General Medical issues thread

[RooFlyer]

Had a pt last week - came in with abdominal pain, she had appendix removed 2 weeks ago. Still has pain. "BBbut Dr said pain is from appendix".

Both my first surgeon and my GP I found out have a cute line. “No one ever died of pain."

unfortunately I got referred to my first hernia surgeon by GP who wa new to Hobart. By asking around afterwards I found that the issues I had with the guy (and I don’t just mean the post-operative pain) were a common experience around town and several GPs said they wouldn’t refer to him.

 

[Quickstatus]

This makes no sense at all…….. why make more folks sicker later to save a buck?

Tell that to the health funds. The replacement is rehab at home where someone comes to you at home and checks but it requires a very motivated patient.

Rehab used to be a separate payment by the PHI, but for a lot of funds, rehab is now rolled onto one payment to the hospital. If pt needs rehab, the hospital pays - even if the rehab occurs at another location to the hospital of surgery.

 

[Quickstatus]

No one ever died of pain

That is actually true and people have died from painkillers.

However, It's of no benefit to tell someone that.

BTW was it easy to get to see that surgeon (in terms of wait) ?

 

[RooFlyer]

Day of surgery over here and increasingly prior to surgery "Prehab" - which is what @RooFlyer did

I was encouraged by the surgeon to get up and moving as soon as possible after my hernia surgery. I was up and walking around the corridors the next day and it wasn’t too bad, but of course very painful getting up and into bed again. The had me an extra night in hospital because of the pain I was suffering - Endone and Palexia didn’t cut it much. Went off them pretty quick ( good in any case). The surgeon actually said I could go back to the gym after six weeks. Ha ha what a joke that was. I went back to him a couple of times saying this surely can’t be in usual and then he just trotted out the "5% of operations don’t work out well" line. After a year I'm back to about 98%.

What really pissed me off more than anything was the leaving ( private) hospital care sheet. It was absolutely useless for what I had. Some really simple things that could’ve saved me a lot of pain I discovered by myself not by them telling me.

BTW was it easy to get to see that surgeon (in terms of wait) ?

I forget the exact time, but it wasn’t too bad. But I discovered why. When I first went to the surgeons rooms, there was a whole bunch of people in the waiting room, and I thought "this must be a big practice". No, it was just the one surgeon and I discovered one of the issues with this guy is that he had a lot of current patients and did a lot of surgery, including late into the night. My procedure was at 11 pm. Draw your own conclusions.

i’m pretty bitter about experience with this guy, not just because of the surgery result, but its consequence is that I lost two years of very good health and a lot of weight loss now gone and now more difficult than ever to get rid of.

 

[prozac]

Both my first surgeon and my GP I found out have a cute line. “No one ever died of pain."

Not completely true. Three years ago in ICU after by-pass surgery I became almost instantly unconscious and required resuscitation when my pain level shot up. 8hrs later when they woke me up I was told it was pressure from a chest drain pressing on an intercostal nerve. When the drain was removed the pain disappeared and so they woke me up.

 

[JohnK]

It's different in that is supervised by medical professionals and they give you free vlcd protein shakes to get the weight moving.


The exercises are physio style for those with arthritis not a work out. designed to help with mobility.

Anyway only mentioned it because my friends Mum had great success with it ahead of her hip replacement.

I'm sorry I was not being critical. Thanks for the suggestion.

My body cannot handle physio style exercises. It's not just one joint, it is almost every single joint and I'm not exaggerating.

Need to find a way to lose weight myself without exercise or shakes. Did so well yesterday with first 2 meals less than 1000 calories. Then boiled cauliflower and then floodgates opened. Snack after snack and I tried hard to limit the calories in the snacks. It's very difficult.

 

[Pushka]

I'm sorry I was not being critical. Thanks for the suggestion.

My body cannot handle physio style exercises. It's not just one joint, it is almost every single joint and I'm not exaggerating.

Need to find a way to lose weight myself without exercise or shakes. Did so well yesterday with first 2 meals less than 1000 calories. Then boiled cauliflower and then floodgates opened. Snack after snack and I tried hard to limit the calories in the snacks. It's very difficult.

Maybe you need to up the healthy protein so you don't feel hungry.

 

[Quickstatus]

I became almost instantly unconscious and required resuscitation when my pain level shot up

They gave you a shot of something to make you unconscious and then -

they woke me up

Its the drugs.

When surgery was conducted pre anaesthetic, (eg Trafalgar) no one died of pain. they died of whatever caused them to need surgery in the first place.
But when anaesthesia came along people died of the anaesthetic.

In WW2 (may be apocryphal) a lot of soldiers died soon after an anaesthetic was given. This was because the anaesthetic ablated any physiological defence mechanism their body mounted in order to stay alive.

 

[JohnK]

Maybe you need to up the healthy protein so you don't feel hungry.

I think you're right.

My most successful diet I ate mostly protein like boiled chicken and braised beef along with ham. Yes I know what they say about processed ham but that does not bother me. What was funny was both hospital dieticians I saw at the time let me control what I wanted to eat but both said I needed to eat more carbs. I was very proud of what I achieved.

