General Medical issues thread

[Quickstatus]

I've been managing it with statins ever since.

Have you done a coronary artery calcium score?. It's a CT scan

 

[Pushka]

Have you done a coronary artery calcium score?. It's a CT scan

MrP is doing one in a week or so. Not covered by Medicare apparently. Cholesterol slightly up.

My mum went very forgetful on statins. Cholesterol was fine but statins given ‘just in case’ after stroke/afib. She forgot everyone’s names especially the grandkids. SIL checked out why she was on statins then had them stopped. Her memory returned to normal - she had no cognitive issues at all prior to statins.

My MIL who also had terminal camcer lost weight. She had a very bad turn mentally - again no issues prior, quite the opposite. The GP checked her non cancer meds and statins was withdrawn. She’s had no heart issues. Her cancer was ovarian. She improved significantly.

 

[RooFlyer]

I wouldn’t think so, but is there any incentive for a GP for instance to issue more scripts than otherwise might be required?

My current GP I’ve been seeing for a few months is temporary until I can see my regular guy again in maybe another month or so. He’s a good GP but seems to issue scripts at the drop of a hat. I don’t mean for things I may not need (he’s discouraged me off one or two), but for instance one time I went in and as usual he said how you off for scripts and I mentioned one that I needed but then he issued five covering all the medications I was currently on, even though I didn’t need the new prescription right then (still 3 or so repeats left).

Today we were discussing a condition for which I have a prescription for a fairly potent drug that I carry “just in case” it’s needed. He automatically dashed off a prescription even though I didn’t ask for it and I didn’t need it.

I’m guessing he’s just trying to be helpful and I’m not thinking of any nefarious reason, nor do I feel over medicated, but he is very much more willing to write a script then other GPs I’ve seen for a long while.

 

[Quickstatus]

but is there any incentive for a GP for instance to issue more scripts than otherwise might be required?

Zero.

The drug companies might sponsor an education dinner on a topic related to the drug they want to sell (no hard sells) or pay to have a display spot at a convention.

Mostly get dodgy biros if lucky

The thing to note about Statins is that the criteria for "high risk" changed so much that apparently 600% more people are now eligible than when it was first introduced.

 

[kookaburra75]

Have you done a coronary artery calcium score?. It's a CT scan

Not yet - it's on my list to do. I have the treadmill/stress test each year, and a few times the doctor has had me stop statins for a month to see what happens to my cholesterol level. It went back up to 6+ and then returned once I went back on Lipitor - 20mg dose.

 

[love_the_life]

MrP is doing one in a week or so. Not covered by Medicare apparently. Cholesterol slightly up.

My mum went very forgetful on statins. Cholesterol was fine but statins given ‘just in case’ after stroke/afib. She forgot everyone’s names especially the grandkids. SIL checked out why she was on statins then had them stopped. Her memory returned to normal - she had no cognitive issues at all prior to statins.

My MIL who also had terminal camcer lost weight. She had a very bad turn mentally - again no issues prior, quite the opposite. The GP checked her non cancer meds and statins was withdrawn. She’s had no heart issues. Her cancer was ovarian. She improved significantly.

And you will remember a former AFFer who had a terrible reaction to statins. Once removed, she returned to normal health.

 

[Aeryn]

Meanwhile will only get to a top of 14 in Christchurch tomorrow, time to break out the puffer jacket

 

[Flyfrequently]

Zero.

Mostly get dodgy biros if lucky

@RooFlyer
Going back to last century, it was post it note pads and a tray of sandwiches @Quickstatus

 

[love_the_life]

Meanwhile will only get to a top of 14 in Christchurch tomorrow, time to break out the puffer jacket

And port stop today is cancelled as too windy to get in and out of Lyttleton. Heading on to Wellington.
Quite a few seriously underdressed passengers in shorts and t shirts - obviously expecting warm weather.
To get back to the medical thread - quite a bit of coughing around . Hopefully can dodge any nasties. .

 

[Pushka]

And port stop today is cancelled as too windy to get in and out of Lyttleton. Heading on to Wellington.
Quite a few seriously underdressed passengers in shorts and t shirts - obviously expecting warm weather.
To get back to the medical thread - quite a bit of coughing around . Hopefully can dodge any nasties. .

Good luck with that one then. You usually seem to dodge most stuff including from me when I was coughing my lungs up that time. And from that guy that spread it during dinner. Glad we had that suite in Dubai.

Off topic. Wonder if that Cunard world trip does sectors that might be tempting.....

 

[love_the_life]

Good luck with that one then. You usually seem to dodge most stuff including from me when I was coughing my lungs up that time. And from that guy that spread it during dinner. Glad we had that suite in Dubai.

Off topic. Wonder if that Cunard world trip does sectors that might be tempting.....

