Time and health — two of life’s most precious commodities that
often aren’t appreciated until they are gone.
When 84-year-old Virginia Torney realized time was passing and her health
seemed to be rapidly declining, she reached out to Hoag for help.
Torney felt off-balance and unstable.
The everyday things she enjoyed, such as yoga and long walks with friends,
became more difficult. Her general practitioner chalked up the changes
in her movement to age, but that answer wasn’t good enough for Torney.
“I just felt like something was not right,” she said. “It
bothered me.”
Through Hoag’s community education outreach efforts, Torney found
Sandeep Thakkar, D.O., program director of Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute’s
Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Program.
At their first meeting, Dr. Thakkar diagnosed Torney with
Parkinson’s disease and immediately put her on a proactive treatment plan.
At
Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute, patients benefit from a collaborative approach from world-class physicians
who are leaders in their field and acutely knowledgeable of the best practices
to treat neurological diseases and disorders.
A quick and accurate diagnosis, a comprehensive treatment plan, and the
benefit of choosing from a variety of surgical or medical options is the
hallmark of subspecialty care.
Just as the brain is the most complex organ in the body, the science of
studying it, understanding it and caring for it is equally multiplex.
Hoag’s Neurosciences team includes physicians who specialize in
memory and cognitive disorders,
sleep medicine and
epilepsy. Others have sharpened their skills in treating
movement disorders,
brain tumors,
pituitary tumors,
stroke,
Multiple Sclerosis,
back pain,
addiction and
headache.
“Being a part of a team of physicians with a fine-tuned focus into
various areas of neuroscience ensures our patients receive academic-level
care in a clinical setting,” said Dr. Thakkar, who serves patients
at Hoag’s Newport Beach and Irvine campuses. “This kind of
specialized approach goes well beyond the standard of care, but it is
our standard of care here at Hoag.”
Torney is now seeing first-hand how seeking out a subspecialist impacts
quality of care and, more importantly, quality of life.
She is experiencing less pain and hopes to continue the progress she is
making to again enjoy some of the things she loves most.
In working with Dr. Thakkar, Torney is realizing there are ways to hang
on to life’s most precious commodities.
“It is so important to find the right kind of doctors for whatever
illness or ailment you might be battling,” Torney said. “Find
the experts. Find the best. It will make all the difference in your care.
I am so thankful my journey led me to Dr. Thakkar.”
Dr. Thakkar is giving her more time to fight off the effects of Parkinson’s
and he is restoring her health in the process.
Living healthier, longer — Torney knows how to appreciate that.
For more information, call 888-425-1992.