Musings by Moss Medical Advice

I’ve been working in the medical field for 30 years now. I find there are a lot of people out there who have been ill informed (pardon the pun) about the workings of medicine. I feel that there is a real lack of information regarding health care in the United States. Lack of knowledge about symptoms of major diseases, problems with communication between Physicians and patients, and the language barrier (by this I mean your Doctor talking in “Medical Speak” instead of explaining things so you understand them).

So let’s start with a basic rundown of some of the symptoms you as a person need to know about. We’ll start with the number 1 killer in America. Heart disease.

Some of the symptoms of impending heart attack. (Remember, heart attack bad, living good)

1. Chest pain with exertion. (going up stairs, walking fast or jogging, watching your daughter go off to college) If the pain is relieved by resting, go to the Emergency Room NOW!!!
2. Chest pain with pain going down the arms. (Especially the left arm) or in the jaw.
3. Chest pain with shortness of breath. Can be the signs of an artery blockage or heart failure.
4. Swelling in the lower legs with shortness of breath. You may also feel the need to sleep upright in a chair.

All of these symptoms require immediate attention. Not after the game, or the “Dancing with the Stars” marathon. If you don’t do something about this, the next business meeting you have may be with the guy who passes out wings in heaven. Oh, and one other thing. You can jog 3 miles a day, eat nothing but rice cakes and yogurt, and spend all you free time trying to look like a supermodel and still have heart disease. Knowing your family history, such as if your parents, grandparents, who died young from a heart attack or have had heart problems, guess what? It could be your turn real soon. Go to the doctor and have your cholesterol checked. I can’t tell you how many healthy looking people I’ve seen show up in the E.R. with a very surprised look on their face saying “I jog and bike 5 times a week; I can’t be having a heart attack.”

Some of the symptoms of a Stroke. (Remember Stroke also bad, living good)

1. Numbness or weakness on one side.
2. Difficulty talking or trying to say one word and a completely different one comes out.
3. Dizziness or passing out.
4. Changes in personality or confusion.

Get to the hospital immediately. They have drugs that can stop the progression of a stroke if caught in time. This may mean the difference between you recovering fully or having a permanent deficiency such as a limp or an arm that doesn’t work.

Most important, go see a Physician on a regular basis. Think you’re a tough guy and don’t need to worry about chest pain or high blood pressure? I’ll be seeing you soon. You’ll show up in the emergency room all blue (and I don’t mean sad) we’ll try to get you back, but it doesn’t always work. Now from a health care professional and part time writer here’s what you need to know if you are admitted to the hospital or have to spend some serious time in the Emergency Room.

Welcome to (insert hospital name here)

• Medicine is not an exact science. We do not have that little machine that Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy had on the Enterprise. I’m sure it’s coming, but the FDA will take so long to approve it I’m sure I’ll be dead. We still have to make a diagnosis on the process of elimination theory. Be truthful with your health care provider and this process will be a lot quicker.

• If your doctor won’t spend time with you and explain why the exams and reasons for them, get a new doctor. Most good physicians will spend time answering your questions. This is part of medicine. It is their job to make sure you know what’s going on. It is your body, not theirs. Ask them what tests you’re going to have and why. You should always know why you are having the test. You always have the right to refuse any test or procedure at any time. 

• Need your appendix out? Go ahead and go to your local hospital. Need a heart bypass? Do some research and go to a big University hospital. Basic procedures are just that, basic. They can be done anywhere. When you need something more complicated done (bypass, brain surgery, kidney or liver disease, transplants) you need to go to a university that does a lot of those procedures. Repetition makes a difference. The more specialty operations a hospital does, the better they get at it. It falls under the “practice makes perfect” heading. I’m not only talking about the surgeon, I also am talking about the support staff.

• Most of the time, it’s not the Physician that saves your life, it’s the nurse or paramedic that acts on your crisis and saves you long before the doctor gets there. In life or death situations, having well trained support staff in place will save your life. Being able to recognize a serious issue before it gets out of hand is the key to preventing an early conversation with your loved ones that have crossed over. Thank the nurse or paramedic, she or he is most responsible for you getting better.

Hope this helps. I had to get it off my chest. (Another bad medical pun)

Scott.