General Medical issues thread

[love_the_life]

I find it disturbing that this is visible on the world wide web. I believe there is already a thread on AFF that is only visible to AFF members so it should not be difficult to arrange the same status for this thread. Maybe include a minimum of say 100 posts before you can view this thread.

That's the Member Chit Chat thread.

 

[Seat0B]

Someone asked me why I shared so much on this thread. Yes, I know I have opened up a bit since about this time last year. Well. here's the thing. By sharing I had a persistent cough drron suggested I needed a chest xray and certain bloods. It probably seemed harmless enough to everyone else, and to me too. For a bloke it was an annoyance, but ultimately it turned into an emergency with my airways closing. My doctor's partner was on duty whilst my long time doc was away enjoying himself on holidays. How inconvenience. I ended up in hospital in a rush with a battery of tests. My point is we might feel like we we are whinging but we could discover something important and so might other AFFers.
I'd be more comfortable if this thread was only visible to AFF members who have logged in.

And I also share for the same reason. My totally dismissed common symptoms turned out to be leukaemia. We who are not medical doctors should not try to self diagnose but MUST self advocate when things are not right.
I’ve appreciated the kind, common sense of some of our medical members here @Quickstatus, @drron, @MARTINE and @andye to mention a few.
And I also truly appreciate the kind and genuine support and understanding by so many others here. You know who you are, and I am so grateful to have you in my virtual life.

 

[Pushka]

And I also share for the same reason. My totally dismissed common symptoms turned out to be leukaemia. We who are not medical doctors should not try to self diagnose but MUST self advocate when things are not right.
I’ve appreciated the kind, common sense of some of our medical members here @Quickstatus, @drron, @MARTINE and @andye to mention a few.
And I also truly appreciate the kind and genuine support and understanding by so many others here. You know who you are, and I am so grateful to have you in my virtual life.

And it's such a relief to find a Medical person who listens and doesn't ignore or makes assumptions.

The one thing that I find hard is the dismissal of young women who report breast issues and who are assumed to be too young, and young people in general with bowel issues. Again, assumed to be too young. This isn't helped by the testing guidelines which suggest both are old pepole diseases. But should not go on to be presumed that they are only old people diseases.

Endometriosis is another. I had it. I would faint in pain. Even my mother told me it was normal and just live with it. I fainted at my Uni graduation dinner. My future MIL was a Matron, and future husband and I graduated together so she was there and saw it. She told my future husband that it was just something women got every month and not to worry. My Grandmother was the one who thought something wasn't right but no one would listen to her.

 

[MARTINE]

And it's such a relief to find a Medical person who listens and doesn't ignore or makes assumptions.

The one thing that I find hard is the dismissal of young women who report breast issues and who are assumed to be too young, and young people in general with bowel issues. Again, assumed to be too young. This isn't helped by the testing guidelines which suggest both are old pepole diseases. But should not go on to be presumed that they are only old people diseases.

Endometriosis is another. I had it. I would faint in pain. Even my mother told me it was normal and just live with it. I fainted at my Uni graduation dinner. My future MIL was a Matron, and future husband and I graduated together so she was there and saw it. She told my future husband that it was just something women got every month and not to worry. My Grandmother was the one who thought something wasn't right but no one would listen to her.

Sadly - hearing this really is disappointing but not surprising. Much as I hate to do it, when friends or family members speak to me about a concerning symptom dismissed — I encourage (gently) a 2nd opinion. In one instance I was so concerned about the delay for following up a family member I referred them myself to a colleague and they had their cancer surgery within a week. I had tried to speak to the specialist to whom they were referred (who gave an appt 3 months out -after referral from GP) but they would not return calls.
Feel assured that most doctors do a really good job and want to provide excellence in care. Time and remuneration needed to do it is a challenge.

Look after yourself, know your body, become increasingly health-literate and stay away from DrGoogle (cyberchondria). Finding a good dr who works with you is the aim (and a challenge) — technical competence, transparency of advice, willingness to take the time to understand your concerns and answer questions and reassure appropriately is not easy

Good luck.

 

[prozac]

"cyberchondria". How long before this is added to the dictionary. Great new term @MARTINE

 

[MARTINE]

"cyberchondria". How long before this is added to the dictionary. Great new term @MARTINE

I actually heard it at a lecture over a decade ago but never found a better explanation!

 

[tgh]

stay away from DrGoogle

I opine that DR.G has done a lot for human survival.
For every hypochondriac who is titillated by the possibilities there are a thousand who are empowered by the knowlege.
GP's now field a range of empowered supplicants , many who present quality symptom summaries that assist diagnosis
Around the world there is often a lack of quality medical advice and DR.G delivers some help where there may have been none.
Of course the alternate lobby has made hay and the quacks thrive.. but facebook et al does the same for the health of society.

 

[MARTINE]

stay away from DrGoogle

I opine that DR.G has done a lot for human survival.
For every hypochondriac who is titillated by the possibilities there are a thousand who are empowered by the knowlege.
GP's now field a range of empowered supplicants , many who present quality symptom summaries that assist diagnosis
Around the world there is often a lack of quality medical advice and DR.G delivers some help where there may have been none.
Of course the alternate lobby has made hay and the quacks thrive.. but facebook et al does the same for the health of society.

