General Medical issues thread

[drron]

On the first excursion I did from the ship on this trip I met a Swedish couple. The fellow has limb girdle muscular dystrophy as I now know I do. He is in his 40’s and would be excused if he were depressed. However he is one of the happiest fellows on board. His is more advanced than mine. He has a very peculiar gait but walks quickly and just keeps going.
I went up to him and said you are an inspiration for me as I have a muscular dystrophy and I want to keep going for a long time. After he strode off his wife came up to me saying thanks as what you said will give him great satisfaction as you wouldn’t believe how incredibly insensitive people are.

More importantly they now doing as much travel as they can for as long as they can.
Joined him on the walking track today for a little while but I was too slow for him.

 

[tgh]

Was it acquired on the Whisper?

I guess so.. average incubation periods have shortened but not enough to have picked it up from the airline seat…...we flew directly home from the ship.
Hard to blame the ship , per se though…the whole travel process is pregnant with covid disease opportunity..
We are old enough to be at high risk of complications ; we have waited patiently , tried a simple itinerary and failed..just an unfortunate roll of the dice for us.

Future travel plans are now moot...

 

[cove]

I had my damaged knee replaced yesterday and this morning my blood glucose level had jumped from 6.6 to 18 so they gave me an insulin shot. Today I am back at 7.3 and it should be back to normal soon. Now they removed a cup full of damaged bits so another arthroscopy would not have solved the problem.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I had my damaged knee replaced yesterday and this morning my blood glucose level had jumped from 6.6 to 18 so they gave me an insulin shot. Today I am back at 7.3 and it should be back to normal soon. Now they removed a cup full of damaged bits so another arthroscopy would not have solved the problem.

Presumably you are also now on anticoagulant such as heparin?

 

[cove]

I take Colchicine to lower my chance of a stroke or heart attack by about 30%.
It looks like the anesthetic caused the big swing in my blood glucose as I have been in the 6.6 to 6.8 range for months.

 

[Quickstatus]

heparin

We don't use heparin much anymore in the general patient population. . There are better anticoagulants.

 

[TheRealTMA]

We don't use heparin much anymore in the general patient population. . There are better anticoagulants.

As long as some anticoagulant is used.

 

[Quickstatus]

anticoagulant

The orthos these days use aspirin as anticoagulant when pt goes home for a TKR/THR

 

[TheRealTMA]

The orthos these days use aspirin as anticoagulant when pt goes home for a TKR/THR

That’s not really very effective and has issues for “older people” Is it? I thought low molecular weight heparin as better? But what would I know.

 

[Quickstatus]

has issues for “older people” Is it?

Most people who have TKR/THR are older people and the people generally on aspirin for other reasons are also older. Older = circa 70yrs.

On balance it's apparently been shown to be just as effective with less problems according to the orthos I know - for the TKR/THR population

 

[Pushka]

We don't use heparin much anymore in the general patient population. . There are better anticoagulants.

Rivaroxaban et al. Thats what RAH put me on although not recommended for APS but they didn't know I had that at the time. Niece, also with APS in on warfarin. She was on aspirin until she developed a clot.

 

[Quickstatus]

Rivaroxaban

Better than

warfarin

In many ways. Better anticoagulant, less bleeding, no blood tests, and more stable effect rather than the yo-yo of warfarin due to diet etc

 

[Pushka]

Better than

In many ways. Better anticoagulant, less bleeding, no blood tests, and more stable effect rather than the yo-yo of warfarin due to diet etc

Niece has purchased a blood coag monitor device. (She has a PhD in medical science so no slouch on such things). When she gets Covid her coag rates are sky high. The risk with Riva and so on is that severe episodes can't be reversed although I'm guessing that's in the works too. And yes she has to watch her diet. When I got Covid I had a blood nose. As I don't measure coag rates I don't know what mine was. I never get a blood nose. So Covid does something to coag levels. But the opposite of what seems to happen in non APS people who seem to clot. But that's the whole APS thing.

