General Medical issues thread

[Denali]

Coworker and her daughter have just tested positive to Swine Flu. Now Im on sniffle/fever watch.

 

[Hvr]

Coworker and her daughter have just tested positive to Swine Flu. Now Im on sniffle/fever watch.

I had swine flu many years ago (properly tested and diagnosed) took me many months to fully recover.

 

[Pushka]

Nephew had swine flu a few years ago - only tested him because his mum works in Casualty - he just had a sniffle.

 

[Milboo]

Yes that's it.

Nice work. I was happy I had mine done and that first inhalation once it's all settled down is a bit mind blowing when you're so used to impaired flow!

 

[Milboo]

Psoriatic arthritis? Auto immune. And painful I hear.

That is what has been mentioned given a couple of other things going on.

 

[Pushka]

That is what has been mentioned given a couple of other things going on.

The rheumatologist thought I had psoriasis although a few years ago a dermatologist had diagnosed 'lichen planus'. Off to get a second opinion and came back with lupus related - also only have it in one area which ruled out psoriasis. Itchy as heck!
All auto immune but with different treatments.

Had an eye test today as benchmark for lupus drug. I also have a freckle deep in my eyeball that has been there a couple of years and needs monitoring.

 

[Milboo]

I had a dermatologist tell me a scaly patch on my cheek was psoriasis. Fast forward about 6 years, mentioned it to a new derm and fact it never responded to treatment etc. She took one look at it and went ah yeah...that's not psoriasis, that is a rather large basal cell carcinoma...

 

[Pushka]

I had a dermatologist tell me a scaly patch on my cheek was psoriasis. Fast forward about 6 years, mentioned it to a new derm and fact it never responded to treatment etc. She took one look at it and went ah yeah...that's not psoriasis, that is a rather large basal cell carcinoma...

Oh. Goodness. That is dreadful! Maybe its the same dermatologist!!

 

[love_the_life]

I had a dermatologist tell me a scaly patch on my cheek was psoriasis. Fast forward about 6 years, mentioned it to a new derm and fact it never responded to treatment etc. She took one look at it and went ah yeah...that's not psoriasis, that is a rather large basal cell carcinoma...

That's pretty poor especially from a specialist. Sometimes you wonder if they ever really look carefully or just flick you off.

Mother had something similar (well it was to do with skin and growths anyway). She had a spot on her forehead above her eye which had been there for months. She would get the GP to look at it whenever she was there and when it started to grow she insisted they take a better look. They then diagnosed it as a melanoma though fortunately when it was removed it came back as negative.
As it was it became infected and took months to heal and created damage around the eye so that she needed specialist surgery to allow her to keep the eye open as it would droop. At the time she was nearly 90 and certainly didn't need all that worry.

 

[Denali]

Dizziness - sounds like your crystals have dislodged. Again - can happen at any age.

Was at my Chiro this morning and mentioned the dizziness and he started asking questions and used the exact same medical terminology that Dr Google gave me and I wondered how the heck does someone just know these things to rattle them off.

So we spent some time doing some exercises to dislodge the crystals and got my homework so will see if that fixes the issue.

 

[Pushka]

Its their job?

I thought it was my crystals back in June when I was away for my birthday. It was just after a cough rheumatologist visit and I had given up thinking any of my issues were related. I had looked at the physio videos and tried some of the exercises on those large gym balls in the gym at the hotel. Lay on my back and tilted my head back and promptly fell off - incredibly dizzy. MrP was with me and just suggested I go back and read a book and wait till I got home. Since June the feelings have gradually passed but am careful now in moving quickly. If I lose my central balance I am off with the fairies!

Dame- you will enjoy that I will be much more sedentary on our cruise and not drag you to all sorts of exercise classes!

 

[Denali]

Its their job?

Yeah but there are so many possible issues/diagnosis how does one remember so many, without having to look it up? Im just impressed because it would do my head in.

 

[Pushka]

Yeah but there are so many possible issues/diagnosis how does one remember so many, without having to look it up? Im just impressed because it would do my head in.

I think the crystals thing is a common one though.

I did add to my original post as I thought it sounded a bit harsh

 

[JohnK]

Bruise on the inside of the elbow about an inch from funny bone. Has been there 4-5 days. No idea how I got it and that is not an area you can easily bump? Golf? Have severe tendonitis on the outside of the elbow.

 

[Flying mermaid]

That's pretty poor especially from a specialist. Sometimes you wonder if they ever really look carefully or just flick you off

Does happen unfortunately and with GPs too. Miss FM has had 3 knee operations. When we first noticed that one of her legs was looking a different size to the other, we asked Miss FM to raise it with her specialist at a follow up visit. Of course he looked at the leg he had operated on and said all fine. A few months later we sent her off to her GP to ask why the difference in size. I think he just glanced at the one leg and said all fine. Then I sent her off to physio to get some strengthening exercises - she took one look at the legs and said there is something really wrong and sent her back to her GP with a note. He was very apologetic once he took a good look ..... (He's actually a good GP most of the time). Of course that is when we discovered the permanent nerve and muscle damage.

Another time Master FM had a terrible cough and I was concerned it didn't seem normal. Sent him to the other GP we use. Just a winter cough. Then Dr FM developed it - off to GP same story. Then Mr FM. I think I sent Master FM 3 times, Dr FM twice and Mr FM once (and we are a family who pretty much avoid going to doctors). By this stage I had bowls all over the house as they were coughing so much, they kept throwing up! Then Mr FM flew to Brisbane to look after his Mum who had had an operation- she ended up looking after him and said she was pretty sure he had whooping cough (coming from a generation who had seen it! And before anyone gets uptight - yes the kids were all fully immunised, but they were in their early teens and at that point they hadn't started giving a booster). As soon as Mr FM came home off to the GP to give her Nanna's diagnosis, she tested and put us all on antibiotics and the test came back positive!

Moral of the story - if you think there is something wrong, keep pushing, as often they do just flick you off....

 

[Pushka]

Be your own advocate.

 

[Flashback]

Trip to the GP was interesting today - I figured the usual 10 minute walk shouldn't take too much longer and given I'm off on holidays in a few days had better get used to those kind of walks. 10 minutes got me about a quarter of the way by which point a very lovely lady pulled over and said I looked like I could do with a lift! How lovely! Not so lucky going home, 45 minutes on that leg (pun intended... ha!).

I've been given some naproxen; I think it's ibuprofen beefed up or something. Good news is that the swelling looks to have come down and it's mainly just shades of yellow now so I'm hoping that's a good sign. Onwards and upwards!

Booked assistance with BA, IB and LATAM also just in case.

 

[rogerkambah]

I changed GPs as I felt nothing much was being done. New GP is closer to home and easier to get an appointment.

 

[love_the_life]

I changed GPs as I felt nothing much was being done. New GP is closer to home and easier to get an appointment.

It's hard to find a good GP as a lot of them won't take new patients. Hope this one is worth their salt.

 

[Flashback]

It's hard to find a good GP as a lot of them won't take new patients. Hope this one is worth their salt.

.. and in the UK you can only register at GP's in your area and if you move out of area, it's very rare you're allowed to keep going to the same one! :shock: