General Medical issues thread

[Quickstatus]

dodgy bowel screen

Not sure what you mean by "dodgy" but a positive test (or a non negative) always should be followed up with the colonoscopy.

 

[Pushka]

Must investigate. MrLtL had a bit of a dodgy bowel screen a few years ago - was going to follow up with GP but the Bowel Screening Mob wouldn't allow that and insisted on colonoscopy etc - got very insistent on the phone. He did have the colonoscopy and all was fine. He now refuses to take part after their heavy handed approach. Regardless of whether it is good preventative health he doesn't want anything to do with the program.

Same here. just before our first venture on QM2. Negative on colonoscopy. They called me up a couple of weeks later to check I'd followed up. I've done a couple of screen tests since but it has worried me being on 'thinners' that a false positive might appear. MrP returned one on time but it arrived a day after the expiry date. Yes. He procrastinated in doing it. So they sent him a letter telling him he had to do it again. .

 

[andye]

Same here. just before our first venture on QM2. Negative on colonoscopy. They called me up a couple of weeks later to check I'd followed up. I've done a couple of screen tests since but it has worried me being on 'thinners' that a false positive might appear. MrP returned one on time but it arrived a day after the expiry date. Yes. He procrastinated in doing it. So they sent him a letter telling him he had to do it again. .

My rule of thumb is that anticoagulants don't cause bleeding, they just amplify it. Can be useful in some cases e.g earlier diagnosis of bladder cancer.
I'd still advocate investigating if you did come up positive on the screen

 

[prozac]

Must investigate. MrLtL had a bit of a dodgy bowel screen a few years ago - was going to follow up with GP but the Bowel Screening Mob wouldn't allow that and insisted on colonoscopy etc - got very insistent on the phone. He did have the colonoscopy and all was fine. He now refuses to take part after their heavy handed approach. Regardless of whether it is good preventative health he doesn't want anything to do with the program.

My GP has always been the one who does the referral to the colonoscoper. Yes, I know it is not the term but it adds a bit of humour to a dull topic.

 

[Pushka]

My rule of thumb is that anticoagulants don't cause bleeding, they just amplify it. Can be useful in some cases e.g earlier diagnosis of bladder cancer.
I'd still advocate investigating if you did come up positive on the screen

That's really helpful to know. Is that the same with warfarin? My mother died of either a blood clot or brain bleed. I always wondered if it was the warfarin that created a bleed. It was never ascertained. Four weeks later I got the jugular vein DVT. I freaked in the hospital wondering if after all it was a brain bleed and I was having to go onto the same treatment plan. In the end they put me on Xarelto. My niece who also has APS is in her thirties and on warfarin. It worries me.

 

[andye]

That's really helpful to know. Is that the same with warfarin? My mother died of either a blood clot or brain bleed. I always wondered if it was the warfarin that created a bleed. It was never ascertained. Four weeks later I got the jugular vein DVT. I freaked in the hospital wondering if after all it was a brain bleed and I was having to go onto the same treatment plan. In the end they put me on Xarelto. My niece who also has APS is in her thirties and on warfarin. It worries me.

People on warfarin can have strokes either:
From clots because the level is too low and temporarily ineffective
Or
From brain bleeds as what would have been a small bleed becomes a large one (the chances of this increases the higher the INR)
They can also get a subdural bleeds (sometimes from trauma but often spontaneous)

The same principle applies to direct anticoagulants (xarelto, eliquis,pradaxa) but there is a lower chance of brain bleeding in part as its less likely that the blood will get more than 3x as thin (as its a fixed dose and has fewer drug/food interactions)

On balance the risk of bleeding is less than the risk of clots if you don't take.

 

[RooFlyer]

FWIW: Mrs uses compression stockings and an applicator / fitter such as

Thanks. Looks useful. AFF comes through again!

You can also turn them half inside out. i.e. roll top down over the foot as far as the start of the back of the heel. Place a suitable size sheet of paper inside the heel and have it sitting free up the back of your leg.

That's what I do, but still very tight and arthritic fingers mean I can't grip & pull hard. Mine are 'grade 2' out of 3. Grade 1 anyone can buy but grades 2 and 3 need the GP/nurse to fill out a form before the pharmac_ would supply me. Seems bizarre, but all 3 pharmacies I went to said the same thing. $100

*this assumes the toe end is open)

Mine isn't.

 

[Quickstatus]

Mine isn't

Yes, there are a few types.
Apart from the applicator you could also cut a hole in the bag where the toe is. After application pull the bag out from the top.
The hospital nurses all use bags.

 

[RooFlyer]

In your case the reach in and half invert as per video is the usual trick +/- applicator.

As I said in the previous post:

That's what I do, but still very tight and arthritic fingers mean I can't grip & pull hard.

But I will look at TRTMA's applicator.

 

[JohnK]

I want to cry.

