General Medical issues thread

[straitman]

2 hours ago we made the decision to have our dog Lucy put to everlasting sleep.

After a quiet weekend with no walks but a wonderful day at a beach near Scarborough with a couple of hundred photos, we took her to the vet this morning.

He did the exploratory surgery to assess the mass that was seen in her spleen on the ultrasound done on Friday (after a normal 6 month senior dog check up). He operated at 11:30 and rang us to advise that the mass had also invaded the aortic valve and was inoperable.

We had already made the agonizing decision that if it was a negative outcome with little chance of quality or quantity of life to euthanize her whilst she was under.
Still it didn’t make the decision any less heartbreaking when we had to jointly say the words.

Sleep in peace my faithful walking companion. Life is not going to be the same - no licks, cuddles or just lying beside us. Both my wife and I are feeling so empty but in a couple of days she’ll be back with us next to our other dog Bella.

Looks like I’ll have to start riding my bike for my exercise.

RIP Lucy - we loved you so much and you bought so much joy to our family.

View attachment 122622

So sorry QF WP.

We know the feeling and feel the pain with you.

 

[JohnK]

Not usual. Its just one. And it varies each year. So past immunisation is irrelevant.

The jab costs $10 at our local pharmac_. Faster than going to the GP.

Yes I know flu vaccine varies each year. I can get my flu vaccine free. The local pharmac_ has the flu vaccine at $19.99 and don't recall seeing anything cheaper. Don't need Medicare card. I wouldn't take wife to doctor as I'd then need to pay for consultation as well as vaccine.

 

[Milboo]

I’m so sorry QF WP - My heart goes out to you - even though it was the right thing for Lucy, it doesn’t make it any easier. Sounds like she went surrounded by love and knowing she was loved.

Another star joins the sky tonight. Rest easy Lucy.

 

[VPS]

2 hours ago we made the decision to have our dog Lucy put to everlasting sleep.

After a quiet weekend with no walks but a wonderful day at a beach near Scarborough with a couple of hundred photos, we took her to the vet this morning.

He did the exploratory surgery to assess the mass that was seen in her spleen on the ultrasound done on Friday (after a normal 6 month senior dog check up). He operated at 11:30 and rang us to advise that the mass had also invaded the aortic valve and was inoperable.

We had already made the agonizing decision that if it was a negative outcome with little chance of quality or quantity of life to euthanize her whilst she was under.
Still it didn’t make the decision any less heartbreaking when we had to jointly say the words.

Sleep in peace my faithful walking companion. Life is not going to be the same - no licks, cuddles or just lying beside us. Both my wife and I are feeling so empty but in a couple of days she’ll be back with us next to our other dog Bella.

Looks like I’ll have to start riding my bike for my exercise.

RIP Lucy - we loved you so much and you bought so much joy to our family.

View attachment 122622

Like isn't really appropriate. I know the feeling - hugs to all

 

[love_the_life]

2 hours ago we made the decision to have our dog Lucy put to everlasting sleep.

After a quiet weekend with no walks but a wonderful day at a beach near Scarborough with a couple of hundred photos, we took her to the vet this morning.

He did the exploratory surgery to assess the mass that was seen in her spleen on the ultrasound done on Friday (after a normal 6 month senior dog check up). He operated at 11:30 and rang us to advise that the mass had also invaded the aortic valve and was inoperable.

We had already made the agonizing decision that if it was a negative outcome with little chance of quality or quantity of life to euthanize her whilst she was under.
Still it didn’t make the decision any less heartbreaking when we had to jointly say the words.

Sleep in peace my faithful walking companion. Life is not going to be the same - no licks, cuddles or just lying beside us. Both my wife and I are feeling so empty but in a couple of days she’ll be back with us next to our other dog Bella.

Looks like I’ll have to start riding my bike for my exercise.

RIP Lucy - we loved you so much and you bought so much joy to our family.

View attachment 122622

So sorry to hear this QF WP. She sounded a wonderful and loyal family member and there will be a big hole in your lives.

 

[Flying mermaid]

2 hours ago we made the decision to have our dog Lucy put to everlasting sleep.

After a quiet weekend with no walks but a wonderful day at a beach near Scarborough with a couple of hundred photos, we took her to the vet this morning.

He did the exploratory surgery to assess the mass that was seen in her spleen on the ultrasound done on Friday (after a normal 6 month senior dog check up). He operated at 11:30 and rang us to advise that the mass had also invaded the aortic valve and was inoperable.

