General Medical issues thread

[RooFlyer]

In a similar vein, the other day a pathologist was going to refuse to take a blood sample because the specialist didn’t write my date of birth on the form. They said they would be breaking the law if they acted on it and were really not going to do it, until they realised that they’ve seen me many times and I was probably kosher.

Anyway, I told them my date of birth and they wrote it down and of course as one of the identity tests, they asked me my date of birth and address

 

[prozac]

In a similar vein, the other day a pathologist was going to refuse to take a blood sample because the specialist didn’t write my date of birth on the form. They said they would be breaking the law if they acted on it and were really not going to do it, until they realised that they’ve seen me many times and I was probably kosher.

Anyway, I told them my date of birth and they wrote it down and of course as one of the identity tests, they asked me my date of birth and address

Pays to check and recitify like making sure the bulk bill box is ticked.

 

[Quickstatus]

a pathologist was going to refuse to take a blood sample because the specialist didn’t write my date of birth on the form

A refusal to process a blood sample happened to me once.
But this was for an emergency blood transfusion. The patient was slowly bleeding out.
We had incorrectly written the DOB.
No sorry we can't process this - even though the medical record number, patients name and other details correct

It is very understandable as a wrong blood transfusion (using a blood sample from potentially a blood sample from someone else) can be deadly.

 

[Flashback]

A refusal to process a blood sample happened to me once.
But this was for an emergency blood transfusion. The patient was slowly bleeding out.
We had incorrectly written the DOB.
No sorry we can't process this - even though the medical record number, patients name and other details correct

It is very understandable as a wrong blood transfusion (using a blood sample from potentially a blood sample from someone else) can be deadly.

Ah, but we're all just lieing in pods anyway and are part of the Matrix

 

[p--and--t]

Getting old is not fun.

After a fairly healthy life, no mobility issues, and escaping many of the ailments of people in their seventies, this may be my year of annus horriblis.

Since mid Jan
- Both sets of glasses to be replaced new scripts
- Urgent trip interstate to visit dying mother
- GP review visit
- Blood tests
- Ultrasounds
- Urgent recall, referral to Urologist
- New Hearing aid fails, returned to manufacturer
- Skin specialist
- Biopsy
- Urgent recall- SCC result
- Dentist review
- Urologist appt

Upcoming in next month
- Minor Facial surgery scheduled this week to Remove SCC
- Blood tests
- Endocrinologist visit
- Urologist Hospital day surgery, 10 days recovery at home.

Awaiting time to fit in
- Physio appoinfment for aching ankle

No sympathy required, plenty people around me far worse off.

 

[Flashback]

Getting old is not fun.

After a fairly healthy life, no mobility issues, and escaping many of the ailments of people in their seventies, this may be my year of annus horriblis.

Since mid Jan
- Both sets of glasses to be replaced new scripts
- Urgent trip interstate to visit dying mother
- GP review visit
- Blood tests
- Ultrasounds
- Urgent recall, referral to Urologist
- New Hearing aid fails, returned to manufacturer
- Skin specialist
- Biopsy
- Urgent recall- SCC result
- Dentist review
- Urologist appt

Upcoming in next month
- Minor Facial surgery scheduled this week to Remove SCC
- Blood tests
- Endocrinologist visit
- Urologist Hospital day surgery, 10 days recovery at home.

Awaiting time to fit in
- Physio appoinfment for aching ankle

No sympathy required, plenty people around me far worse off.

Urologist.. surgery... 10 days to recover. Prostate related?

 

[Pushka]

Getting old is not fun.

After a fairly healthy life, no mobility issues, and escaping many of the ailments of people in their seventies, this may be my year of annus horriblis.

Since mid Jan
- Both sets of glasses to be replaced new scripts
- Urgent trip interstate to visit dying mother
- GP review visit
- Blood tests
- Ultrasounds
- Urgent recall, referral to Urologist
- New Hearing aid fails, returned to manufacturer
- Skin specialist
- Biopsy
- Urgent recall- SCC result
- Dentist review
- Urologist appt

Upcoming in next month
- Minor Facial surgery scheduled this week to Remove SCC
- Blood tests
- Endocrinologist visit
- Urologist Hospital day surgery, 10 days recovery at home.

