[Magdalen] medical terminology

[Lynn Ronkainen]

I had a CT scan of my knee 10 years ago from a surgeon a friend had highly 
recommended. The scan did not show anything, but from my description, the 
doctor wanted to 'just go in arthroscopically (sp?)" and 'clean things up a 
bit'....  I was surprised that he suggested surgery for something he could 
not identify, and chose not to have it.  I lost 20 pounds (and have since 
gained that back and more) and began a serious walking routine  and have 
never had another problem with this knee again.

I also had a shoulder pain that lasted 18 months. I had been lifting a large 
plastic covered 'tub' up over my head to put on a shelf and heard a 'pop'. 
I must say that I did not seek any kind of care for that and the pain was 
never excruciating, but I did dose with ibuprofen when needed.  About a year 
in to this situation which had become on again, off again, a massage 
therapist told me she thought it was probably a strained tendon, and it 
turned out to be a pinched nerve which finally worked itself out. Pain free 
for 3 years and have had no residual problems.

Lynn

website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck

Thomas Merton writes, “People may spend their whole lives climbing the 
ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is 
leaning against the wrong wall.”

"What you seek is seeking you." - Rumi

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From: "Grace Cangialosi" <gracecan at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2014 10:06 PM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] medical terminology

> Well, THIS patient wants as few tests and as little medication as 
> possible, and I always ask if the doctor thinks something is really 
> necessary!
>
> I have a situation like that right now with my shoulder. I fell about 8 
> weeks ago and did something to it. CT showed nothing broken, so my doctor 
> gave me a better anti-inflammatory than I'd been taking and sent me for a 
> month of PT. Said if that didn't work, he might send me for an MRI.
> Well, I've gotten some improvement in range and pain level, and my PT gal 
> thinks it's probably a tear in the rotator cuff, but might also be severe 
> tendinitis, so an MRI might be Indicated. If it's just tendinitis, there 
> are some anti-inflammatory patches that should help, but they need a scrip 
> from my doctor. I'm going to see him on Monday, and I'm going to ask if we 
> can try the patches first. If they do the trick, we'll know it isn't a 
> tear, and if they don't, I can continue the therapy for awhile and/or get 
> an MRI later. I'll do whatever I can, short of surgery.
> But we really did get along quite well before we had all this fancy, 
> expensive equipment, and my theory is that the reason a lot of MRI's and 
> CT's are done is to pay for the equipment. And too often they're done even 
> though knowing the results won't change the course of treatment.
>
> Working in a hospital does create a bit of cynicism about the practice of 
> medicine, I'm afraid!
>
> G
>
>> On Oct 30, 2014, at 9:23 PM, James Handsfield <jhandsfield at icloud.com> 
>> wrote:
>>
>> <Laboratory medicine statistician hat = ON>
>>
>> In my estimation, approximately 20% or a little more of lab tests are 
>> done for patient confidence.  Most conditions are diagnosed by patient 
>> presentation, and many of those in the clinical situation have no 
>> specific treatment other than time, fluids, and rest.  But patients want 
>> their physician to do something, and they can do that with fairly 
>> inexpensive lab tests.  So the doc orders the test and the patient goes 
>> away satisfied that their doctor did something.
>>
>> “The worst form of corruption is acceptance of corruption.”  Herblock
>>
>> Jim Handsfield
>> jhandsfield at att.net
>>
>>
>>> On Oct 30, 2014, at 9:14 PM, ROGER STOKES 
>>> <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> That sounds par for the course - using a test inappropriately because 
>>> those
>>> who don't understand think it looks good.
>>