We had already made the agonizing decision that if it was a negative outcome with little chance of quality or quantity of life to euthanize her whilst she was under.
Still it didn’t make the decision any less heartbreaking when we had to jointly say the words.

Sleep in peace my faithful walking companion. Life is not going to be the same - no licks, cuddles or just lying beside us. Both my wife and I are feeling so empty but in a couple of days she’ll be back with us next to our other dog Bella.

Looks like I’ll have to start riding my bike for my exercise.

RIP Lucy - we loved you so much and you bought so much joy to our family.

View attachment 122622

so sad

 

[JohnK]

Our Dr has said to wait until early May for the new vaccine and definitely don’t have the one currently availabile from the chemists.

Sounds like good advice. Would need to make sure the pharmac_ has the latest vaccine in stock.

Remember that Flu vaccines have a finite life so the earlier you get it the earlier the immunity runs out.

I'm a little confused. Doesn't the flu vaccine provide immunity against those strains for life?

 

[blackcat20]

I'm a little confused. Doesn't the flu vaccine provide immunity against those strains for life?

My understanding is the vaccine wears off over a period of months, which is why they are asking people not to get it too early this year.

 

[Pushka]

Sounds like good advice. Would need to make sure the pharmac_ has the latest vaccine in stock.


I'm a little confused. Doesn't the flu vaccine provide immunity against those strains for life?

There is frequent mutation. Making a vaccine ineffective. A very clever organism indeed.

 

[QF WP]

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. Yesterday afternoon was filled with jobs around the house so we had little time to stop and think. But everytime we did, there were waterworks. It was such as strange feeling not to go walking this morning, the house feels empty and there are so many daily events that we did with Lucy, it's going to take some time to brake those habits. Had to vaccuum the house this morning to clear away all her hair and go through all her dog beds, treats and see what we can give away and what to store. The local dog walking community will know by now from our Facebook post and I'm going to have to face them at some stage. Not going to be easy, I'll admit.

Lucy has given us the final piece of the puzzle - time to renovate and sell our house, then move to the next chapter of our lives (closer to secondary school for our kids). But first, she was allowing us to go on our holiday to USA in June/July guilt free. Once we do all that, maybe it will be time to think about another dog - a smaller one.

 

[blackcat20]

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. Yesterday afternoon was filled with jobs around the house so we had little time to stop and think. But everytime we did, there were waterworks. It was such as strange feeling not to go walking this morning, the house feels empty and there are so many daily events that we did with Lucy, it's going to take some time to brake those habits. Had to vaccuum the house this morning to clear away all her hair and go through all her dog beds, treats and see what we can give away and what to store. The local dog walking community will know by now from our Facebook post and I'm going to have to face them at some stage. Not going to be easy, I'll admit.

Lucy has given us the final piece of the puzzle - time to renovate and sell our house, then move to the next chapter of our lives (closer to secondary school for our kids). But first, she was allowing us to go on our holiday to USA in June/July guilt free. Once we do all that, maybe it will be time to think about another dog - a smaller one.

Its really tough when theyre gone, you have my sympathies. When Millie died I would cry at even the briefest thought of her for around 6 months or so. It gets easier to look back at all the happy things with a little less sadness.

 

[Pushka]

I know that I’m going to get into trouble on Thursday with my 6 month Rheumatolgist appointment. Maybe. She’s very good. When I developed the DVT the Hospital went into overdrive trying to find the cause. Rip off HRT even though I’d been on it for years. Thyroid - has been underactive (bloody autoimmune system) and treated since my twenties and was on 175 daily dose. TSH ‘over’ suppressed so dose down even though the functional T3 and T4 were in mid range. 12 months later (this time last year) love_the_life will attest to the fact I wasn’t well, all I wanted to do was sleep. In Sept my TSH rose awfully and Rheumatologst said it was highest she’d ever seen (Not in a good way) and put me on rotating dose of thyroxine of 200/175. So I stayed on that for 4 months (Christmas) but not really working for me (we do get to know what is right for us! And not go on Lab results totally. ). So I bumped dosage back to 200 mg daily. For about 6 weeks now. Do I feel normal? Hell yeah. I’ve just painted the major room upstairs and organised for the laundry to be retiled and have just painted that too.

Thursday off to the specialists. She will examine me and find paint spots - everywhere. I think. I’ve given up wearing gloves as I sweated so much and got really hot. It is 36 in Adelaide currently and I’m basically painting in the roof! I’m hoping she will treat symptomatically and not by blood test results. And at least my fingernails are growing again. But have lost half of my eyebrows because the GP panicked and reduced my dose ‘because that’s what the lab tests show’. But they only use one measure not the other two, that were normal.