You mean the one where we didn’t find the extra room until the last day

 

[love_the_life]

I think I may have picked up a bit of kennel cough

 

[mrsterryn]

New year
New safety net for PBS
New safety net (?) for medical expenses
Trying to work out the five referral things as husband has to see new specialists

 

[Cossie]

Well that was an experience! It was a BCC, surgeon excised what he thought was a good amount of tissue. Stitched evey thing back up, sent the sample off, waiting, waiting, issue with the vehicle taking the sample to the lab.
Came back, nah we need more, margins not good, sigh, more snipping, off again to the lab which is 15 minutes drive away,
Surgeon says, if this isn't enough, I'll have suture my top eyelid to the bottom one to get more skin and operate again later.
Fortunately this came back as ok.
Being old I had a bit if extra skin to use..... I was on the table for over 2 hours and awake, not something I want to do again in a hurry/
Out of all the things I have done, I this this has been the most painful.... feels like I have a bucket of sand in my eye.

 

[kookaburra75]

Well that was an experience! It was a BCC, surgeon excised what he thought was a good amount of tissue. Stitched evey thing back up, sent the sample off, waiting, waiting, issue with the vehicle taking the sample to the lab.
Came back, nah we need more, margins not good, sigh, more snipping, off again to the lab which is 15 minutes drive away,
Surgeon says, if this isn't enough, I'll have suture my top eyelid to the bottom one to get more skin and operate again later.
Fortunately this came back as ok.
Being old I had a bit if extra skin to use..... I was on the table for over 2 hours and awake, not something I want to do again in a hurry/
Out of all the things I have done, I this this has been the most painful.... feels like I have a bucket of sand in my eye.

View attachment 493685

MrsK knows what you're going through, having a few BCCs removed through Mohrs surgery over the past decade- and me waiting for the results of each layer with her. We hope it all works out good for you.

 

[Pushka]

Well that was an experience! It was a BCC, surgeon excised what he thought was a good amount of tissue. Stitched evey thing back up, sent the sample off, waiting, waiting, issue with the vehicle taking the sample to the lab.
Came back, nah we need more, margins not good, sigh, more snipping, off again to the lab which is 15 minutes drive away,
Surgeon says, if this isn't enough, I'll have suture my top eyelid to the bottom one to get more skin and operate again later.
Fortunately this came back as ok.
Being old I had a bit if extra skin to use..... I was on the table for over 2 hours and awake, not something I want to do again in a hurry/
Out of all the things I have done, I this this has been the most painful.... feels like I have a bucket of sand in my eye.

View attachment 493685

I accidentally got alkaline spray in my eyes from a ruptured dishwashing capsule. The pain was indescribable. The opthamologist at the Royal Adelaide the day I did it put some anaesthetic gel in my eye to examine it. Huge relief. He said it would wear off. I was crying begging him if I could take some home with me.

It was better the next day. Hope that's the case for you.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Well that was an experience! It was a BCC, surgeon excised what he thought was a good amount of tissue. Stitched evey thing back up, sent the sample off, waiting, waiting, issue with the vehicle taking the sample to the lab.
Came back, nah we need more, margins not good, sigh, more snipping, off again to the lab which is 15 minutes drive away,
Surgeon says, if this isn't enough, I'll have suture my top eyelid to the bottom one to get more skin and operate again later.
Fortunately this came back as ok.
Being old I had a bit if extra skin to use..... I was on the table for over 2 hours and awake, not something I want to do again in a hurry/
Out of all the things I have done, I this this has been the most painful.... feels like I have a bucket of sand in my eye.

View attachment 493685

An eye for an eye eh @Cossie I feel your pain
Pesky BCC before surgery in 2022


3 days post op

Didn't have much in the way of lower lashes before, now pretty much none

But you must be relieved it has been done.

 

[Cossie]

Thanks, yes very much relieved, i had a bcc removed closer to the nose a long time ago with a skin graft from my neck.
It was the lack of lashes that made the opthamologist think this was a bcc. I doubt otherwise it would have been picked up.
Of course I had been checking stuff on the net, I'm quite glad it was picked when it was, some nasty cases out there.
Growing up it seemed if you got sun burnt, that was just another part of summer, I remember putting baby oil on to try and get a deeper tan.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Thanks, yes very much relieved.

Growing up it seemed if you got sun burnt, that was just another part of summer, I remember putting baby oil on to try and get a deeper tan.

We used coconut oil as it was cheaper back in the day - wouldn't be able to afford the organic stuff now

 

[Pushka]

I hated the sun as a child. I now know it was lupus. Maybe saved me from a lot of later issues. Had a skin check last year and other than dry patch on my nose, gone through the cream, there was nothing to see.