General Medical issues thread

[tgh]

Our physiology is indeed complex and challenging to manage at times.

I am counting down the weeks to be free of blood thinners as bleeding has been a royal pita.
I have learned all the dirty tricks to stopping nose bleeds (drixine) and have a virtual armoury of bandaids and bandages

Off in the other direction,a mate has a dodgy knee left over from a rampant infection and the doctors said you need another one.
There are a few new age chiropractors in the family and he started on Collagen supplement.
A year later he is walking normally and all but pain free.
My "good" knee has deteriorated from thinning cartilage and the medical solution after viewing the xrays is Nsaids or injections of hyaluronic acid
Considering my mates success I started on Collagen and Whey and in a few months the knee has settled such that I can almost walk downhill normally.

So where cometh the complex physiology preamble in the following tales ?
I have not had a single notable bleed since starting the supplements… go figure...

 

[Pushka]

I think the witch is studying hard. So over Christmas we had been doing a lot of walking. Shoes were great but one night discovered left big toenail was black. All of it. No pain and not as a result of an injury. It just bruises sometimes. It's happened before but not so much as this time. Zoom ahead 3 months and last night the nail is lifting off, all of it! It's covered up by a bandaid now as I have no idea what is underneath it and I don't want to see it anyway.

 

[tgh]

I have tried to ignore you but you keep popping up in threads I follow.
I have hosted short stem Barrets for about 30 years and now assume I will die from something else
I take ppi's and sleep head high.. a lot of endoscopy's over the years and no progression.
Metaplasia is a very unpleasant escalation of the condition, making the risks of long term ppi use seem very minor.
Chances are that you also will die from something else….

 

[JohnK]

I have tried to ignore you but you keep popping up in threads I follow.

I had bad case of h. Pylori in 1993 that lasted well over 3 months with a lot of abdominal pain and discomfort. I went through at least 3 courses of triple therapy. At the same time diagnosed with Barrett's oesophagus. This is the first time there has been any mention of metaplasia. They obviously thought it's worthy of mention and they have taken biopsies and now need to wait for results and follow up treatment.

You may think this is trivial but this is all new to me and scary.

 

[k_sheep]

Barrett's is metaplasia - the very definition of Barretts is intestinal type metaplasia in the oesophagus.

 

[tgh]

Anyway, don't worry John, it's nothing really…..
I recall my original Gp , upon establishing the original diagnosis, gleefully describing in gory detail the operation to cut out the cancerous chunk of oesophagus, hitching up the stomach with a few cable ties and stitching it all up.. easy as he said…..

..and I stand corrected by @k_s, thank you. The cellular changes, all called metaplasia, progress through a few stages before possibly becoming cancerous.

 

[Flyfrequently]

They said "knock yourself out Nana" when in a challenge with the gkids on our Easter egg hunt.....well I did just that and have a big shiner to prove it - didn't see the steel pole in the playground

 

[mrsterryn]

Just curious if someone has a link to a schedule for "elderly " vaccinations lol. Nope not me (not till next year lol ) husband should ? get .
Shingles
Flu
COVID booster
He does have health issues ,however it now approaching 70. He has had the triple vac when our daughter in law was pregnant with our first grandbaby who is now five
Not sure how to structure the injections

 

[tgh]

Not sure how to structure the injections

only with medical advice I suggest as us oldies are a tad more sensitive.
Flying soon , just had a typhoid shot and a moderna Covid booster.
The Typhus shot slowed me down for a day or so.
Flu shot next thursday and I am all up to date..

wcmo… GP's who sell out their practice and the incoming grubby big corp refuses to make the medical history cards available.

 

[mrsterryn]

Not sure how to structure the injections

only with medical advice I suggest as us oldies are a tad more sensitive.
Flying soon , just had a typhoid shot and a moderna Covid booster.
The Typhus shot slowed me down for a day or so.
Flu shot next thursday and I am all up to date..

wcmo… GP's who sell out their practice and the incoming grubby big corp refuses to make the medical history cards available.

Thanks. His GP has already told husband he needs the shingles shot. So I think we shall just have that one and then the regular GP visit for husband when GP returns from his holidays then get the best way forward for the rest

 

[Quickstatus]

I have no idea what is underneath it

Most lkely a new nail

schedule for "elderly " vaccinations

See here
But in a nutshell there are only 3...
Of course that does not include travel vaccinations.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Great Australian Story tonight on ABC .

Patient Zero | Richard Scolyer

Trusted and independent source of local, national and world news. In-depth analysis, business, sport, weather and more.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Seat0B]

I recently found this haiku written by Peter Goldsworthy, a journalist with cancer. The sentiment really resonated with me, and I am adopting this as my philosophy. He wrote:

I am not your host,
cancer, I’m your suicide vest.
I am taking you with me.

 

[prozac]

I recently found this haiku written by Peter Goldsworthy, a journalist with cancer. The sentiment really resonated with me, and I am adopting this as my philosophy. He wrote:

I am not your host,
cancer, I’m your suicide vest.
I am taking you with me.

Good haiku, though a bit fatalistic.
Just read his bio and various articles. He is also a GP which reminded me my GP has just passed the 7 yr mark for an aggressive melanoma that needed a 7hr op to remove from his shoulder and neck. He was fortunate to have great care and access to a trial drug. When I returned to see him after my month in hospital, he apologised for being off work having hip surgery when I needed him prior to my diagnosis. We are lucky in life when we meet people with this insight and dedication. I feel confident I have someone who knows first hand the journey.

 

[Himeno]

My issue has seemingly been improving (quite a lot over the last few days it seems) since my GP put me on Melxoicam for another issue.

It's improving to the point where I might be able to get the SPC out without needing this surgery.
Need to talk to the urologist about it, but I have no contact details for them.

 

[Flyfrequently]

It's improving to the point where I might be able to get the SPC out without needing this surgery.
Need to talk to the urologist about it, but I have no contact details for them.

Wishing you all the best @Himeno
Had IDC for quite sometime so can understand.

 

[JohnK]

My issue has seemingly been improving (quite a lot over the last few days it seems) since my GP put me on Melxoicam for another issue.

It's improving to the point where I might be able to get the SPC out without needing this surgery.
Need to talk to the urologist about it, but I have no contact details for them.

That's great news.

So Meloxicam has done the trick for you? It appeared not to do anything for me so I stopped taking Meloxicam. Don't know what's next as pain can be unbearable.

 

[Himeno]

That's great news.

So Meloxicam has done the trick for you? It appeared not to do anything for me so I stopped taking Meloxicam. Don't know what's next as pain can be unbearable.

He put me on it for a suspected nerve inflammation issue (believed to have been caused while under general anesthetic when the SPC was first put in)
When he gave me the script, he said that it might help with the other issue as well.

 

[prozac]

MrsProzac requires a BA Swallow. So no one needs to look it up that's a barium type of x-ray. You swallow the barium. Radiology at Northern Beaches Hospital cannot do it because they cannot get hold of any barium. I've called around and finally The San can do it but not for 2 weeks!!!
With shortage of drugs like antibiotics, drugs for diabetes, etc etc, you'd think we are a 3rd world country.

 

[Pushka]

MrsProzac requires a BA Swallow. So no one needs to look it up that's a barium type of x-ray. You swallow the barium. Radiology at Northern Beaches Hospital cannot do it because they cannot get hold of any barium. I've called around and finally The San can do it but not for 2 weeks!!!
With shortage of drugs like antibiotics, drugs for diabetes, etc etc, you'd think we are a 3rd world country.

I think @drron reported on his experience obtaining a booking quite some time ago?