General Medical issues thread

[drron]

I also am wary of opioids. dates back to the time I had a Dental extraction at age 20. Was given some Doloxene Co for pain relief. Was going to Uni and pain as I remember was bad so took 2 on the bus before it got to Wynyard. Then I still vividly remember skipping along Martin Place singing I've got pain and I don't care. a couple of years later as a JRMO I tried not to prescribe it even though it was the IN drug of the time for pain.

 

[prozac]

Finally got in to see my cardiac surgeon today for update and pacemaker check. It's been 2yrs since my last appointment as I had to relinquish an appointment May 2023 when I developed cancer. I've been a little concerned because my PM is 9 yrs old and my home heart monitor has not been working since January. I shouldn't have been because it turns out I have an estimated 18 months left before it needs to be changed. I got concerned when a number of patients ahead of me were charged for consultation. I was thinking new rooms, new receptionist (the lovely older receptionist has retired), new regime. I therefore approached the reception after the consult with trepidation. I shouldn't have worried, no charge as usual, the old school tie as strong as ever. The surgeon was a year behind me at high school.

 

[MARTINE]

Finally got in to see my cardiac surgeon today for update and pacemaker check. It's been 2yrs since my last appointment as I had to relinquish an appointment May 2023 when I developed cancer. I've been a little concerned because my PM is 9 yrs old and my home heart monitor has not been working since January. I shouldn't have been because it turns out I have an estimated 18 months left before it needs to be changed. I got concerned when a number of patients ahead of me were charged for consultation. I was thinking new rooms, new receptionist (the lovely older receptionist has retired), new regime. I therefore approached the reception after the consult with trepidation. I shouldn't have worried, no charge as usual, the old school tie as strong as ever. The surgeon was a year behind me at high school.

Glad to hear things worked well for you @prozac
You have had a tough time and deserve a break.
Sending you best wishes from Lisbon

Post automatically merged: Jul 11, 2024

 

[drron]

Now @MARTINE showing a picture of an egg tart is not going to do most people with heart disease amy good.

 

[MARTINE]

Now @MARTINE showing a picture of an egg tart is not going to do most people with heart disease amy good.

Did not think an egg white omelette would be as pretty a picture

 

[prozac]

Glad to hear things worked well for you @prozac
You have had a tough time and deserve a break.
Sending you best wishes from Lisbon

Post automatically merged: Jul 11, 2024

View attachment 396754

Ahhh, that makes me feel better.

 

[SuePa]

I still vividly remember skipping along Martin Place singing I've got pain and I don't care. a couple of years later as a JRMO I tried not to prescribe it even though it was the IN drug of the time for pain.

Now that would have been worth seeing, drron!

 

[JohnK]

I'm supposed to be taking Somac, Diaformin and cholesterol medication daily but I do not take them daily as all 3 are under control.

I've never worried about dependence on codeine because I can keep it under control.

When I had chicken pox my face was burning. I was on 5mg Endone 3 times a day. I remember being awake and hallucinating. Awful feeling. I've tried once or twice since but got off it very quickly.

Paracetamol does nothing for me. Nurofen OK occasionally. But Panadeine Forte is fantastic for my pain.

Today was one of my not so good days. Extreme pain everywhere including severe inflammation of the left hip and a limp while walking. I lasted until 10:00pm when I took 2 Panadeine Forte. Took 15-20 minutes and I'm now feeling numb. Pain has not gone but it's now bearable. Walking without limp.

Note that was the first Panadeine Forte Ive had in more than than 6 weeks. It is a last resort when I cannot cope with the pain. I am not going to abuse it. I need this to be my assistant until such time as the pain gets worse. Not sure what I'll do then but we'll cross that bridge when we get it.

And this week is the first week of diet #47. Hoping to get back under 120kg but boy it's going to be hard. Currently 135kg. First checkpoint is end of September. If that works keep going until Thailand trip end of year.

Dinner was 1 boiled potato, 1 tomato and half a brown onion with lemon and vegetable oil. Dipped a little bread as well at the end. I figured that was 300-350 calories. Don't give up.

 

[tgh]

 

[Katie]

Tannins and oxalates decrease absorption of iron - tea,coffee and wine. That is why they are my 3 favourite beverages and why I never drink orange juice as I have high iron levels.

And lastly take your iron supplement at least an hour after food for best absorption.

I remember when I was taking iron supplements and my GP told me to avoid taking the tablets with tea or red wine. I was so confused - why on earth would I be chasing down an iron tablet with wine at breakfast time??