 

[Flashback]

Most people who have TKR/THR are older people and the people generally on aspirin for other reasons are also older. Older = circa 70yrs.

On balance it's apparently been shown to be just as effective with less problems according to the orthos I know - for the TKR/THR population

Other than Mrs FB who has been on aspirin since she had a fairly hefty strokes in her 40's!

 

[cove]

Well @Quickstatus our local useless newspaper called a 63 year old elderly. Folks have to get to 67 to get an old age pension and most of our friends want the seniors health card.
My unwritten warranty has now run for 29 years as I had bypass surgery in 1994 and no issues since then.
My cardiologist is now $305 a visit and it is money well spent.

 

[Pushka]

Could someone pharmac_ please explain. Today I went to dispense the new 60 days script thing. I was charged for the medication twice, and when I queried this, was told by the pharmacist that all I was saving was the $2 dispensing fee on one item. This wasn't how I thought it was supposed to be. She said that because I'm not on a concession I wasn't entitled to more. Most of my scripts aren't covered, so the only thing I am saving is money at the chemist which given the increase in my Drs gap today ) is neglible.

I have actually emailed Mark Butler (he's my local Federal Member ) and because his website states differently. I think?

https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-09/60-day-prescriptions-benefits-and-cost-savings.pdf

 

[VPS]

Could someone pharmac_ please explain. Today I went to dispense the new 60 days script thing. I was charged for the medication twice, and when I queried this, was told by the pharmacist that all I was saving was the $2 dispensing fee on one item. This wasn't how I thought it was supposed to be. She said that because I'm not on a concession I wasn't entitled to more. Most of my scripts aren't covered, so the only thing I am saving is money at the chemist which given the increase in my Drs gap today ) is neglible.

I have actually emailed Mark Butler (he's my local Federal Member ) and because his website states differently. I think?

https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-09/60-day-prescriptions-benefits-and-cost-savings.pdf

Have you got a Seniors HCC?

 

[prozac]

Could someone pharmac_ please explain. Today I went to dispense the new 60 days script thing. I was charged for the medication twice, and when I queried this, was told by the pharmacist that all I was saving was the $2 dispensing fee on one item. This wasn't how I thought it was supposed to be. She said that because I'm not on a concession I wasn't entitled to more. Most of my scripts aren't covered, so the only thing I am saving is money at the chemist which given the increase in my Drs gap today ) is neglible.

I have actually emailed Mark Butler (he's my local Federal Member ) and because his website states differently. I think?

https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-09/60-day-prescriptions-benefits-and-cost-savings.pdf

Not pharma but I'll try. I also had this reaction when I filled a script a few weeks ago so I looked it up. For mere mortals like us the legislated number is $30. If your drug individually costs less than this we are not entitled to anything. If the charge for an individual pack is $35 then the entitlement is $5.
Where I think the advertised saving is, again not explained well, is that you only need to make half as many doctor consultations as each script is good for double. Look at how many repeats you have left.

Of-course the medication must also be on the list. Not many of mine are.

 

[VPS]

I just checked my latest receipt - as a SHCC holder at Chemist Warehouse my scripts are $6.30 and the ones on the scheme I got two months supply for $6.30

 

[Pushka]

I just checked my latest receipt - as a SHCC holder at Chemist Warehouse my scripts are $6.30 and the ones on the scheme I got two months supply for $6.30

I must try for a SHCC.

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2023

Not pharma but I'll try. I also had this reaction when I filled a script a few weeks ago so I looked it up. For mere mortals like us the legislated number is $30. If your drug individually costs less than this we are not entitled to anything. If the charge for an individual pack is $35 then the entitlement is $5.
Where I think the advertised saving is, again not explained well, is that you only need to make half as many doctor consultations as each script is good for double. Look at how many repeats you have left.

Of-course the medication must also be on the list. Not many of mine are.

Two of my six are on the list. Whoopee. I save $2 a month. No change in dr visits. No change in pharmac_ visits. Sigh. Smoke and mirrors.