General Medical issues thread

[JohnK]

Hang up and call again doesn't only apply to airline customer care.

I booked echocardiagram for end this month and cost $80.

Called iMed today and they bulk bill but first appointment is next month.

Called Wesley Imaging who are related to iMed who referred me to Heart Care partners and they charge $410 with about half rebate from Medicare. I mentioned I'm looking for anyone bulk billing and iMed bulk bills and she asks for referring doctor and when I want echoCardiogram and I now have a fully bulk billed appointment tomorrow lunchtime.

And now I'm nervous.

 

[love_the_life]

Hang up and call again doesn't only apply to airline customer care.

I booked echocardiagram for end this month and cost $80.

Called iMed today and they bulk bill but first appointment is next month.

Called Wesley Imaging who are related to iMed who referred me to Heart Care partners and they charge $410 with about half rebate from Medicare. I mentioned I'm looking for anyone bulk billing and iMed bulk bills and she asks for referring doctor and when I want echoCardiogram and I now have a fully bulk billed appointment tomorrow lunchtime.

And now I'm nervous.

Hope all goes well. Best to know I think.

 

[love_the_life]

Friend whose friend (lives in house but mate not a partner) has had bad news. He had been told the liver lesions were secondaries but now knows that the primary is a terminal oesophageal cancer. Poor bloke - he is only 61 and really doesn't deserve this (does anyone?). Still in shock and my friend as well. Waiting to hear from the oncologist at the hospital as to what palliative treatment they suggest but of course it's only a matter of time. Devastating.
This friend is one of my oldest. We have travelled together and I took her to organise the funeral of her husband when he died after a long illness. She got on so well with this chap and he moved in to pay rent at her place - was good company for her. So sad.

 

[Pushka]

Friend whose friend (lives in house but mate not a partner) has had bad news. He had been told the liver lesions were secondaries but now knows that the primary is a terminal oesophageal cancer. Poor bloke - he is only 61 and really doesn't deserve this (does anyone?). Still in shock and my friend as well. Waiting to hear from the oncologist at the hospital as to what palliative treatment they suggest but of course it's only a matter of time. Devastating.
This friend is one of my oldest. We have travelled together and I took her to organise the funeral of her husband when he died after a long illness. She got on so well with this chap and he moved in to pay rent at her place - was good company for her. So sad.

That’s brutal for everyone. Not much more to say really.

 

[JohnK]

I wasn't aware but Dad back on Targin. If I recall correctly this was the drug that almost killed him a few years ago.

Last Saturday dad went to the kitchen and wanted his fillet of fish that mum had cooked. Mum hadn't started cooking yet but dad was convinced the fillets of fish were cooked. I cannot believe his long term GP actually prescribed this medication for him. I'd be also concerned of the effects of this combined with Lyrica.

 

[JohnM]

Hang up and call again doesn't only apply to airline customer care.

I booked echocardiagram for end this month and cost $80.

Called iMed today and they bulk bill but first appointment is next month.

Called Wesley Imaging who are related to iMed who referred me to Heart Care partners and they charge $410 with about half rebate from Medicare. I mentioned I'm looking for anyone bulk billing and iMed bulk bills and she asks for referring doctor and when I want echoCardiogram and I now have a fully bulk billed appointment tomorrow lunchtime.

And now I'm nervous.

Call me weird, but @JohnK and with respect, do all your health diagnosis and curative decisions revolve around whether the service is bulk-billed or not? I'd suggest some self-imposed preventative health management activities and programs may avoid the need to even have them at all.

But I'm only about half as old as you again and take no medications at all. If I do need to see a medico, I just do it without dithering around for a 'deal'...

Maybe I'm the one who's off the grid....

 

[JohnK]

Call me weird, but @JohnK and with respect, do all your health diagnosis and curative decisions revolve around whether the service is bulk-billed or not? I'd suggest some self-imposed preventative health management activities and programs may avoid the need to even have them at all.

Doctor referred me an echocardiogram. Not sure how I could have avoided that one. If you know a cure for swollen feet, hands and fingers please tell me. I normally don't care but woke up New Years Eve and my right hand/fist was twice the size of the left hand/fist. I have a photo that I showed GP and radiologist today and they were stunned.

