General Medical issues thread

Pushka said:
That's interesting. The only thing that consoled me when I woke during the night was that the pain was right sided so I knew it wasn't a heart attack or angina.
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Sorry Pushka angina or a heart attack doesn't always have classical symptoms.I remember 2 cases very well when the diagnosis wasn't obvious.
First was way back in 1970 when a young man who had finished a first grade rugby league game an hour before presented to ED with back pain-between the scapulae.As I was examining him a nurse came by and asked if there was anyone that she could do an ECG on.The young fellow immediately volunteered.The ECG showed his heart attack.He ended up having a bypass at the age of 26.

The second case was a woman of 40.That first incident meant that I was very wary of heart disease.She had a lot of risk factors for heart disease.She presented with pain in her right elbow.The ED was a shambles with a couple of MVAs so I sent her to the ICU to get an ECG.As the nurse was doing it she had a cardiac arrest.But she was in the right place and the nurses were excellent.
 
drron said:
Sorry Pushka angina or a heart attack doesn't always have classical symptoms.I remember 2 cases very well when the diagnosis wasn't obvious.
First was way back in 1970 when a young man who had finished a first grade rugby league game an hour before presented to ED with back pain-between the scapulae.As I was examining him a nurse came by and asked if there was anyone that she could do an ECG on.The young fellow immediately volunteered.The ECG showed his heart attack.He ended up having a bypass at the age of 26.

The second case was a woman of 40.That first incident meant that I was very wary of heart disease.She had a lot of risk factors for heart disease.She presented with pain in her right elbow.The ED was a shambles with a couple of MVAs so I sent her to the ICU to get an ECG.As the nurse was doing it she had a cardiac arrest.But she was in the right place and the nurses were excellent.
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Last year I walked the 1.5km to my mechanics to collect my car. His wife said I couldn't take it because she was calling an ambulance. I'd been in pain the whole way so i didn't argue. I was admitted at the local hospital and next morning the cardiologist entered my room and introduced himself and his 2 attendings (is that what they call them?). He announced himself, "Good morning Mr prozac. Good news you don't have any heart issues and I'd be happy if you went home today". He was taken aback with my response. "So it's not my heart", "No" . "Then what is it?" "I don't know", "Well I'm not going anywhere until you do know!" For 4 days he told me I had reflux and I'd tell him I had a heart blockage. After 4 days I discharged myself. On the Monday I called my cardio who by then was back at work having returned from a conference in US. Next day he did an angio which indicated my (then) 3 stents were 90plus percent blocked.
Now 7 angio's, a dissected LAD and a by-pass later ...
 
VPS said:
Not sure how bad it is but I was told 10 years ago after an arthroscopy that I would need a new knee in 4-5 years but I've kept going mainly due to Pilates and this program Information for Participants - GLA:D AU YMMV
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It seems the meniscus and cartilage in my right knee is stuffed so unfortunately Pilates and exercise is not much use. A TENS device is useful but won’t cure it.
 
I walk in a hydrotherapy pool with some stretches and it is a wall of warm water I am pushing against. The water lowers my body weight so I find I am not wearing out my knees , feet nor ankles. I am hoping to avoid knee replacements with 8 or 9 hours of exercise. So far so good.
Lots of folks come to our pool after having hip or knee surgery.
 
TheRealTMA said:
Anyone had knee replacements? What are limitations afterwards?
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Friend has had two - both done at once after a failed recon. He is doing just great now. Girlfriend had one two weeks ago and first four weeks are the worst then better. Neighbour is having one done in 2 weeks after failed arthroscopy.
 
