Caring for Others while needing care too...Joint Replacement

Welcome to my blog

Bruno Patel, is a Family Medicine Physician and Hospitalist from North Carolina with years of both outpatient and inpatient experience. As a teenager, I knew that I wanted to become a physician and care for others. Inspired by my father and aunt who were both nurses, I achieved my dream, and have been practicing medicine for many years in the United States and overseas. Along the way, I have learn few things that I feel can help others.

How an early life accident changed my life, and put me on this path...

As a teenager, I had a muscle injury while playing soccer. Unfortunately, it did not get the attention and care it deserved, and led to avascular necrosis (AVN) and arthritis of the hip, years of chronic pain, and ultimately required a hip replacement. For those who have never heard of AVN, it is a debilitating condition that affects most people in their thirties and forties, as a result of an interruption of blood flow to a portion of femoral head. Over time, the head collapses, leading to arthritis and associated pain, and often this requires surgery due to late diagnosis. However, living with the pain changed my perspective and approach at a personal level, but made me a better provider.

A physician does not and cannot explain everything, and needs help too. I believe that my patients know their bodies better because I also knew how I felt. During this process, I found myself researching my signs and symptoms, self-diagnosing, and considering my options. I went though physical therapy, weight loss, pain medications, and even considered alternative type of care to which I had never given a thought. Throughout this process, I discovered the existence of diverse and overwhelming source of information, and misinformation, and often with words requiring explanations. This gave me the motivation while laying in surgery recovery bed, to start a blog that would provide simple and consistent information. Every subject related to healthcare, wellness, and nutrition will be discussed in this blog as we grow. Feel free to make suggestion and ask questions about topic of interest.