Researching Nearest Major Hospital To St. John's Newfoundland
[ Saturday July 6th 2019 at 10:37 am ]
I had a very helpful assessment in June 2012. A retired 91 year old orthopedic surgeon assessed me. He had specialist knowledge of the hip disease I had as a 2 year old child. He told me Legg Perthes disease is (relatively speaking) common in Newfoundland Canada. When he was still operating he had his office in St. John's. He was old enough that he knew what was I talked about when I described the experimental treatment I received as a child and validated how detramental this was to my skeletal system by overstressing my knee joints and the future need for them to be replaced.
I've been feeling intermitent pain in my ankles. Over the past few days this became critical. I remember when this happened to each of my hip and knee joints. Based on my history I expect my ankles have a 5 year useful service life remaining. When I tried to raise the "red flag" over my right knee joint in fall 2012 I wasn't taken seriously enough. The doctors didn't understand just how much I've come to understood pain and interpret what my body is saying. This continued until my recent MRI imaging in May 2019. My trust of the doctors erroded during the intervening years.
I am not prepared to allow this to happen to my anckle joints. I need to find out if my ankles are doomed to reach the end of their useful service life due to arthritis or if I focus on my ankles and have an intervention that would be beneficial in the long run. The 91 year old retired orthopedic surgeon who assessed me in June 2012 has died. I am doing the grunt work in an attempt to reach out to a highly experienced orthopedic surgeon in St. John's for an opinion.
- My initial step is to find out what is the nearest major hospital in proximity to St. John's Newfoundland. By major hospital I mean one that is associated with a university. I am talking about a hospital patients are sent to from regional hospitals where the technology or skills don't exist to treat their illness or life threatening condition. I've reached out to a medical supplier of mine in Newfoundland to start by finding out a hospital name.
- Once I have the name of this hospital I will write a letter to the patient relations department. I will explain the nature of my explanation and ask for help. I've found patient relations department staff to be helpful in the past.
- If this goes favorably my plan is to travel to Newfoundland to have a consultation and brainstorm with an orthopedic surgeon in order to get the best possible opinion. My disability pension will finance medical related travel. I am prepared to make the trip. This is something I am able to do to help myself.
- It is reasonable to expect an orthopedic surgeon to require a referral from my family doctor. I am ok with this. It is the structure, accountability and so everyone treating me is coordinated and known to one another.
I'll see where this goes. I have nothing to loose. I am trying to help myself. I've discovered just how unusual my case is. I deem this worth my effort.