General Medical issues thread

[love_the_life]

So from my relatively short stay of around 6 hours in Emergency last week, for an injury, I'm pretty sure I've picked up RSV. It isn't covid. I've used up all my tests. It isn't the usual body aches of flu. But it is the worst cough I have ever experienced. Last night I slept in a chair as I couldn't stop coughing and it's like a cough you can't get to the end of, if that makes sense. I don't mix much these days, and the Hospital visit was the only major 'event' of the last week. Haven't been near any kids, not even other family including husband as he was elsewhere for a few days. So it has to be the hospital. I'm on Day 5 today, I'm hoping it starts resolving.

My thoughts on a the vax have changed. Just get it done. I am immune compromised. Maybe thats part of the issue.

Nothing worse (well there is, I know) than a bark that just won't stop. I had one that lingered for weeks and weeks after a URTI last year - in the end I went to the doctor to make sure it wasn't anything serious. It eventually resolved though I did become a moderately heavy user of cough medicine for a bit. Hopefully you will feel better soon.

 

[SomeRando]

Have to get three teth out. On the bottom a wisdom tooth has impacted the tooth beside it so they both have to come out plus one on the top. Have to have a general anaesthetic as he wants to do some bone grinding while I'm in there and once you add it all up I'm on the hook for $4500. Only get back about $230 from Medicare for the initial consult with the specialist plus a bit for the anaesthetist.

We recently negotiated our EBA at work and got a one off $4000 bonus plus backpay so I can kiss that money goodbye as soon as it arrives. Bit annoying but it has to be done

 

[RooFlyer]

my nerve injection

You mean nerve ablation? Can you tell us a bit more about that procedure please (in general, not necc yours ).

I might be facing same before too long (not sciatica). I'm wondering how they find the potentially very small nerve to do whatever they do. I guess sciatica might be easier, but not all like that?

 

[drron]

Mine is a CT guided injection into the area of the L4,5 nerve root. Not an ablation.

 

[JohnM]

It's now two weeks since I had my second eye cataract removal/lens replacement, and four weeks since the first eye was done.

Went for the final post-operative check yesterday. All good. Both eyes set for mid-long vision, per my request. and nicely uniform. Glad to see (so to speak...) the end of one short- and one long-sighted eye.

In another four weeks or so I'll see my optometrist about getting new specs for reading. Until then some 2X pharmac_ specs do the job.

Total cost: $9391, of which I had $463 in out-of-pocket cost ($250 private health excess, c. $120 initial consultation and c. $90 for the two sets of three types of eye drops).

 

[TheRealTMA]

Shocking behaviour in the uk NHS.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/suffering-nation-rocked-by-infectedblood-scandal/news-story/8399d06498844045fbda6886db216cf1

 

[Quickstatus]

I'm wondering how they find the potentially very small nerve to do whatever they do

Ablation is different.
Nerve visualised with ultrasound

 

[drron]

Shocking behaviour in the uk NHS.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/suffering-nation-rocked-by-infectedblood-scandal/news-story/8399d06498844045fbda6886db216cf1

This happened around the world even here in Australia.

 

[Quickstatus]

Shocking behaviour in the uk NHS.

Here is the Speech by the Chair of the infected blood Inquiry on release of the Report

An absolute disaster. While it happened here in AU as well, the UK was way behind implementing best practice.

And the InquiryYouTube channel containing videos of evidence by various people.

The website contains stories not in official report of people who suffered through this. Very sobering

 

[TheRealTMA]

This happened around the world even here in Australia.

But I'm not aware that consultants here were taking kickbacks from US suppliers to take infected plasma and blood products they knew were potentially unsafe.

 

[prozac]

2 weeks ago I received a call from my old electro-cardiologist office to say my heart monitor was not working, perhaps it is unplugged. I said I'd check and get back to the caller. Despite unsuccessfully returning a number of calls to said person to say the monitor is plugged in and I'd reset it, I have not received a return call. Meanwhile I get a text message from Abbott, the pacemaker people saying they had sent me an updated 4G USB modem. I have never received it so called them back and get what sounds like a Philippina woman having coffee in a cafe. I cannot understand a thing she says so I tell her (politely) I am hanging up. Meanwhile I get a text message from the original caller who I (mistakenly) text back. I ask how long has the monitor not been working. Since January! Again I mistakenly respond to the text and say well I might as well not have any heart monitoring. The response floored me ... "Well that is your choice"
All this via text! They can all go .... well, jump in the lake is the polite answer.

