if they had done a spinal tap to look for TB meningitis. I was told that this was the USA and we don't have TB here. Patient deteriorated and eventually died. Autopsy showed TB meningitis. A totally preventable death.

FIL died of appendicitis. After multiple visits and being sent home, they finally found that his internal systems were shutting down. And he died.

They said that "everyone" of his age had their appendix removed. So they failed to recognize the symptoms.

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan FIL died of appendicitis. After multiple visits and being sent home, they finally found that his internal systems were shutting down. And he died. They said that "everyone" of his age had their appendix removed. So they failed to recognize the symptoms.

That's a major diagnostic error. You would think that the absence of a scar would make them consider appendicitis. Unforgivable.

[MRG]

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Originally Posted by Meadbh That's a major diagnostic error. You would think that the absence of a scar would make them consider appendicitis. Unforgivable.

My buddies wife died due to the same kind of thing. She had her third child and wanted a tubal after delivery. She told the doc she only had one ovary as one was removed in Thailand many years before.

Doc does the surgery on Christmas day against hospital orders of no non-emergency procedures. Only he didn't believe her about the missing ovary. She bled to death during the day. He cut both sides, apparently mistook a blood vessel for the fallopian tube.

[Meadbh]

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Originally Posted by MRG My buddies wife died due to the same kind of thing. She had her third child and wanted a tubal after delivery. She told the doc she only had one ovary as one was removed in Thailand many years before. Doc does the surgery on Christmas day against hospital orders of no non-emergency procedures. Only he didn't believe her about the missing ovary. She bled to death during the day. He cut both sides, apparently mistook a blood vessel for the fallopian tube.

Shocking.

[razztazz]

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They said that "everyone" of his age had their appendix removed. So they failed to recognize the symptoms.

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Originally Posted by Meadbh That's a major diagnostic error. You would think that the absence of a scar would make them consider appendicitis. Unforgivable.

The md probably had it confused with tonsils. They used to routinely remove people's tonsils.... because they could

[kcowan]

I have my tonsils and my appendix! Maybe I should get some tattoos: "Appendix still here." "Look for tonsils here." "Aortic valve under scrutiny."

Please seek a second opinion before cutting...

[razztazz]

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Originally Posted by kcowan I have my tonsils and my appendix! Maybe I should get some tattoos: "Appendix still here." "Look for tonsils here." "Aortic valve under scrutiny." Please seek a second opinion before cutting...

With all those body parts it's a wonder you're still alive. I'll bet you even have cholesterol. Better shoot yourself and get it over with

[kcowan]

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Originally Posted by razztazz With all those body parts it's a wonder you're still alive. I'll bet you even have cholesterol. Better shoot yourself and get it over with

My cardiologist says get that LDL down even though the ratio is fine. I say fine. I stopped lipitor many years ago but now my exercise regime is limited by arthritic pain.

[Nemo2]

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Originally Posted by kcowan now my exercise regime is limited by arthritic pain.

With breakfast I take an extra strength Tylenol to (partially) alleviate the arthritic discomfort which is prevalent throughout my lower back, (and neck); rarely do I take more than two in a twenty four hour period.

On the elliptical I use tensor bandages/sheathes on both knees........postponing the inevitable (if I live long enough) knee replacements (especially the right one).

Onwards & upwards!

[audreyh1]

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Originally Posted by kcowan They said that "everyone" of his age had their appendix removed. So they failed to recognize the symptoms.

Huh? Seriously? Neither DH nor I nor any of our family members have had their appendix removed.

[audreyh1]

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Originally Posted by razztazz The md probably had it confused with tonsils. They used to routinely remove people's tonsils.... because they could

OMG!

And I still have my tonsils. My sister had hers removed.

[razztazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan My cardiologist says get that LDL down even though the ratio is fine. I say fine. I stopped lipitor many years ago but now my exercise regime is limited by arthritic pain.

The doctor will always find some reason to tell you you are sick. Evidence or no evidence. "Latest studies suggest....." "current thinking is....." That is my personal experience. I say how about some actual experiential medical practice?

[6miths]

Actually as an MD, I would say I would have spent as much time explaining to people why they didn't need a test or a drug or some other intervention as telling them that they have some big problem. Lots of time reassuring people and just trying to get them to live a healthful lifestyle. One of the few negative feedbacks I ever got was for refusing to order some tests that a patient was literally demanding but definitely did not need and even if they needed them, I wasn't the one who would have been ordering them. In the current climate, it is hard not just to let patients have their way no matter how unreasonable their requests may seem.

[Milton]

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Originally Posted by Alan The USA does have a Tax Treaty with the USA

Hmmm. While I appreciate that the American tax system is very complicated - much more so than most countries - it seems unlikely that it would contract with itself.

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Originally Posted by 6miths Actually as an MD, I would say I would have spent as much time explaining to people why they didn't need a test or a drug or some other intervention as telling them that they have some big problem. Lots of time reassuring people and just trying to get them to live a healthful lifestyle. One of the few negative feedbacks I ever got was for refusing to order some tests that a patient was literally demanding but definitely did not need and even if they needed them, I wasn't the one who would have been ordering them. In the current climate, it is hard not just to let patients have their way no matter how unreasonable their requests may seem.

I believe you. My own mother has serious mobility issues that common sense suggests are related primarily, perhaps entirely, to poor diet and lack of exercise; yet she is very aggressive with her GP, demanding all sorts of tests and specialist referrals.

[Sunset]

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Originally Posted by Meadbh That's why we have doctors. To help make evidence informed decisions that help patients, not to deliver useless care. May I ask, what was the evidence that your MRI was really a need, as opposed to a want? ......

I had back pain, pretty severe at times, and had a history of once pinching a nerve in spine that resulted in crippling pain for days.

So I got the MRI to satisfy my own desire to "see" what was going on there. It truly was a want. I really didn't want surgery. I could see where the vertebra were knocked off center, it was like this:

[] <- this one is shifted over to the right (side view)
[] <- this one is shifted over to the right (side view) but formatting of the forum ruins my graphic.
[]
[]

After the MRI, I lived with it for many years, until I felt I would have to stop work due to the pain. There were months with no pain, so it was not always continual. Sometimes my leg went dead, and that part got worse.

I went to a doc, did the physio therapy without any benefit, and then I got an x-ray and as soon as She looked at the x-ray, she referred me to a surgeon for a spinal fusion.
He did a new MRI, and the spinal fusion.

It was a huge improvement, no more dead leg or crippling pain.

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by razztazz The doctor will always find some reason to tell you you are sick. Evidence or no evidence. "Latest studies suggest....." "current thinking is....." That is my personal experience. I say how about some actual experiential medical practice?

I agree with you. The thing is he has not determined why I have tachycardia so wants to do "something"!