This has been an interesting iHCPL journey. I have enjoyed learning about the websites that are out there for the viewing even though it does tend to overwhelm me.
I'm not very familiar with any medications/pills so I didn't look much on the pill identifier site. I looked on the Symptom Checker site and didn't get the results I thought I would at first, but dug a little deeper and found the information I was looking for on a Mayo Clinic site. My dad and I both have been experiencing hip pain and believed the cause to be the sacroiliac joint. Now I know some causes and some treatments and can assist my dad in finding a doctor who can help him have better quality of life. His mom lived to be 95, so he could have another 15 years to look forward to and he shouldn't have to live it in pain.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/symptom-checker/DS00671
I logged into the MedlinePlus site and began looking for the topic of hip pain. I found the site http://www.freemd.com/ and got a virtual doctor. He asked several questions and diagnosed the hip pain as a herniated disc. I don't think that's what it is, but I'm sure the "live" doctor that my dad goes to see will be able to determine what it is by x-ray or MRI. I also researched scoliosis. I found out after the car accident I was in that I have scoliosis. I had no clue.
Anyway, the virtual doctor asked me for my zip code and directed me to several clinics and doctors in my area. I didn't see any orthopedic doctors listed though, just internal and family practice. I had to search deeper for a specialist. There were several in the area.
Using on-line medical sites are not always a good idea if it might create fear in someone. My son-in-law actually thought he had gall bladder problems after looking on line. (it's in his family history) When he went to the doctor he found out it was just pleurisy. What a relief for him.
I looked again at the www.freemd.com site and answered the questions from the doctor a little differently and this time it actually said I can treat myself at home because it was chronic back pain/strain...which is more likely for me, (osteoarthritis) but not sure about my dad. My brother has a problem with his back called Ankylosing Spondylitis, which I learned more about while exploring this site. This leads me into the family history question.
https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/ I created a family health portrait, but it can't be all that accurate because I don't know my family that well. I have no living grandparents, my mom passed away over 10 years ago and my dad is 81. I guess I need to tap into what he knows, and also ask any surviving uncles or aunts what they know. My mom used to say, "leave the skeletons in the closet", but I think these are ones who need to be "autopsied". I know there has been diabetes on my mom's side of the family. As far as I know none of my 5 siblings or I have it. We have actually been pretty healthy, so we have been very fortunate. I will continue to look into this and add more to the family health history as they are discovered.
I think this will be my last iHCPL for awhile. I've completed all my training hours for 2008.
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