General Medical issues thread

[Pushka]

Do you have Scottish or Northern European ancestry? I carry one gene, you need 2 to tango via genes C282Y and/or H63D carried by one or both parent.

I have just one of the genes as does my brother. I have a mix of Scandinavian and British (Welsh, Middle UK) ancestry.

 

[Flashback]

My father was in the local rag for having given in excess of 550+ blood donations, not a bad effort.

 

[Pushka]

My father was in the local rag for having given in excess of 550+ blood donations, not a bad effort.

Unsung heroes.

 

[Flashback]

Unsung heroes.

Lots of unsung heroes around this trap, too. In a few moments of madness.....

 

[SuePa]

My father was in the local rag for having given in excess of 550+ blood donations, not a bad effort.

An amazing contribution!
The Red Cross doesn't want my blood because I spent too much time in Britain during the 'mad cow' outbreak in the 80s. Pity, I'm O negative, the universal donor.

 

[suze2000]

The mad cow prohibition frustrates my husband too. I mean, surely after 30 years, it's unlikely you'd have nvCJD?

 

[Pushka]

The mad cow prohibition frustrates my husband too. I mean, surely after 30 years, it's unlikely you'd have nvCJD?

Apparently it can take decades to present itself and there is no way of detecting it.

 

[cove]

They won’t take my blood as they said I am in a high risk category when I presented to donate.

 

[SuePa]

The mad cow prohibition frustrates my husband too. I mean, surely after 30 years, it's unlikely you'd have nvCJD?

Yes, it feels like a waste, but apparently they can't screen for it, so better safe than sorry, I suppose.

 

[Toula92122]

Husband had a total ankle replacement last week. He was considered young for the operation only being 50s, however after a motorcycle accident in his youth he has been living in pain and with limited mobility for 30+ years. He had no cartilage left and his ankle was bone on bone. With advances made in technology, a year ago the only option was a fusion. However they worked out what was lowering success rates on replacement and low and behold suddenly he was in line for replacement. It all happened very fast as with CV elective surgery ceased. As soon as it elective surgery was opened his operation was brought forward. So with two weeks notice it was decided to commit and make it happen in case CV kicked off again and surgeries being cancelled.. We are now one week post operation. After an overnight stay he was sent home. He is 80% tapered off pain meds. As he is non weight bearing for foreseeable future I've switched to the roll of being a full time carer, 1 week down 8 weeks to go. Not sure how chirpy and calm I will be at the end. Interesting part of the procedure is they insert some part which DH may wear out due to his youth. Was described when needed it changing it will be like having his brake pads in his car replaced.

To anyone who is a full time carer or medical staff you have my admiration. It's damn hard work

 

[OZDUCK]

I have just had a 'Telephone Consultation' with my Urologist discussing my resident Kidney Stone. They have been a recurring problem for me for the last 10 or so years. This latest one was diagnosed about 14 months ago after I passed a small stone, very quickly and almost painlessly, when I was in Brunei in February 2019. It was 8mm, so unlikely to be passed, and non-obstructive.

An ultrasound on Monday showed that it has not grown or moved since it was first spotted. I have had no symptoms. My Urologist is very much a 'watchful waiting' type so I will now get another scan in 12 months to see how it is going. This suits me fine and is actually what I expected to hear. I did not enjoy having a previous Ureteroscopy done, especially having a stent for a couple of weeks.

 

[mrsterryn]

I had a face to face with my GP today. My blood pressure was the best it has been in a long time. 120/80. He didn't believe and actually waited to see if it would rise lol
Husband has his usual MRI scheduled for Sept . His neurosurgeon offered a tele conference for his last appt but without the MRI results there is no point. It is a monitoring of the tumour growth

 

[tgh]

I have very labile bp and would never trust one reading ; in fact I need half a dozen readings over different times of the day and physical state to form a view.
The GP seldom bothers to take it because it usually escalates when the puts the cuff on.
For all that I am quite honest with him and would be there in a flash if the average was creeping up.

 

[prozac]

I have very labile bp and would never trust one reading ; in fact I need half a dozen readings over different times of the day and physical state to form a view.
The GP seldom bothers to take it because it usually escalates when the puts the cuff on.
For all that I am quite honest with him and would be there in a flash if the average was creeping up.

White Coat Syndrome. Some of us also experience this.

 

[Pushka]

White Coat Syndrome. Some of us also experience this.

Tell me about it. It's quite embarrassing really.

 

[tgh]

bbbbut.. how many folks with perfectly acceptable average bp are on strong pills based on a high reading.
My bp is labile, it's not as simple as wc syndrome
Machines are cheap and reliable.

 

[prozac]

I am always lower after I walk from the doctors office to the chemist where there is a self-use machine guaranteed to be accurate to withing 3% Hg.

 

[Pushka]

bbbbut.. how many folks with perfectly acceptable average bp are on strong pills based on a high reading.
My bp is labile, it's not as simple as wc syndrome
Machines are cheap and reliable.

Mine was tested when I was in recovery and sedated so it should have been lower but it wasn't.

 

[drron]

There is also the opposite of the white coat syndrome.Some peoples BP can be lower in the presence of a doctor.Not nearly as common but has been described.
But tgh is right.Get a BP monitor but make sure it remains accurate.I always encouraged people to bring in their monitors and we would both measure blood pressure.Mostly the readings were very close.

 

[SuePa]

My bp is usually low.
I sometimes faint when having blood taken.