Care and Caring with My "New" Knee at The Soin Medical Center

I love the Soin Medical Center in Beavercreek, Ohio!

There is a great team of caring, competent health care professionals in the Joint Center in the Soin Medical Center.  My right knee volunteered to need their services with a total knee replacement.  Dr. Aram Donigian orchestrated the surgery with a very engaging and connected operating room team.

The Soin environment offers a small town atmosphere, which I love.

For the day of surgery, the nurses, doctors, nurse practitioners and OR personnel were highly focused and organized.  I noticed stainless steel hammers and other carpentry-like tools in the OR - then stopped looking.  I sort of didn't want to know too much.

The spinal analgesia calmed my entire being and the propofol gave me sleep and the next thing I knew, I was waking in the recovery room with Nurse Shelby, who exemplified the Soin spirit.  She was energetic, caring, honest, helpful, supportive and competent.  I had the laughter that wouldn't quit and no pain in my right knee.

Now on the mend with great nurses, PT's, OT's and Nurse coordinators etc., I am being discharged and continue to sing the praises of the Soin Joint Replacement Team.

What a great example of Resilience!

They help each other to get the job done. And they Care.  And they care.  And they care.

More later about other aspects of this adventure.  Here's my BlogTalkRadio Show about it: Click for more  Dr Synonymous New Knee at Soin Medical Center

Vaccine Pot Pourri

Warning:  If you come to my medical practice, you may be exposed to un-immunized or "under-immunized" children. 

I believe that informed parents are the ones who make healthcare decisions for their children.  Ohio is one of about 13 states that allow parents to accept or refuse any or all recommended immunizations, so parents are in the drivers seat about vaccines.  "Informed Parents" is a key concept in this process.  Physicians are obligated to help the parents to understand the diseases and immunizations in question.  This is a process, not an event.  It is helped considerably by information access via the internet.  We can review information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC): vaccines and preventable diseases and who should not get these vaccines to clarify some of the basic information and go to many other sites to explore further information as desired by the parents.

These discussions are important but often very complex.  Many physicians are time constrained from going very far into the discussion.  A few are angered by parents who don't accept whatever is recommended enthusiastically.  Most parents are pleased to have the vaccines for their children.  Many want to hear more about the potential benefits and harms of the vaccines.  A few want to know more about the potential dangers (and benefits) of the diseases versus the risks and benefits of the vaccines.

I like vaccines for most people.  I like freedom of choice, too.  The concept of the "Greater Good" is a balancer in public health and in medical decision making about vaccine preventable diseases and vaccines.  These concepts go back to the principles of medical ethics, which I reflect on every day.  

• Principle of respect for autonomy,
• Principle of nonmaleficence,
• Principle of beneficence, and.
• Principle of justice.

I encourage you to look up the Principles of Medical Ethics for an array of definitions of these terms.  Decisions can be shrouded in gray from time to time and generate considerable discussion.  Vaccines versus genetic vulnerability to negative effects of vaccines is a challenging and complex discussion that is often overlooked or misunderstood.  The CDC is sensitive to this issue, but more front line genetic information is needed to identify the small group of vulnerable children and adults who need to stay away from certain vaccines.  The changing nature of microbes is another challenge, especially pertussis.  How do you immunize people from a disease that keeps evolving?

"The ideas that everyone has to get vaccinated for the “greater good,” and that it is acceptable for some children to be sacrificed for the welfare of the rest, does not feel quite right when one-size-fits-all vaccine policies end up targeting the genetically vulnerable as expendable."  From:

Barbara Loe Fisher

Is Whooping Cough changing faster than our vaccines?

We are confronted with many diseases while we are blessed with some great vaccines and some great freedoms.  At the confluence of these, each individual gets to decide how to proceed.  Physicians, patients and parents have responsibilities to do our best to help each other and our society.

What do you think?

Know Brain Know Pain: From Genomics to Guts to Gardens

Here's the Power Point slides from my presentation at the pre-symposium Seminar for the institute of Holistic Leadership: Know Brain Know Pain

Here's the outline of the first few slides.  I'll review thers on my Dr. Synonymous Blog Talk Radio Show after my knee surgery calms down in a couple weeks.

The cannabinoid receptor agonists (health foods that stimulate cannabinoid receptors in the body) are promising for pain relief for many.

•Know Brain

•Nucleus Accumbuns

•Caudate Nuclei

•A Fibers

•C Fibers

•https://t.co/cTmwqjydTK

•https://t.co/eFFE81aJ76

                             •Know Pain

•Acute vs. Chronic

•Wind Up

•Hyperalgesia

•Raw

•0 to 10

•“Twin Towers” of Pain

                       •From Genomics

•Human Genome Project

•23 & Me, etc.

•New Information

•Overwhelming

•Front line usage clunky

•Hopeful with IT/ EHR

                       •To Guts

•Human Microbiome Project

•Good Fats, Prebiotics, Probiotics

•L. Helveticas, B. Longum

•Wheat Belly, Grain Brain

•Grains and Sugars

•Skinny People Poop

•Breakfast Via Ninja

•Protein Powder & Greens

•Flaxseed, Hemp Hearts

•Super Collagen Powder

•Maca Boost Powder w/Rhodiola, Ginger, Theobromo Cocao

•Citrulline Powder

•Berries, Almond Milk, Kefir

•To Gardens (Or health Food Stores)

•Only Response to Genomics

•Medicalized by “Medical Marijuana”

•All will know of Cannabinoids

•And Endocannabinoids

•And CB1R and CB2R and “CB3R”, etc.

•Fermentation, Sprouts, etc.

          •Vitamins and Supplements

•B Right, C, D3, Coenzymated MVI

•Omega 3 fish, Cal-Mag-Zinc, K2

•Selenium, Tri-Iodine, NAC,

•Curcumin, SAMe, CoQ10, Pycnogenol,

•DHEA (over 50)

•Probiotic 10-20

•

          •“Medical” Marijuana in Ohio

•Is NOT “Medical”

•Will Cause Solutions to Opiate “Crisis”

•Solution to “Obesity Epidemic”

•Will drive physicians to Health Foods

•Is Dangerous, too

          •Beighton score

•Connective tissue Disorder Spectrum

•BJHS

•JHS,

•EDS Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

•Marfan’s Syndrome

•Etc.

           •Brighton Criteria