You make a fair point
Increasing health literacy by reading credentialed information from websites such AntiCancerCouncil/Heart Foundation/the literature put out by the colleges etc I fully support and then appropriate followup.
Non-contextual Information and some of the stuff on the net can be c—p that either falsely reassures or provides dangerous quackery. The ‘wellness’ movement has much to answer for…separate topic
Ultimately if your dr is not giving you advice that is needed to be sourced from google - I would seek a 2nd opinion.
Also -always keep reports/investigations etc in a file and diarise useful information

 

[Pushka]

And it's such a relief to find a Medical person who listens and doesn't ignore or makes assumptions.

The one thing that I find hard is the dismissal of young women who report breast issues and who are assumed to be too young, and young people in general with bowel issues. Again, assumed to be too young. This isn't helped by the testing guidelines which suggest both are old pepole diseases. But should not go on to be presumed that they are only old people diseases.

Endometriosis is another. I had it. I would faint in pain. Even my mother told me it was normal and just live with it. I fainted at my Uni graduation dinner. My future MIL was a Matron, and future husband and I graduated together so she was there and saw it. She told my future husband that it was just something women got every month and not to worry. My Grandmother was the one who thought something wasn't right but no one would listen to her.

I was just a teenager and mum avoided Drs. I knew in my twenties there was actually an issue not me being a hypochondriac. Had danazol which was horrible. All sorted now after hyster.

 

[Himeno]

stay away from DrGoogle

I opine that DR.G has done a lot for human survival.
For every hypochondriac who is titillated by the possibilities there are a thousand who are empowered by the knowlege.
GP's now field a range of empowered supplicants , many who present quality symptom summaries that assist diagnosis
Around the world there is often a lack of quality medical advice and DR.G delivers some help where there may have been none.
Of course the alternate lobby has made hay and the quacks thrive.. but facebook et al does the same for the health of society.

My GP uses google to help explain what he is telling people. Instead of just pointing at an arm, he can pull up an image from google and show how the muscle/nerve/whatever could be causing the problem.

 

[MARTINE]

My GP uses google to help explain what he is telling people. Instead of just pointing at an arm, he can pull up an image from google and show how the muscle/nerve/whatever could be causing the problem.

I agree
Its like drawing a picture or showing you information from a book as they explain whats going on and is very effective

 

[drron]

NBack in the day I had models of hearts, lungs, kidneys, back and joints that you could take apart and show your patient. Much better than a picture in a book.
But from the other side of the desk the great majority of people who had diagnosed their illness through Dr. google had a misdiagnosis but the amount of time and unnecessary tests that were insisted upon was terrible.

 

[tgh]

Times have changed, half the over 50's in the nation are probably on hypertension meds based on an occasional white coat reading.
I and I assume others now flash the current graph off my phone and that average reading is accepted.
Interesting enough the stent killed my mild hypertension stone dead and now its a tad low
Soon we will have realtime b/s and ecg monitoring ; add Dr Google and who needs gp's...

 

[Pushka]

Times have changed, half the over 50's in the nation are probably on hypertension meds based on an occasional white coat reading.
I and I assume others now flash the current graph off my phone and that average reading is accepted.
Interesting enough the stent killed my mild hypertension stone dead and now its a tad low
Soon we will have realtime b/s and ecg monitoring ; add Dr Google and who needs gp's...

And AI.

 

[Quickstatus]

stay away from DrGoogle

BBBbbuutt how else do I give good info in this thread

I had models of hearts, lungs, kidneys, back and joint

I still have a half skeleton in the attic complete with a full skull
No not a pretend a real one

 

[Himeno]

BBBbbuutt how else do I give good info in this thread

I still have a half skeleton in the attic complete with a full skull
No not a pretend a real one

donate body to science
end up in Quickstatus's attic.

 

[love_the_life]

donate body to science
end up in Quickstatus's attic.

Bit of a queue here for people wanting to donate their body after death - have to contact that uni to see how many they have on their books. It all got a bit hard so that outcome is not in our wills.

 

[drron]

Times have changed, half the over 50's in the nation are probably on hypertension meds based on an occasional white coat reading.
I and I assume others now flash the current graph off my phone and that average reading is accepted.
Interesting enough the stent killed my mild hypertension stone dead and now its a tad low
Soon we will have realtime b/s and ecg monitoring ; add Dr Google and who needs gp's...

Because you absolutely need a person to interpret what the patient is saying. I can remember some absolute doozies. One patient was sent in complaining of palpipations. and I tried to get out of him exactly what it felt like. exasperated I ended up with my usual question when dealing with palpitations. "Can you pat out for me exactly what the heart is doing." It's not my heart doc it's palpitations." "So where do you get palpitations then" "In my legs of course. They shake."
Dr. Google doesn't know when to ask the right question and often even know the right question. There have a lready been several aps to make diagnoses. They have all done less well than the good humble GP.

 

[Flashback]

I seem to get an unusually high amount of tummy issues, with the associated pains and expulsions associated with it. Got it again, had for a day or so just before I arrived back in TLE, then again this morning now that I'm in MRU. Always wash my hands, drink bottled water, use knife and fork to eat, don't eat salad (even when at a high end restaurant that uses filtered water) etc. Is it possible there's some other underlying issue that's laying dormant and gets triggered/pops its head up? Needless to say I'm spending today in bed / close to the bathroom (again) .. ! Annoying. Better check my first aid kit to see if I still have some rehydration sachets left.

 

[prozac]

But of a queue here for people wanting to donate their body after death - have to contact that uni to see how many they have on their books. It all got a bit hard so that outcome is not in our wills.

And you save on funeral costs.