Awaiting time to fit in
- Physio appoinfment for aching ankle

No sympathy required, plenty people around me far worse off.

We've noticed it comes in batches. Takes a few months to sort out then some peace for a bit. If lucky.

 

[drron]

2023 was my Annus Horribilis. 2024 no better. Hoping this year is a little better. But I battle on. No point giving up.

 

[TheRealTMA]

2023 was my Annus Horribilis. 2024 no better. Hoping this year is a little better. But I battle on. No point giving up.

As they say…

https://genius.com/James-reyne-any-day-above-ground-lyrics

 

[JohnK]

@JohnK
The issue with Xanax (alprazolam = benzodiazepine):

While i appreciate and empathise with your situation
That Xanax remains on the PBS suggests there is a role for these medicines. However it remains that these medicines are highly risky and highly addictive
In 2014 it was reclassified from S4 to S8 which significantly reduced consumption
In 2017 the PBS pack size was reduced from 50 to 10 with no repeats possible and the tablet reduce from 2mg to 1mg

I know you care and always offer wonderful advice freely.

I've been suffering with depression and similar conditions for 30+ years. I think it's more like 45+ years which is back to pre-teens. Overthinking, OCD, Claustrophobia, panic/anxiety disorder. Treatment is not easy. Most doctors suggest anti-depressants. I have personal experience with Prozac/Zoloft which is not good, avoid at all costs. I've been on Aurorix, never again. I know someone who spent lots of time in hospital and prescribed/administered Lithium. Awful. They are safe now because they passed away 10+ years ago.

My GP prescribed Valium long time ago. My panic/anxiety attacks were bad at the time but they've gotten better over time. When I started flying often in 2003 my GP recommended Xanax as it works quicker.

I don't know if one can say that I'm addicted. Maybe but I never take Xanax unless I need to take it. I never take Xanax just for kicks. The biggest mistake the government made is not offering bulk billed mental health care. Yes some may abuse it but for someone like me it may prove beneficial but unless I present to emergency as suicidal I need to pay through the nose for outpatient psychiatric services. No thanks as it could be a long, long road that could prove very costly but in the end not fix anything.

A psychiatrist said to me 30 years ago "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I said "doing exactly what I'm doing today".

He then said "I can't help you"

I'm sorry but that's dumb advice. You cannot change who you are. Its not that simple. I do not want to change who I am. I am me. I do not want to be someone else. By the way I'm not the same person I was 30 years ago. I now have a family, a beautiful 8 year old daughter who loves to challenge me but I'm still suffering inside. So change has not done much for my depression other than if I go to bed depressed at night, I wake up with a smile on my face when I see my daughter in the morning. The best gift I've had in life and still keep saying "why me?".

I'll be 61 in a few days. Heart attack at 39 and chicken pox at 46 almost killed me but life has other plans. I'm in total control of Xanax consumption. The last panic attack was Nok Air flight last year (June I think) but still suffer from claustrophobia, OCD and overthinking. The Last one is the worst of the lot as I don't have any control. We're not perfect.

Apologies if anyone is bored. Please ignore and move on. It's not easy to understand. Life can be torture for some. Wish I understood it better when I was 12 years old. Life may have been different. Perhaps next simulation will be kinder.

 

[Katie]

My back has been giving me pain (spasms on occasion), so I'm getting an injection into it on Thursday (CT guided injection I think?). My GP advised that I needed to make sure someone else cooked dinner and looked after the kids afterwards. I replied Mr Katie does all the cooking and my only child is legally an adult, so we're good. She was happy.

Though, when I booked in at the scanning centre, they advised that it would not be a good idea to walk the ~500m home afterwards, so Mr Katie will have to take some time off work to chauffeur me.

I have bursitis in both hips, too. I only realised the other night as I was swapping sides to sleep on because my hip was sore - maybe it's the bursitis causing that pain, and it's not just being old and carrying more weight than I care to.
I'm far too used to ignoring pain. GP made me choose between back pain and hip pain to get sorted first ... I chose back pain. Fingers crossed.

I've also made an appt to speak to my GP about my left index finger being sore and stiff every morning, and sometimes throughout the day. My uninformed guess is arthritis.

Some of these will go into my 50 experiences in the year of 50!