Tags
Australia, Birmingham, Class action, DePuy, Food & Drug Administration, Hip Replacement, Johnson, Senate
“Where to from here?”
I have spent a great deal of time contemplating this weekend as you may have seen from my most recent comment! I was asked to sit down and consider my compensation claim to be put to Johnson and Johnson De Puy and I found it not quite the liberating experience I thought it might be. Mainly because I like many others would be doing so and thinking: “This is my life, my damaged body and my uncertain future!”
This process did however prompt me to go back over the last 18 months or so and consider all that has happened, the amazing people I have had the honour to meet, I have realised what is was for so long that many of my patients used to describe to me as the ‘medical merry-go-round”, and above all else, I have realised just how dangerous a faulty device, that was blindly approved for use, installed by surgeons who were either ill-informed or ignorant to it’s risks, is to the poor patients who have been unfortunate enough to receive these devices.
To those who are unaware, the 2 biggest class actions here in Australia have combined (Shine Law Firm and Maurice Blackburn Legal Firm) and now we all just have to wait and see what Johnson & Johnson De Puy decide to do! I also feel for those who have received a Birmingham or any other metal on metal implant as I believe that more and more evidence is coming to the surface about just how risky this technology is to those who have had it installed in their bodies. I hope that all of you have been given some opportunity to seek re-course if you have had your health adversely effected in any way. I would implore all of you to keep seeking advice, keep asking questions and please don’t be afraid to have it removed if you are concerned in any way.
I have had the pleasure of meeting people like Bob Lugton and others who all continue to suffer each and every day from either the after effects of their original implant or the supposed correction surgery that has either failed or was so complex that their bodies will never be the same. It is because of people like Bob and others that I will continue to speak up and let as many people as I can know about the damage and distress that these devices have caused.
We have now had the results of the Senate inquiry handed down, a handy amount of media interest in it and the issues that were behind its formation and of course the class actions continue. We need to keep this issue in front of the public, if you are asked about it don’t be afraid to speak up, if you are not sure or worried, you can always refer any one interested to those of us who have been a part of the process and the media for a while. Please be assured that this is not going to go away, everyone should realise that the health issues related to these implants are only going to get worse until the medical fraternity realise that desperate research and medical funding is going to need to be poured into looking after the health of those of us effected sooner rather than later.
I hope that all of you have a good week, that the pain is bearable, any little wins you have are celebrated and above all else, don’t give up!!
Stuart Cain
Hello, I’m a family doctor in Dallas TX and there are vital key bits of information that is left out to the equation related to pain syndrome … All Pain Syndromes!
1. Pain rarely is caused by the joint proper. It is caused by the supporting structures.
2. All non-surgical pain (Not cancer or infectious) is treatable … >>90% treatable!
3. The treatment process is as natural as the repair of a cut or broken bone. Safe, effective, permanent and without side effects.
4. The treatment process is thousands of years old but formalized in the modern era by Janet G. Travell, M.D., George Stuart Hackett, M.D., C. Chan Gunn, M.D., David G. Simons and many other respected pioneers in pain therapy. I am not sure why these great protocols are ignored but I will continue to be an advocate for the truth in medicine.
5. If pain and limited range of motion are still an issue post joint or spinal surgery the muscle tissues are the culprit and must be treated.
6. Find a local myofasical therapist be it an MD or a massage person and get started with the cure.
7. Another prosthesis will not cure or fix this issue related to your pain.
8. Steroid in a joint will cause the structures to melt and self repair will halt. The joint will then deteriorate.
9. Oh — yes! If in the act of joint surgery the scalpel blade just happens to cut the culprit muscles, the overall post op results will be much better.
Dr. Rodrigues
Dear Dr Rodrigues,
With all due respect.
Thank you for your reply, I always appreciate the input of medical professionals who can assist the hundred thousand or so patients and myself who are currently or will inevitably be suffering as a result of MOM prosthesis implants. I do have to ask, do you treat any patients who have found themselves in these situations with Cobalt/Chrommium poisoning, failed joint replacements or the resultant necrosis (bone and soft tissue) as a result of the breakdown of the ASR or associated implants?
I also appreciate your input on pain syndromes, they are certainly very individual and unfortunately often the medical professions response is to use narcotic or NSAID drug therapies. Many of the experts that I have spoken to also believe that for those of us who have had multiple joint replacements, tissue damage or loss due to metalosis causing necrosis and the resultant muscle and nerve trauma caused by the incisions required to carry out these surgeries often make the management of pain even more difficult. I am led to believe that Myofascial Therapy is a combination of stretching and massage, I would also appreciate it, as I am sure many others would, if you would share more information on this.