IMo.. many tkrs happen because the owners are seeking comfort.. only to find that the recovery process exceeds their physical capacity .
I see a lot of folks who were not particularly mobile prior, fall in a heap and never return to their pre operation capacity.
Others, often fitter lighter and more disciplined, are up and off quickly.
Booking intense and continuing physio post op seems to be one way to get up and going quickly.
I was sold a pkr 25 years ago but elected to put up with the knee I had, it is still complaining and I am still not listening…...
 
tgh said:
IMo.. many tkrs happen because the owners are seeking comfort.. only to find that the recovery process exceeds their physical capacity .
I see a lot of folks who were not particularly mobile prior, fall in a heap and never return to their pre operation capacity.
Others, often fitter lighter and more disciplined, are up and off quickly.
Booking intense and continuing physio post op seems to be one way to get up and going quickly.
I was sold a pkr 25 years ago but elected to put up with the knee I had, it is still complaining and I am still not listening…...
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My God (surgeon) has emphasised that and is not in any hurry and has given me exercises (mainly in pool but nit warm enough yet). Problem is MrsTMA who also has sore knees has to do most of the walking chores around the house. Not fair on her really when I sit in lounge and call for another glass of red.:)
 
I had the advantage of observing all the orthopods on the Coast.I chose the one who was the most careful.Basically I was back to normal activity in 3 weeks.I remain fitter than I was prior to the surgery.
Not everyone is so lucky..
 
If one has relatively low mobility and the commensurate poor muscle tone , a tkr is always likely to be challenging.
Surgeons are sales optimists…listen carefully to the real message….
If I was to have a knee done , I would load up on pain killers and crucify whatever cartilage is left in the joint with exercise to build some tendon memory and muscle tone before the op. Even heavy steroi_ injections would be considered.. anything to get the ancillary apparatus into some level of capacity.
I sometimes see a very overweight neighbour recovering after his op , some months have gone by and he is still hobbling very gingerly with a stick.
He was obese and immobile prior ,and nothing has changed .. except perhaps his pain levels.
A friend had two done together, an aged but tall lithe female who had intense post op physio and now leads a fairly normal life.
 
tgh said:
If one has relatively low mobility and the commensurate poor muscle tone , a tkr is always likely to be challenging.
Surgeons are sales optimists…listen carefully to the real message….
If I was to have a knee done , I would load up on pain killers and crucify whatever cartilage is left in the joint with exercise to build some tendon memory and muscle tone before the op. Even heavy steroi_ injections would be considered.. anything to get the ancillary apparatus into some level of capacity.
I sometimes see a very overweight neighbour recovering after his op , some months have gone by and he is still hobbling very gingerly with a stick.
He was obese and immobile prior ,and nothing has changed .. except perhaps his pain levels.
A friend had two done together, an aged but tall lithe female who had intense post op physio and now leads a fairly normal life.
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Surgeon won’t consider a knee replacement within 6 months of cortisone injections because of risk. Seems sensible and precocious precautious to me.
 
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I have no idea at all of your personal situation and was simply stating what I might seek to achieve if I was a tkr prospect.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do….
 
Make sure you do your pre-op exercises, if given to you by your physio.
Work through the pain, lots of physio and even more physio, the boss has no regrets.
After the wound closed she did lots of hydrotherapy and thinks she should have done more.
Some who had theirs done at the same time didn't follow instructions and possibly this lead to them having unrealistic expectations.
She doesn't have as much angle movement as before, but that is slowly getting better.
 
Cossie said:
Make sure you do your pre-op exercises, if given to you by your physio.
Work through the pain, lots of physio and even more physio, the boss has no regrets.
After the wound closed she did lots of hydrotherapy and thinks she should have done more.
Some who had theirs done at the same time didn't follow instructions and possibly this lead to them having unrealistic expectations.
She doesn't have as much angle movement as before, but that is slowly getting better.
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Agree with that. The greater the pain (with medically approved exercise) the greater the gain. Try be as fit as you can pre op. Upper body and core strength exercises.
 
I opine that the pain/gain game tends to be underrated by medicine.
Our bodies, in cohort with the brain are innately lazy comfort seeking structures that would rather lie in the sun than work.

Developing a capacity to work through pain is , imo , a passport to increased longevity.
It sounds perhaps, glib.. but applied intellect and mental discipline can usurp an awful lot of physical impediments

Many Physio treatments are curtailed or severely truncated because the patient is unable to override the body's pain messages.

Otoh my mate in sidderney has just stepped off his pushie after a hard training ride straight into the repair shop for 3 stents….
 
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