So once doctor ordered echocardiogram I'd be silly not to try find a place that bulk bills. I'm not ashamed. Should I feel better if I paid for the echocardiogram? By the way I had that done yesterday.

And while we're at it do you have a cure for ankylosing spondylitis, sacroiliitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, bursitis then please tell.

 

[cove]

JohnM I have to use medication to keep my blood pressure in the 125/65 range. By doing this I am avoiding damage to lots of internal organs. If I had been born in 1929 rather than 1949 I would be dust now.
I am working on losing another 12 kgs as my knees and hips want me to be lighter.
I have a colonoscopy scheduled and I see my cardiologist once a year as safeguards.
In 2018 I lost a school chum who didn’t get a second chance from a heart attack so I will miss him.

 

[love_the_life]

Doctor referred me an echocardiogram. Not sure how I could have avoided that one. If you know a cure for swollen feet, hands and fingers please tell me. I normally don't care but woke up New Years Eve and my right hand/fist was twice the size of the left hand/fist. I have a photo that I showed GP and radiologist today and they were stunned.

So once doctor ordered echocardiogram I'd be silly not to try find a place that bulk bills. I'm not ashamed. Should I feel better if I paid for the echocardiogram? By the way I had that done yesterday.

And while we're at it do you have a cure for ankylosing spondylitis, sacroiliitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, bursitis then please tell.

Any results yet? It sounds like you need a really good rheumatologist to handle your immune disease. Way out of the realm of a GP usually and it can take time finding the best rheumi who will see the whole picture. And it probably won’t be a bulk biller.

 

[piratematerial]

Any results yet? It sounds like you need a really good rheumatologist to handle your immune disease. Way out of the realm of a GP usually and it can take time finding the best rheumi who will see the whole picture. And it probably won’t be a bulk biller.

Yes, I urge you to get a referral from your GP to a rheumatologist to get a diagnosis and treatment plan.

The biologic treatments they can offer are absolutely transformative for a number of autoimmune conditions, but they're expensive so the path to getting them on the PBS is fairly lengthy and should be started asap.

 

[Pushka]

Call me weird, but @JohnK and with respect, do all your health diagnosis and curative decisions revolve around whether the service is bulk-billed or not? I'd suggest some self-imposed preventative health management activities and programs may avoid the need to even have them at all.

But I'm only about half as old as you again and take no medications at all. If I do need to see a medico, I just do it without dithering around for a 'deal'...

Maybe I'm the one who's off the grid....

If you ever meet anyone with a systemic auto immune illness, which JohnK and I have, then the list of required medications taken daily would keep a pharmac_ in business. I even get Christmas cards from our pharmac_ these days. There is another tablet I should take but currently it isn’t being manufactured so is difficult to source. Age has nothing to do with it. My niece who also has lupus and just into her thirties has to take even more than I do.

Yes, I urge you to get a referral from your GP to a rheumatologist to get a diagnosis and treatment plan.

The biologic treatments they can offer are absolutely transformative for a number of autoimmune conditions, but they're expensive so the path to getting them on the PBS is fairly lengthy and should be started asap.

JohnK does see a rheumatologist as do I.

 

[love_the_life]

If you ever meet anyone with a systemic auto immune illness, which JohnK and I have, then the list of required medications taken daily would keep a pharmac_ in business. I even get Christmas cards from our pharmac_ these days. There is another tablet I should take but currently it isn’t being manufactured so is difficult to source. Age has nothing to do with it. My niece who also has lupus and just into her thirties has to take even more than I do.

JohnK does see a rheumatologist as do I.

I know he does but I wonder if it is the best fit for him. There are some who will go all out to develop the best treatment plan and will do a lot of follow up to see how things are, but like all professions, there are some who are a lot more so so. The trick is to find the one who works best for what you need.

I'm not sure what kind of relationship JohnK has with his and his doctor probably is quite good so he is happy there. Of course it is totally his choice to do whatever he wants. But I think if it was me and if things weren't improving or new symptoms appeared then I would be hassling the specialist for another appointment as soon as possible - not waiting for a scheduled one.

Auto immune diseases are one of the most insidious - they attack all over the body, often it seems with no rhyme or reason and every one has a different experience of them. Plain nasty.

Anyway, I've digressed from the original point which was wondering if JohnK had received any results.