To give you an idea, I have unfortunately had to take narcotic pain relief lately due to ‘faulty’ bands that are holding my femur together, having lifted off the bone and they are now cutting into the many other structures around the femur. In my recovery from surgery however I have utilised a combination of natural therapies such as Omega oils, Glucosamine/Chrondoitin/Boron capsules, Spirulina, Rose Hip Extract, Calcium supplements and Green Lip Muscle Extract. I also have had the assistance of a very talented Physiotherapist who has utilised Pilates, acupuncture and dry needling and massage to try to get the muscles all ‘back where they should be and doing what they should do’.
So, I can honestly say that I have tried a number of options to treat this pain before I turned to Pharmaceutical medication. A key argument I would have with you is around your claim about >90% of pain being treatable, I find it hard to believe when we have the need for acute and chronic pain clinics in the medical world today. I hope you are right and would be more than happy to be proven wrong. Unfortunately for myself and the many patients I have spoken too around pain issues in particular, in these particular situations (I mean particularly around failed replacements, deteriorating prosthesis’ and the subsequent metallosis based issues) are not out of any medical text book, they are often as a result of previously unthought of causes and there is now a real need for urgent research to be carried out into the health complications, not just pain that they will cause.
I would appreciate your thoughts and as always respect the opinions of others as presented.
Stuart Cain, Nurse Educator, Master of Cancer Nursing
Chronic pain is a complex issues but there is a way out of the chaos.
I began with the deep brain trauma caused by the pain by addressing effected sleep patterns. Disrupted sleep will cause anxiety, lower back pain, headaches, agitation, GI upset, concentration issues.
If each of these issues are treated independently with pharmaceuticals the side effects will multiply. Mass confusion is the result.
ie
1. Pain medicine cause pain plus misery as side effects in some patients.
2. Sleep meds cause sleep disturbance which will escalate misery.
If the original muscular imbalance was not addressed associated with the joint then that imbalance will degenerate the artificial joint also. This alignment issue has to be corrected.
Dry needling and acupuncture are valuable tools but in deep seated stale tissues those thin flexible needles will bounce off dense tissues. You have to go in with a hypodermic needles (22-27 gauge) and break up the tight muscle bands to trigger the healing process and soften the muscles.
I have a notes I can email to you to get a better idea of the treatment process gathered from many respected authors.
Dr Rod.
Dear Dr Rodrigues,
I would greatlt appreciate any thoughts or information that you are able to share, as I suspect many others in this case would. I can certainly relate to the disrupted sleep patterns as I am suffering greatly through this at the moment whilst trying to maintain the ability to work. I have avoided the use of any sleep medications as they tend to cause me to feel a ‘hangover’ in the following day, so I would appreciate any solution that doesn’t involve medication. I have looked in to the availability of any Myofascial therapists in my area, should I be looking for particular qualifications in the field? Please let me know and I will certainly look at my options in this area. Thank you again for your advice and I look forward to sharing this with others!
Regards, Stuart
I would like very much to thank you for telling me & all concerned. if you read Earl’s view ( Howard Sadwin ) you will see I, like yourself have had my life swept from under my feet. However, I find myself becomming an activist, as you will see should you read my story and my comments. Life is too precious to have destroyed by the negligence of the medical device world, as I refer to it.
I am determined to see this never happens again to anyone again. Market share,finances, the rate of return to the investor can’t supercede our quality of life.
If you are inclined please contact me or 941 924 1921.
The more activist thinking people involved the stronger our case becomes. I have been corresponding with people from USA, UK., Austrtalia, New Zealand. Including attorneys.
Respectfully
Howard Sadwin
Hi Howard,
Thank you for your reply, I will contact you in the next 24 hours via email, I have read a little of your story but would very much like to know more. I have been a vocal critic of the Johnson and Johnson / De Puy companies here in Australia since I became an unwilling participant in their little game! I agree with your sentiments whole heartedly and think that it is indeed possible for a few ‘patients’ to make a real difference in the corporate world!! I look forward to speaking with you further.
Kind Regards,
Stuart Cain
Stuart, my comments to your 2/23/2012 keep returning to me.
Help, Howard Sadwin ( )
Stuart
Stuart, I keep getting e-mails sent back to me ?
Help. Howard
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