Noted about taking the supplement after food, though I much prefer the infusion path having done both.

 

[RooFlyer]

Very unusual to not be dissolving these days as the sutures are all hidden including the skin ones (only time the skin ones are not is if the patient is very sick)

Could it be that the stitches have to last quite a long time such as several weeks? Or more?

Well I'm damned if tapentadol does anything for me. Given some in hospital immediately after twin hernia surgery and to take home afterwards and did nothing, as far as I could tell, so stopped after a day (as I don't like the idea of taking opioids). No change after stopping.

Ditto after cheilectomy surgery on toe. Same when I have snuck some for some other pain issues (eg arthritic SI joint) when I needed better sleep.

I know certain analgesics target certain types of pain and not others, but this one is straight zeros for me.

Could that be a real thing??

Any comments on this? Could I be resistant to this opioid analgesic?

 

[Quickstatus]

Could it be that the stitches have to last quite a long time such as several weeks? Or more?

All of the heavy duty stitches that structurally hold the wound together is under the skin and are never removed. They may be dissolving or non dissolving. The dissolving one takes weeks to sometimes months to dissolve. The only stitches that are removed are non dissolving ditches for the skin. The skin stitches are not structural - they don't carry any load except for holding the skin together.

 

[Quickstatus]

Could I be resistant to this opioid analgesic?

It's a weaker analgesic overall. Maybe they didn't give you enough - that would be the main reason why a painkiller did not work.

 

[Seat0B]

I'd thought I'd be back to work this week but hadn't anticipated how much the surgery and meds would take it out of me

Reminds me of when I had my first knee replacement.

Ortho said I'd be fine and back to everything after 6 weeks. I was not! It was more like 12 weeks to be functional and really 12 months before I felt normal again. Anyway, a few years later I was seeing him about my second knee and he said "oh damn, another patient with a pink spot on their file!"
I was a bit worried and asked him what a pink spot on the file meant. He said "another patient I have to apologise to! You see, I've now had my own knee replaced and I cannot believe I ever told anyone they would be perfectly fine in 6 weeks. It's amazing how much the surgery, the meds and the need to recover from years of limping and protecting the knee take out of you!"

 

[drron]

I chose my ortho wisely. He was very pleased that I was fine and better range of movement of my knee than pre op at 6 weeks. I didn't have the heart to tell him that after Mrsdrron fell and broke her ankle 3 days after I got home from my TKR I had ditched the crutches and driving the car. I was back to normal.

 

[RooFlyer]

Reminds me of when I had my first knee replacement.

and me after my hernia operation and operation on big toe for arthritis. Both "six weeks and back to normal" and for the hernia "yes, you can be back at the gym at six weeks". Absolute BS - never looked like it.

@drron did you have any views on whether, in general, surgeons in Tasmania are as good as others you may have come across elsewhere? next time I have to have surgery, I am honestly going to ask if I can have it done in Melbourne or Sydney (but not just because of recovery time BS).

 

[drron]

In Launceston the best surgeon is a woman but her interests are breast surgery and endocrine surgery.
There was a brilliant young surgeon in Burnie but he got knifed by a Burnie surgeon so he and his physician wife moved to rural Victoria. He was from Iraq so had to be supervised for 12 months. That was supposed to be by the Burnie surgeon.. He didn't sign off on his supervision. So I am of no help.

 

[JohnK]

My wife's ring finger near the nail has been red and swollen since back from Thailand. We think from lemon tree thorn in SanPaTong last week and maybe thorn stuck inside.

Saw doctor last week and he ordered x-ray and course of Keflex. X-ray negative for anything stuck inside. Now lots of pus and still extremely painful. Paronychia?

 

[andye]

My wife's ring finger near the nail has been red and swollen since back from Thailand. We think from lemon tree thorn in SanPaTong last week and maybe thorn stuck inside.

Saw doctor last week and he ordered x-ray and course of Keflex. X-ray negative for anything stuck inside. Now lots of pus and still extremely painful. Paronychia?

View attachment 397465

Can't see if it is connected to nailbed but if so agree paronychia. Would benefit from incision and drainage and clean out as not everything will be seen on xray

 

[JohnK]

Can't see if it is connected to nailbed but if so agree paronychia. Would benefit from incision and drainage and clean out as not everything will be seen on xray

Thanks. We're going back to GP this afternoon. The redness started off on the side of the nail.