Personal Health Navigator
Ovarian cancer: why does it often evade early detection?
Why does my mother have to share a hospital room with the opposite sex?
Financial aid for costly cancer drugs
Home care: getting your parent the support they need to live independently
The Question: I’m getting really worried that my mom cannot cope at home. She is 85 years old and has severe shortness of breath from bad heart failure, but she has still been able to live independently. Unfortunately, she fell while walking up the stairs 3 days ago and now has trouble standing because of …
A second opinion for a life-changing diagnosis
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: My sister was told that she has MSA atypical Parkinson’s at a Toronto hospital. We want to get a second opinion, as she cannot accept her fate. …
Waiting for a nursing home bed while in hospital
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: My Mother has been in hospital for the last five weeks after a sudden deterioration. She is not able to go home and needs 24-hour care. It …
The link between physical symptoms and psychiatric disturbances
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: I am looking for a geriatric psychiatrist. I am 77 years old and I have newly surfaced emotional problems. It started with physical symptoms, which were treated …
A patient asks: does my ancestry put me at higher risk of breast cancer?
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: I had my mammogram done last year. I also registered for a breast-screening program at a hospital. My aunt, who is my mama’s sister, died from …
When cancer spreads and standard therapy no longer works
My wife has colon cancer that has metastasized to her liver. She has been receiving cancer treatments in Winnipeg since June 2012. I understand from Biocompatibles Inc. that Ontario hospitals may offer Debiri treatments with respect to the liver. I would be grateful if you could let me know if these treatments are available and how I might be able to access them.
Waiting for pathology after a cancer diagnosis
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: I have recently been diagnosed with uterine cancer and have been told it is a “high grade.” I was referred to a surgical oncologist two weeks ago. …
Pulmonary embolism and chest pain
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: I was diagnosed with an unprovoked saddle pulmonary embolism at the end of January after three months of antibiotics, inhalers, a chest X ray and a CAT …
Failed shoulder surgery and how to get it fixed
My wife had arthroscopic surgery for a rotator cuff injury more than two years ago. Unfortunately, the surgery did not help because my wife is still experiencing severe pain intermittently. She did physiotherapy and lately she did shock wave therapy. Basically, we did everything. We want to get another opinion. Please help us on how to start.
What should I do if my father’s cancer treatment doesn’t work, a patient asks
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: My father has been diagnosed with lymphoma and has begun treatment with one round of chemotherapy so far and several medications. I was wondering if early results …
Three walk-in clinics, no family doctor and one patient with abdominal pain
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: Late one afternoon, my sister, who is in her 30s, started having bad stomach pains. She decided to wait it out a little. But, the pain persisted …
Suspicious skin lesions and melanoma
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: I suspect I have acral melanoma on my foot and I want an excision biopsy done. Most family practitioners are unaware of what it is, and they …
Blood clots and blacking out spells: are they related?
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: I am a 66-year-old male in good physical condition with great annual check-up results and not on any medication. Yet, 7 months ago, I was hospitalized after …
Which heart valve operations are covered in Canada?
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: Does OHIP cover all of the costs associated with valve replacement surgery? The Answer: The short answer is yes, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan does cover the cost …
Diagnosed with a rare cancer, a patient needs a plan
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: My Godfather was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer a couple of weeks ago. He went into hospital with stomach pain and had emergency surgery for a tumor obstructing …
A patient writes: “I am dead inside.” when a mental health issue requires a second opinion
The Personal Health Navigator is available to all Canadian patients. Questions about your doctor, hospital or how to navigate the health care system can be sent to AskLisa@Sunnybrook.ca The Question: I am a man who suffers from severe depression. I seem to be medication resistant, as I have tried many. They work for a while and then …