A funny incident yesterday. I went into a Tile place and the lovely person there was on her own and said her work mate, who was over 60 had injured himself - she said, at his age he shouldn’t be doing heavy lifting. I’d just lugged a 20 kilo bag of some cement stuff over to the counter. I just smiled. She looked and said, ah, how old are you? I told her and she took care of everything for me.

 

[drron]

Sounds like you are on the right dose.

 

[JohnK]

My understanding is the vaccine wears off over a period of months, which is why they are asking people not to get it too early this year.

Interesting indeed. I knew about viruses mutating but no idea that the flu vaccine wears off.

I think I'll wait until May.

 

[blackcat20]

Interesting indeed. I knew about viruses mutating but no idea that the flu vaccine wears off.

I think I'll wait until May.

From online:

In most of Australia, the peak flu season usually runs from August to September.


But the flu vaccine produces a relatively short-lived immune response, about 6-12 months after vaccination. This is because the flu vaccine produces a weaker immune response than being infected.


How long it provides protection probably depends on the patient (some studies show elderly patients have a shorter immune response) and the virus (some influenza subtypes elicit a stronger immune response than others).


So there is some concern that if people are vaccinated too early in the year, their immune response might be starting to decline just when it is needed.

 

[love_the_life]

From online:

BC how is the cream going? Only a couple of weeks left of treatment?

 

[love_the_life]

I know that I’m going to get into trouble on Thursday with my 6 month Rheumatolgist appointment. Maybe. She’s very good. When I developed the DVT the Hospital went into overdrive trying to find the cause. Rip off HRT even though I’d been on it for years. Thyroid - has been underactive (bloody autoimmune system) and treated since my twenties and was on 175 daily dose. TSH ‘over’ suppressed so dose down even though the functional T3 and T4 were in mid range. 12 months later (this time last year) love_the_life will attest to the fact I wasn’t well, all I wanted to do was sleep. In Sept my TSH rose awfully and Rheumatologst said it was highest she’d ever seen (Not in a good way) and put me on rotating dose of thyroxine of 200/175. So I stayed on that for 4 months (Christmas) but not really working for me (we do get to know what is right for us! And not go on Lab results totally. ). So I bumped dosage back to 200 mg daily. For about 6 weeks now. Do I feel normal? Hell yeah. I’ve just painted the major room upstairs and organised for the laundry to be retiled and have just painted that too.

Thursday off to the specialists. She will examine me and find paint spots - everywhere. I think. I’ve given up wearing gloves as I sweated so much and got really hot. It is 36 in Adelaide currently and I’m basically painting in the roof! I’m hoping she will treat symptomatically and not by blood test results. And at least my fingernails are growing again. But have lost half of my eyebrows because the GP panicked and reduced my dose ‘because that’s what the lab tests show’. But they only use one measure not the other two, that were normal.

A funny incident yesterday. I went into a Tile place and the lovely person there was on her own and said her work mate, who was over 60 had injured himself - she said, at his age he shouldn’t be doing heavy lifting. I’d just lugged a 20 kilo bag of some cement stuff over to the counter. I just smiled. She looked and said, ah, how old are you? I told her and she took care of everything for me.

Ah I thought you were due for another rheumi appointment. Good luck!
Perhaps you could wear white gloves and a hat and carry a handbag over your arm, like in the 60s! That will cover up the paint spots.

 

[Pushka]

Ah I thought you were due for another rheumi appointment. Good luck!
Perhaps you could wear white gloves and a hat and carry a handbag over your arm, like in the 60s! That will cover up the point spots.

I have super glue stuck on my thumb. I was thinking of wearing a bandaid

 

[blackcat20]

BC how is the cream going? Only a couple of weeks left of treatment?

Week four this week, so just over two weeks to go. Spot seems to be fading and no ill effects that I can see. The occasional itch but that could just be absent minded scratching.

 

[Pushka]

I didn’t get into trouble at the Rheumi appointment today . In fact the opposite. My TSH is still way too high (blood test just before I increased dose) so I am vindicated. @drron probably on correct dose now and will retest in a month.

Also received medication for Raynaulds in my hands (fingers turn deathly white) which happens daily but only bothers me when I get cold. So winter will kick that off again. Mitten girl will return.

ANA still up so still auto immune stuff happening.
But all else is fine for the next 6 months.

And yes, she laughed at the paint in my hair. Fingers. Toes. Well, I scrubbed but clearly not well enough.