 

[tgh]

Just imagine how many less able folks, struggling to cope with this rapidly changing electronic world, simply fade away when faced with the kind of institutionalised neglect described above.
Joining the dots to some other recent comments about older citizens on another thread leads me to a fairly dark frame of mind.

 

[Quickstatus]

and say well I might as well not have any heart monitoring... cos I know when my heart is beating

was it an older 3G modem?

 

[Pushka]

Just imagine how many less able folks, struggling to cope with this rapidly changing electronic world, simply fade away when faced with the kind of institutionalised neglect described above.
Joining the dots to some other recent comments about older citizens on another thread leads me to a fairly dark frame of mind.

My only consolation is that one day they too will get old and if they assume they can keep pace with the technology in forty years time, well, they're dreamin.

 

[prozac]

was it an older 3G modem?

Must be. I couldn't get any sense from Abbott (St Jude) where they reckon they had sent the newer modem, but i never received it.
The point is that it has taken Jan, Feb, March, April, May, 4 months to determine there is something wrong with my pacemaker or the modem! So why have it?
I could be smelling pretty ripe by now.

 

[TheRealTMA]

2 weeks ago I received a call from my old electro-cardiologist office to say my heart monitor was not working, perhaps it is unplugged. I said I'd check and get back to the caller. Despite unsuccessfully returning a number of calls to said person to say the monitor is plugged in and I'd reset it, I have not received a return call. Meanwhile I get a text message from Abbott, the pacemaker people saying they had sent me an updated 4G USB modem. I have never received it so called them back and get what sounds like a Philippina woman having coffee in a cafe. I cannot understand a thing she says so I tell her (politely) I am hanging up. Meanwhile I get a text message from the original caller who I (mistakenly) text back. I ask how long has the monitor not been working. Since January! Again I mistakenly respond to the text and say well I might as well not have any heart monitoring. The response floored me ... "Well that is your choice"
All this via text! They can all go .... well, jump in the lake is the polite answer.

Seems an appalling situation. Best of luck! Obviously needs to be resolved.

Just a poi, are you sure these txts and call are legitimate and not stolen data on you?

 

[prozac]

Seems an appalling situation. Best of luck! Obviously needs to be resolved.

Just a poi, are you sure these txts and call are legitimate and not stolen data on you?

I think text is a very ordinary way to discuss medical appliances.
Yes, definitely from the right source but I won't be bothering again as I don't think it an appropriate way to communicate in this circumstance.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I think text is a very ordinary way to discuss medical appliances.
Yes, definitely from the right source but I won't be bothering again as I don't think it an appropriate way to communicate in this circumstance.

So what happens in an emergency? Can you change monitoring companies or specialists?

 

[Pushka]

I promise I will never again downplay RSV. It's been two weeks now and only just today do I feel somewhat like I might feel normal in the next day or so. I'm still getting the jags of coughing that nothing can stop, until it reaches its final outcome but yesterday there was just one. But hopefully today there will be none. I've barely eaten but have been drinking orange juice and sustagen mixes, and the odd bit of a main dinner. No lunch. Nanna naps. I feel like that's all I've done. I've done the grocery shops, usual domestic stuff but that's it for the day. And only when I feel confident that I'm not going to do the cough thing. Luckily I didn't give it to MRP although he wasn't here the first three days so maybe that helped.

As I know I got this in the Royal Adelaide Hospital I can't even imagine how many patients and staff this one person impacted. I was supposed to go to a followup ophthalmologist appt the next day - cancelled. Rebooked for the next week. Cancelled. The week after (this week) cancelled (all by me). I can only hope the original issue is now ok, it seems like that to me.

 

[prozac]

So what happens in an emergency? Can you change monitoring companies or specialists?

No idea. Well, yes I do know. Nothing. The monitor does not work, so what I do know now is that it is quicker to simply open my eyes in the morning. If I can still see the garden outside I know everything is normal.