Wife released from hospital on Monday evening after 5 days in hospital and 3 days of piptaz for UTI/pyelomelitis. No discharge papers. Infectious diseases team did not prescribe any follow up antibiotics.

Wife mentioned yesterday she's not feeling well. This morning complaining of right flank pain. Same spot as what's has landed her in hospital. This afternoon fever and urine warm. Now fever again with urine warm.

I really hope this is not another re-occurrence. May end up back in hospital tonight if this continues.

I really hope I'm wrong and it's something totally different.

 

[Katie]

If you’re that worried, get her to the hospital @JohnK.

I am not a medical person, but I would expect most urine to be warm. When I’ve had to provide samples in the past, they’ve always been close to body temp I think.

 

[prozac]

Well, ... a couple of days past and 12 months ago I was admitted to hospital with an unkown mass in my chest. At that time in another couple of days from now I would be having cardio-thoracic surgery to get a biopsy and a few days later given a diagnosis. Stage 4 cancer. It is surprising how quickly time passes and how you heal. Now stage 2 I have a good prognosis and even when I think I feel well, a month later I feel better. Apart from stupid things like low immunity I am doing much better than I thought possible. I have had great medical care throughout, there have been hiccups but by and large it has gone well. Attitude plays a part imo and maybe pig-headed stubbornness. Eat well, you can't fight cancer with skinny. No medical proof, just my opinion.

Edit: I missed my own point...it's my 1yr anniversary.

 

[JohnK]

If you’re that worried, get her to the hospital @JohnK.

I am not a medical person, but I would expect most urine to be warm. When I’ve had to provide samples in the past, they’ve always been close to body temp I think.

Urine warm when coming out. This same as last week. When not sick that feeling is not there.

Fever gone now with 2 panadol and will assess again through the night if fever returns.

 

[Quickstatus]

I want to cry.

So did they say what was the cause of the infections?

 

[Pushka]

Urine is surely body temperature. Thats why surfers don't mind the experience when in wet suits and surfing in cold water. Its not a symptom.

 

[JohnK]

So did they say what was the cause of the infections?

No. How do you discharge someone without discharge papers? If I went to GP now I can't say what occurred in hospital except for Piptaz. They were doing blood tests each morning from both arms.

Urine is surely body temperature. Thats why surfers don't mind the experience when in wet suits and surfing in cold water. Its not a symptom.

Urine may well be body temperature but body temperature in this case is a sign of infection and pain in right flank, warm urine, pain in bladder are a huge sign that something is wrong.

e.g. wife does not get much of a burning sensation when urinating with a UTI but she gets warm urine sensation. May also be the way she translates from Thai but it's definitely an indication something is wrong. She had warm urine last week, returned to normal during hospital stay and antibiotics, was fine until a few days ago and has now started again.

Something is definitely not right but don't know what at this stage. I should have intervened and continued with self medicating antibiotics when wife was discharged from hospital.

 

[tgh]

P'rhaps it is allasame in Thailand, but all sorts of drugs are available in Mehico, @JohnK would be in rapture…..
I was tempted to stock up on amoxycyllin but our gp always allows us some for travel and who knows what might be in the box
Their pharma industry must be very advanced as they have stuff nobody else sells and with my ageing memory I was somewhat tempted..

…edit apologies to @JohnM for the name error…..

 

[MARTINE]

P'rhaps it is allasame in Thailand, but all sorts of drugs are available in Mehico, @john M would be in rapture…..
I was tempted to stock up on amoxycyllin but our gp always allows us some for travel and who knows what might be in the box
Their pharma industry must be very advanced as they have stuff nobody else sells and with my ageing memory I was somewhat tempted..


View attachment 383386

And surprise surprise the pills are all sugar… if you’re lucky!!

 

[drron]

Urine is surely body temperature. Thats why surfers don't mind the experience when in wet suits and surfing in cold water. Its not a symptom.

I think the problem here is that his wife is really describing the burning sensation that is a classic symptom of a UTI. It is very common for some people to describe symptoms in words that really don't fit the classic symptoms. It is why I always asked follow up questions on what the person meant by their description. I would be asking exactly what is the difference in the 2 words used being burning and warm. Quite possible by warm she means mild burning and uses burning for a more severe burning situation. It wouldn't be the first time I had heard a person using the word warm when describing the sensation most people describe as burning.

 

[Pushka]

I think the problem here is that his wife is really describing the burning sensation that is a classic symptom of a UTI. It is very common for some people to describe symptoms in words that really don't fit the classic symptoms. It is why I always asked follow up questions on what the person meant by their description. I would be asking exactly what is the difference in the 2 words used being burning and warm. Quite possible by warm she means mild burning and uses burning for a more severe burning situation. It wouldn't be the first time I had heard a person using the word warm when describing the sensation most people describe as burning.

Ok. Burning I understand. Its much much worse than feeling warm which is kinda normal.