General Medical issues thread

[Katie]

FIL last night discussing he's finding it hard to sleep. Has some sleep pills (not sure where from), but won't take them so he doesn't get addicted to them.

He is 85, has heart failure, GP just refused to certify him for his driver's license ... at this stage of his life, addiction to sleeping tablets should be the last of his worries! I encouraged him to try melatonin (and not the bottle of melatonin MIL bought in SIN on our trip in 2011 that she still has!!!) or better yet - speak to one of his doctors.

Well, my encouragement to try melatonin bit me yesterday. FIL reported that he followed my suggestion, then didn't sleep all night (he had some circadin from his last hospital admission). Worst night's sleep of his life. So I guess I'm demoted to worst DIL.

I'll suggest he discusses with a pharmacist or doctor. He said the circadin worked beautifully in hospital, so sounds like time to discuss with someone who knows more than me.

 

[Flashback]

Well, my encouragement to try melatonin bit me yesterday. FIL reported that he followed my suggestion, then didn't sleep all night (he had some circadin from his last hospital admission). Worst night's sleep of his life. So I guess I'm demoted to worst DIL.

I'll suggest he discusses with a pharmacist or doctor. He said the circadin worked beautifully in hospital, so sounds like time to discuss with someone who knows more than me.

I can't say Melatonin has ever done much for me.

In some good news, at least timelines are being accelerated now - CT scan of the lung happened today and biopsy next Wednesday, then both results a week after. 2 days later Mrs FB and I are on the plane down to PER anyway....

 

[RooFlyer]

I'll suggest he discusses with a pharmacist or doctor. He said the circadin worked beautifully in hospital, so sounds like time to discuss with someone who knows more than me.

Melatonin isn't 'knockout', just the hormone that encourages sleep. If you weren't going to get much sleep in a night, melatonin won't help much.

I use it very regularly.

 

[Pushka]

I can't say Melatonin has ever done much for me.

In some good news, at least timelines are being accelerated now - CT scan of the lung happened today and biopsy next Wednesday, then both results a week after. 2 days later Mrs FB and I are on the plane down to PER anyway....

DIL swears by it but only the stuff you buy in the UK. I tried it - circadian - and hated it.

Best wishes for test results. You will be pleased to get here as will parents to see you in Oz.

 

[Flashback]

DIL swears by it but only the stuff you buy in the UK. I tried it - circadian - and hated it.

Best wishes for test results. You will be pleased to get here as will parents to see you in Oz.

Flipside of that, is the trip they had booked over here (including side trips to Iceland, Portugal and Sri Lanka (which we were also going on - as a long stopover for them on the way home, and us following them from the UK after they leave)) will need to be cancelled now due to the likely timeline/schedule for treament........ although I suppose I'll look at reschedule costs but cancellation via TI may end up better off. I'm doing a wait and see (for now) on the Greenland cruise trip, but all going well they should still be fine for that.

 

[Pushka]

Flipside of that, is the trip they had booked over here (including side trips to Iceland, Portugal and Sri Lanka (which we were also going on - as a long stopover for them on the way home, and us following them from the UK after they leave)) will need to be cancelled now due to the likely timeline/schedule for treament........ although I suppose I'll look at reschedule costs but cancellation via TI may end up better off. I'm doing a wait and see (for now) on the Greenland cruise trip, but all going well they should still be fine for that.

Yep. Priorities come into play.

 

[Katie]

Melatonin isn't 'knockout', just the hormone that encourages sleep. If you weren't going to get much sleep in a night, melatonin won't help much.

I use it very regularly.

Exactly. I'm now wondering if circadin were the "sleeping pills" he was worried about becoming addicted to ...

 

[prozac]

Reported on Newsdotcom today, a study titled “Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain,” has captured brain activity occurring both during, and after, the transition to death. Frontiers | Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain
"This discovery potentially proves the deathbed phenomenon often referred to as the “life recall”, a rare occurrence widely reported by those who have had near-death experiences (NDE).
Those who have had a life recall, also known as “life review”, say they saw their entire life play out in a rapid manifestation of autobiographical memory.
Many describe it as seeing their entire existence “flash before their eyes”."

In 2020 the day following open heart surgery I was in ICU and experienced complete loss of consciousness for around 8-9hrs. When I came round in a room full of medical staff, straight away one of the doctors asked if I had seen anything. Yes disturbing esp. following his welcoming comment, "Mr Prozac, there is nothing to worry about"! I saw alot of strange images but nothing I'd claim as a "life review". Certainly no white light. I think that puts me in the Kerry Packer camp.

 

[prozac]

MsProzac home from 2yrs in US but only for a month, then she returns to work in PHL. Been running her around to medical appointments which she ignores in US. Seeing her sleep/respiratory specialist today she first started with a tech in a different room for lung function tests. During the test she was given Ventolin. Not long after completion we are sitting in the corridor waiting for the specialist. She starts rubbing her throat and becoming distressed. Lips tingly, hands shaking. I sat and watched for a while before she begins to turn red and I go and collect the receptionist who gets the specialist who has a look and says i'll deal with it when I see her in a few minutes. Her face is going red and she is slumping in the chair and now tears are runnoing down her cheeks. I tell him he needs to do something right away. He grabs a puffer from his fridge supply and she takes a few puffs. Within minutes she is feeling better.
Such a drama queen.

 

[Flashback]

I can't say Melatonin has ever done much for me.

In some good news, at least timelines are being accelerated now - CT scan of the lung happened today and biopsy next Wednesday, then both results a week after. 2 days later Mrs FB and I are on the plane down to PER anyway....

Have just been on the phone with Mother FB; who clarified for me it's definitely lung cancer, it's more so a matter of whether it is a separate one (slightly better if so - get in and start nuking it right away) or whether it's spread through the blood from the prostate. The PET scan 'lit up like a Christmas tree', I'm told. Now it's a waiting game and hopefully by the time I land in PER will know what the treatment plan is and the timelines.

I wonder if the travel insurance policy will allow cancellation of most (but not all elements), so that I could perhaps reschedule the UL J flights CGK-LHR/CDG-CGK.

 

[prozac]

Have just been on the phone with Mother FB; who clarified for me it's definitely lung cancer, it's more so a matter of whether it is a separate one (slightly better if so - get in and start nuking it right away) or whether it's spread through the blood from the prostate. The PET scan 'lit up like a Christmas tree', I'm told. Now it's a waiting game and hopefully by the time I land in PER will know what the treatment plan is and the timelines.

I wonder if the travel insurance policy will allow cancellation of most (but not all elements), so that I could perhaps reschedule the UL J flights CGK-LHR/CDG-CGK.

I was recently speaking with a woman whilst we were waiting to have bloods taken. She was probably mid-late 70's. She told me she is on a trial for a lung cancer drug and it is working, her tumour/s are reducing in size.

 

[Flashback]

I was recently speaking with a woman whilst we were waiting to have bloods taken. She was probably mid-late 70's. She told me she is on a trial for a lung cancer drug and it is working, her tumour/s are reducing in size.

Is that instead of radio therapy and/or other therapies?

 

[prozac]

Is that instead of radio therapy and/or other therapies?

We weren't talking long but I understood it is chemo treatment.
Chemo is getting better all the time. In my case it unexpectedly completely reduced the size of the non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in my chest to nothing so I did not need to undergo radiotherapy that had been planned.

 

[Flashback]

We weren't talking long but I understood it is chemo treatment.

Got it. Alright, no point me sitting here going through all the scenarios - let's see what happens in 2 weeks time