 

[Pushka]

I know he does but I wonder if it is the best fit for him. There are some who will go all out to develop the best treatment plan and will do a lot of follow up to see how things are, but like all professions, there are some who are a lot more so so. The trick is to find the one who works best for what you need.

Oh yeah. True. There are some shockers around. But it’s so hard to find a good one. My SIL who works at Flinders Medical Centre had to ask a lot of people to find the one that I and my niece see, then we had to send off our medical notes before she would agree to see us! Then we had to wait 2 months for an appointment. She’s quite fascinated by the genetic stuff so that helped I think.

 

[JohnK]

Any results yet? It sounds like you need a really good rheumatologist to handle your immune disease. Way out of the realm of a GP usually and it can take time finding the best rheumi who will see the whole picture. And it probably won’t be a bulk biller.

A good rheumatologist? Does one exist? I've been on various medications since 1999 including Methotrexate until 2012 and on biologics the past 7-8 years. Last saw rheumatology in October and still waiting next appointment. This is the public system and I find they are slow but they do bulk bill. I also see haematology to follow up in any damage that may have been caused by Methotrexate.

I had the echocardiogram yesterday. No results yet. I have appointment with GP Tuesday.

Let's just say that life with auto-immune is tough but keeps you on your toes. You don't know what's next and they keep finding a new -itis to explain my never ending chronic pains.

 

[piratematerial]

A good rheumatologist? Does one exist? I've been on various medications since 1999 including Methotrexate until 2012 and on biologics the past 7-8 years. Last saw rheumatology in October and still waiting next appointment. This is the public system and I find they are slow but they do bulk bill. I also see haematology to follow up in any damage that may have been caused by Methotrexate.

I had the echocardiogram yesterday. No results yet. I have appointment with GP Tuesday.

Let's just say that life with auto-immune is tough but keeps you on your toes. You don't know what's next and they keep finding a new -itis to explain my never ending chronic pains.

Sorry to hear that. I can only sympathise. I couldn't last more than 3 months on methotrexate, it destroyed me. I've now got a good rheumatologist (not bulk billed but I only go every six months currently) but it sounds like the treatment paths are similar.

 

[tgh]

life with auto-immune is tough

I am sure that is the case for most folks with chronic illness… but it's a whole lot better than the other option…..

 

[Pushka]

Sorry to hear that. I can only sympathise. I couldn't last more than 3 months on methotrexate, it destroyed me. I've now got a good rheumatologist (not bulk billed but I only go every six months currently) but it sounds like the treatment paths are similar.

It’s interesting the different reactions to methotrexate. My niece takes it and it gave her a new burst of life. She calls it her wonder drug. And this is exactly why auto immune issues are hard to diagnose and then treat. The disease itself keeps inventing new issues.

 

[JohnK]

Sorry to hear that. I can only sympathise. I couldn't last more than 3 months on methotrexate, it destroyed me. I've now got a good rheumatologist (not bulk billed but I only go every six months currently) but it sounds like the treatment paths are similar.

I lasted 10-12 years on doses of 15mg Methotrexate which is not necessarily a good thing as it could lead to cirrhosis of the liver. At times like when I had chicken pox had to stay off immune suppresants and the pain was unbearable.

Infliximab was a waste of time.

 

[Renato1]

I wasn't aware but Dad back on Targin. If I recall correctly this was the drug that almost killed him a few years ago.

Last Saturday dad went to the kitchen and wanted his fillet of fish that mum had cooked. Mum hadn't started cooking yet but dad was convinced the fillets of fish were cooked. I cannot believe his long term GP actually prescribed this medication for him. I'd be also concerned of the effects of this combined with Lyrica.

My wife and I were both on Lyrica and Targin last year. We both got very vague and were constantly forgetting things that had been said only a few minutes earlier, and had to concentrate to remember mundane things. We were constantly chuckling at how vague and forgetful we had become. Though it was the Lyrica that produced the vagueness, not the Targin.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Quickstatus]

There are some shockers around. But it’s so hard to find a good one. My SIL who works at Flinders Medical Centre had to ask a lot of people to find the one that I and my niece see, then we had to send off our medical notes before she would agree to see us!

To weed out the fruitcakes..The unfortunate downside of being recommended by lots of people.