November 11th marks a full month since my son Max gave me a new lease on life by donating a kidney. I am pleased to report that Max has largely recovered, and is back to most activities. As for me, things are coming along quite well. The doctors at the Yale-New Haven Transplantation Center are extremely pleased with my kidney function, and with my reaction (or lack thereof) to the handsful of meds that I’m taking. I am driving again, though since I’m not supposed to be out in public, I really have no place to go. I’m getting a bit of exercise, including a start back on my stationary bike (though without any pressure). My energy level is almost back to where it should be.
After several years of writing about telemedicine and telehealth, I’ve now finally gotten an opportunity to take part, doing my first video clinic. While I feel it’s a little primitive, it actually worked quite well. I used an iPad and a video chat link that’s in the MyChart App provided by Yale-New Haven Hospital. Because the video goes through the app and not through a program like Skype or Facetime, you are assured of HIPAA-level privacy.
In most ways, the visit was much like any of my regular clinic visits. Instead of them taking my vital signs, I took my own and read them off. Though I admit to some frustration that my whole system of wireless health devices from Philips will talk to my iPhone but will not let me transmit them to my clinicians (Philips says it hopes to build in that capability, but the company won’t say when).
We reviewed my meds, then I used the camera to show off my incision (I’ll spare you the graphics). We discussed changes in my condition and meds. The only thing that couldn’t be done was the stethoscope to check my heart and lungs.
Overall, the entire process took about twenty minutes. That saved me a 45 minute drive each way to New Haven, as well as the time spent in the waiting room. Put me in the column that really likes video clinic visits. It will be even easier when the wireless devices can report automatically. Still unresolved – how do you do blood work remotely?
November is Diabetes Awareness month, and I remind you that much of adult onset diabetes (type II) can be prevented with good diet and exercise habits. And that would spare hundreds of thousands of people from irreversible kidney damage. And if you do have the early stages of diabetes, don’t dismiss it. The disease just doesn’t go away, it will just get worse. We’ll have more on diabetes prevention next week.
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