General Medical issues thread

[RooFlyer]

Consensus was a white tailed spider, but I didn't see it, or feel it.

Unless Mrs QF WP intends rummaging around in my garden, tell her she'll be perfectly safe! For comparison, Google Lime disease and visiting the USA. Came through that horror unscathed

 

[penegal]

I am not sure one would travel to Tassie for the beaches, but it certainly does have some amazing landscapes, and sensational fresh local produce to enjoy.

Well over 20 trips to the apple isle, and no creepy crawly encounters here...

 

[VPS]

Consensus was a white tailed spider, but I didn't see it, or feel it.

Unless Mrs QF WP intends rummaging around in my garden, tell her she'll be perfectly safe! For comparison, Google Lime disease and visiting the USA. Came through that horror unscathed

Do you mean Lyme Disease - don't open that can of worms

 

[RooFlyer]

Do you mean Lyme Disease - don't open that can of worms

That's it. I was just making the point that its rife in USA but no-one gives it a second thought as a risk when visiting (until you go to give blood here )

 

[VPS]

There's a huge number of people that believe we have Lyme disease in Australia and many of the medical profession deny it so some people get medication for treating it from the US and they say it helps. The jury is still out.

I'm still not allowed to give blood because I lived in the UK for more than six months in the 80s and am potentially a mad cow

 

[RooFlyer]

I have haemochromatosis and give blood regularly as a therapy.

" You know you are a frequent flyer when" ... the Red Cross interviewer automatically reaches for the manual of world diseases when your walk through the door

 

[Pushka]

There's a huge number of people that believe we have Lyme disease in Australia and many of the medical profession deny it so some people get medication for treating it from the US and they say it helps. The jury is still out.

I'm still not allowed to give blood because I lived in the UK for more than six months in the 80s and am potentially a mad cow

Well, some might say some parts of your post are correct

 

[tgh]

Street talk is that ticks carry and spread Lyme

 

[cove]

It was fun getting a kangaroo tick out of Mrscove. Doctor’s tweezers did the work that hot treatment failed.

 

[suze2000]

Been in the UK for two weeks, been sick for more than one of them.

Just a virus in throat and sinuses ,but the coughing and fevers have been debilitating, and I've stated refusing to do things out of fear of getting CFS.

Stay away from nieces and nephews with the plague, no matter how cute they are!

 

[Renato1]

That's it. I was just making the point that its rife in USA but no-one gives it a second thought as a risk when visiting (until you go to give blood here )

View attachment 149466

Lymes disease is also rife in the Veneto region of Italy - where we spend the majority of our vacation time.
Regards,
Renato

 

[drron]

Yes the majority of proven Lyme disease cases in Australia were picked up in Europe.

 

[tgh]

define proven…

There is a strong social "belief" that medicine is in denial about Lyme..

 

[blackcat20]

Passed my glucose tolerance test with flying colours this week. Thank goodness as I would hate to have to drink that sugary drink again

 

[drron]

define proven…

There is a strong social "belief" that medicine is in denial about Lyme..

Testing at the recommended laboratory in Brisbane with back up immunological testing.
When the "chronic Lyme"sufferers are studied they are diagnosed by a small group of doctors with the bloods sent to unregistered labs in the USA usually.The problem is some are then diagnosed with definite neurological disease such as motor neurone disease.Or in one case I was involved in proven coeliac disease.

 

[JohnK]

Right thumb numb/pins and needles for past 2 days. Not carpel tunnel syndrome. Perhaps overuse in Thailand, I was suffering from swollen hands all trip. Perhaps my diabetes.

I may go see GP but is it easy to diagnose issue without visiting neurologist?

 

[juddles]

Right thumb numb/pins and needles for past 2 days. Not carpel tunnel syndrome. Perhaps overuse in Thailand, I was suffering from swollen hands all trip. Perhaps my diabetes.

I may go see GP but is it easy to diagnose issue without visiting neurologist?

JohnK, I think self-diagnosis via "the internet" is not an exact science I remember when the internet came in and doctors would roll their eyes when you, as a patient, dared to express some medical opinion because you had "read it on the internet". But I do think that self-research is a very valid part of modern medical treatment.

Don't think of it as trying to work out exactly what you suffer. Instead, use it to try to identify a range of possible realities. Then use some time before an appointment with a real doctor to explore what you have learnt. Many doctors have a fairly limited time period with you during the consultation to really get your input. So if you can identify a few things that could possibly cause your symptoms, read up on these and see what can prove/disprove such diagnosis. Not to "identify" the issue, but to help you in that appointment to answer fully questions the doctor may ask.

Rely on your doctor to actually know more than you do about medical things, but also know that that same doctor needs to glean info from you - so the better you can do your part of this equation, the better he or she can do with their side.

 

[Pushka]

JohnK you also mentioned way upthread you only tell your doctor one symptom each visit. That makes it impossible for them to come up with a proper diagnosis. Maybe it’s time to write everything down, including time of day and include any relevant activities and let them decide what is relevant and important and what isn’t.

 

[Pushka]

I’m off for an eye test today. I’m not worried about vision so much but have two things I need to check. Vision can be impacted by plaquenil which is one of the medications taken for lupus autoimmune, but I have a choroidal nevus (mole in the back of the eye) than can potentially develop into melanoma so that has been tracked for a few years now. I can’t see it, it can only be seen by the optical studies. Hopefully all fine.

 

[JohnK]

JohnK you also mentioned way upthread you only tell your doctor one symptom each visit. That makes it impossible for them to come up with a proper diagnosis. Maybe it’s time to write everything down, including time of day and include any relevant activities and let them decide what is relevant and important and what isn’t.

Not one symptom but generally discuss one issue at at a time. Doctor is aware of history and medications.