Saratoga News

Letters

Local hospital has educational resources

We have a wonderful educational resource at Los Gatos Community Hospital. We don't often think of a hospital as a place to get information, but we think of it as a health care provider. Providing the public with information is providing a significant part of "health care."

I recently saw an orthopedic surgeon regarding a pain in my hip, leg and back. He told me I would need a hip replacement because the cartilage was gone in my right hip. He was simple and direct. I was relieved that it was not a tumor or bone cancer, and I thought I'd wait it out. Maybe the pain would go away. It did not.

I saw another doctor for a second opinion. He said that I had back problems and recommended extensive tests. I tried anti-inflammatory medications, but the pain got worse. I was confused.

It was then that I saw an ad for Los Gatos Community Hospital's free seminars for people with arthritis and joint problems. I attended a session on hip and knee pain. It was professional and easily understandable. They showed "good" and "bad" X-rays, so that having seen mine, I had a basis for comparison. They described general pain and discomfort symptoms, what stop-gap measures one might try and what solutions were medically possible. They finally advised what personal considerations a patient could make in deciding if surgery might be the solution.

I then discovered the Medical Resource Facility of Los Gatos, a nonprofit library, at the hospital. Kenneth Willer, the director, provided me with a wide variety of literature, much of it in simple, nonprofessional language. I found enough information that I felt comfortable with my decision to consult a surgeon about a hip replacement.

I am presently recuperating from my surgery and am sure that I made a good decision. I wish that my doctors had spent more time educating me, but I am so grateful for the two resources at Los Gatos Community Hospital. I was able to educate myself enough that I could make an informed decision. I would recommend that doctors send their patients to these two resources, and that patients take advantage of these resources. The hospital offers seminars on many health subjects, and the library is open to medical professionals and the public.

Luanne Nieman
Padero Court