 

[tgh]

Tell that to the health funds. ..

I may but they have "smarter" people than me helping us

The replacement is rehab at home where someone comes to you at home and checks but it requires a very motivated patient

Some folks have such low pain tolerance that they will never get stuff moving with out or even with , a physio
I have never had physio for fun.. it hurts.. usually more than whatever took me there in the short term
The wastage rate (folks who go but can't/won't put in ) must be high enough that the funds see it as, on balance, pointless….

 

[prozac]

They gave you a shot of something to make you unconscious and then -


Its the drugs.

When surgery was conducted pre anaesthetic, (eg Trafalgar) no one died of pain. they died of whatever caused them to need surgery in the first place.
But when anaesthesia came along people died of the anaesthetic.

In WW2 (may be apocryphal) a lot of soldiers died soon after an anaesthetic was given. This was because the anaesthetic ablated any physiological defence mechanism their body mounted in order to stay alive.

No. Morning after surgery they removed life support and asked how I felt. "Good"
OK we will sit you up. They elevated the bed so I was in a seated position. How do you feel now? "Terrible. I feel like I have a knife in my back thoracic region" The pain was intense and I blacked out before the nurse could attend to me. No pain relief at that point of time, just intense pain.
It took 8 hrs for ICU to determine what I had already told them...stabbing pain in thoracic suggests a pinched nerve. When they finally removed one of the chest drains the pain disappeared. In the meantime I'd had a heart attack. When the bought me round there were around 10 people in the little ICU room all looking expectantly at me. I opened my eyes and this doctor says "There is nothing to worry about Mr Prozac" What a thing to say to someone!
But no, it wasn't drugs that knocked me out as the nurse did not have time (seconds) to react to anything.

Edit: Strange thing to say, the doctor asked what I had seen. After I was back on the ward, in days after, I had visits from a number of hospital medical staff who had assisted that day.

 

[Pushka]

No. Morning after surgery they removed life support and asked how I felt. "Good"
OK we will sit you up. They elevated the bed so I was in a seated position. How do you feel now? "Terrible. I feel like I have a knife in my back thoracic region" The pain was intense and I blacked out before the nurse could attend to me. No pain relief at that point of time, just intense pain.
It took 8 hrs for ICU to determine what I had already told them...stabbing pain in thoracic suggests a pinched nerve. When they finally removed one of the chest drains the pain disappeared. In the meantime I'd had a heart attack. When the bought me round there were around 10 people in the little ICU room all looking expectantly at me. I opened my eyes and this doctor says "There is nothing to worry about Mr Prozac" What a thing to say to someone!
But no, it wasn't drugs that knocked me out as the nurse did not have time (seconds) to react to anything.

Edit: Strange thing to say, the doctor asked what I had seen. After I was back on the ward, in days after, I had visits from a number of hospital medical staff who had assisted that day.

So I wonder if they thought they'd lost you.

 

[prozac]

So I wonder if they thought they'd lost you.

Well I don't know what they were doing with me for 8hrs.

 

[Cossie]

The trick with knee replacements it seems, is to really focus on doing the physio as required. Not skimp on it.

Exactly, hope I don’t have to go through it, but SWMBO who has had both replaced said follow all instructions…….

 

[Cossie]

When my Dad had knee replacement physio started day after the operation. He went to a live in rehab centre straight from hospital, they have you walking day after operation and you stay for 2 weeks with physio 3 times a day so you go home being able to climb stairs then do outpatient physio twice a week for another 8 weeks to make sure you keep up the exercises. Hydro therapy included.

Having seen the success I wouldn't agree to any other style of rehabbing plan. Noting the lady in the next room refused to do the exercises and ended up with very limited range of movement.

Yep, that’s what SWMBO did as well. She mentioned some others found it too painful and opted out. Their recovery was not as successful as hers.

 

[drron]

I was very fortunate with my knee replacement as I was able to pick my surgeon. Yes had to put up with several delays because of pimples but the surgery went so well that I walked out of hospital after 7 days. At 3 weeks the physio said no need to come back as the replaced knee had a greater range of movement than the other. Fortunately as Mrsdrron broke both ankles and I had to look after her.

 

[cove]

Yes @drron I picked my knee surgeon and I was released on Thursday after the op on Monday. I wasn’t keen on copping an infection in the hospital. Still very sore and the pain medications are encouraging sleep. Doing the easy stretch exercises and so far so good.

 

[Pushka]

So in light of steroi_ use, age, and travelling to Europe in mid winter and on a cruise where it seems covid is rampant, I've booked for another Covid vaccination. Was looking through the medicare app to see immunisation history. Interestingly the due date for Shingles vaccination has already been changed to when I turned 65 and not 70 as it was last time even though the new schedule doesn't start until November.

 

[RooFlyer]

I've booked for another Covid vaccination.

Your 5th or 6 th in total ( if you don’t mind me asking )?

Only ask because I noticed the flu tracking weekly survey now allows for a sixth dose (as in, have you received it?).

 

[mrsterryn]

Thanks @Pushka husband will be having that , now that has changed
Still wondering about the pneumonia one for him