Archive for category General

I am excited to announce the addition Dr. Michael Kokat to my practice. Dr. Kokat has decided to join my growing Podiatry practice after working for Milwaukee Orthopedic Specialists for a few years. He has experience diagnosing and treating all foot and ankle conditions. He has a particular interest in helping Diabetic patients from the risk of amputations. Besides his excellent skills, Dr. Kokat also brings a friendly demeanor and compassion to the practice. Outside of Podiatry Dr. Kokat enjoys the outdoors and spending as much free time as possible with his 6 year old son Luke.

Every now and then one of my patients will tell me about a foot problem that prompted them to see a doctor. Now, this could even be a person I have treated on several occasions. As they’re telling me the story, I am wondering why they didn’t come to me for that problem. Usually, it’s a condition I have treated hundreds of times. When they finished explaining what happened, I ask why they went elsewhere. Often the answer is, “I didn’t know you treated that problem”.

I once assumed all of my patients knew everything I treated. Not anymore. How could you know I do bunion surgery when you have been seeing me for heel pain. I really feel bad when someone sees another doctor for a condition I treat and they get misdiagnosed or mistreated. This mostly happens when seeing a doctor other than a Podiatrist for a foot problem.

I will never claim to know everything about the foot and ankle, but I have treated almost every condition of the foot and ankle. No, I am not trying to drum up more business. I have two main reasons for steering you to a Podiatrist for all foot and ankle conditions.

First, non-specialists can miss even the easiest diagnoses. They do their best but are not trained to handle most foot problems. This is most evident when going to an Urgent Care clinic or an Emergency Room. The doctors in these settings do not see enough foot conditions to develop a proficiency in treating them.

The second reason I am writing about this is to help save you money. A visit to an Urgent Care or Emergency Room can double or triple your cost compared to being seen in the office. Most foot and ankle injuries can wait a day or two. Follow the R.I.C.E. principle of Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. So, waiting a day to see a specialist won’t just increase your chances of being diagnosed and treated correctly, it will also save you money.

Common Conditions Treated Here

Heel Pain
Ankle Sprains
Warts
Gout
Bunions
Foot Injuries
Fungus of Nails
Diabetic Feet
Corns & Calluses
Ingrown Nails Flat Feet
Hammertoes

Georgianna Baughn and her daughter Aubrey Krzynski won the Summer Referral Contest at our office and scored a brand new Apple iPad. Congratulations to all the patients that referred friends over the summer and had a chance at the iPad.

Thank you all for your continued support of my practice. It means more to me than you know.

1. Women’s symptoms of heart attack can be different than men’s: Although chest pain can occur in women, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea, pressure of fullness in the upper abdomen, and heartburn that doesn’t go ways after taking antacids often signal women’s heart attacks.

2. Birth control pills increase the risk of heart disease and stroke in women who smoke. It is smart to evaluate your birth control options with a physician.

3. Women’s risk for heart disease increases after menopause. by age 60, their risk is equal to men’s.

4. An HDL (healthy cholesterol) number of 50 or higher, and total cholesterol less than 200 is optimum. Regular exercise and not smoking can help raise HDZ>. Weight loss and diet help lower bad (LDL) cholesterol.

5. A waist size greater that 35 inches increases a woman’s risk for heart disease (it is 40 inches for men).

6. The safe amount of alcohol is only one drink per day wore women, compared to two for men.

7. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, even though breast cancer is the disease they fear most.