General Medical issues thread

[Pushka]

1st medical appointment
Although my cataract surgery was 9 months ago and new glasses 8 months ago, vision hasn't been all that good, especially reading.
Several visits back to my optometrist and we finally settled on a new prescription.

Picked my new lens up just now, no double vision and she gave me a considerable discount.
Have been going there for over 25 years.

2nd appointment today will be dentist
And tomorrow, specialist for my SCC

It's just weird how some cataract surgery provides complete vision whilst not in all cases then.

I was looking through all the tests I've done over the last 15 years or so in the health portal. February seems to be my month of "discovery". 10 years ago today it was the discovery of the fist dvt.

 

[Seat0B]

For the last 3 months I have been using chatgpt for understanding my health condition. and at the end it has a list of questions to ask your doctor.

Me too and it has been very helpful.

 

[Pushka]

Me too and it has been very helpful.

It's brilliant isn't it. I have a list of questions now too.

 

[hydrabyss]

Me too and it has been very helpful.

I had used it previously for other things but never more than a few questions at a time. Now realising how in depth you can get on subjects it has sped up what would have taken me hours before can be done in ten minutes.
The only downside is I feel you need some knowledge of the subject and ask for links so you can verify what it is saying. I can see some getting into trouble but also many that would benefit.

 

[Hvr]

 

[Pushka]

I had used it previously for other things but never more than a few questions at a time. Now realising how in depth you can get on subjects it has sped up what would have taken me hours before can be done in ten minutes.
The only downside is I feel you need some knowledge of the subject and ask for links so you can verify what it is saying. I can see some getting into trouble but also many that would benefit.

Mine provide source links for several of the points it is giving me.

 

[RooFlyer]

Should you ask it for links to other points of view or things not discussed by it?

 

[OZDUCK]

For a few weeks I have been suspicious about 'happenings' in my right hand. Cramp in the hand when driving more than 20 minutes or so and odd pains. Then last Friday I went for a bike ride and a few hours later the symptoms really jumped up - pains when twisting the wrist, 'electric' shocks if fingers are strained at odd angles, some tingling in the fingers, pain in the wrist and lower arm when sleeping etc. I had a successful 'nerve decompression' operation on my left wrist for carpal tunnel about 5 years ago so these symptoms were all too familiar. An ultrasound on Tuesday confirmed my suspicions.

I am going to have a steroi_ injection into the wrist tomorrow to see if it provides relief if not then straight off to the surgeon. I can't really complain about the time frames - Doctor on Monday, Ultrasound on Tuesday, Doctor revisit for results on Wednesday and injection on Thursday - and all 'free' so far. If I have to go to the surgeon I know that the time frame and costs will all be entirely different.

 

[Flyfrequently]

There is now a plan after visiting the Dermatologist yesterday re SCC on right hand/finger near MCP joint.
Will have Moh's surgery and hopefully will only need to have a small flap rather than requiring a skin graft.
Had Moh's before so know what to expect, pity I am right handed.
Now waiting for this to be co ordinated as Moh's and subsequent repair done at two different hospitals, hopefully can be done on the same day depending on their theatre schedules

 

[prozac]

We haven't heard from @JohnK for a while? RUOK?

 

[Flashback]

We haven't heard from @JohnK for a while? RUOK?

PM sent.

 

[prozac]

Where to start. As you all know I had a pacemaker box replacement 3 weeks ago. I was not particularly well leaving hospital, walking to St Leonards station and catching the train half a dozen stops. When I alighted the train I was not able to walk up the station stairs and needed to take the lift. OK, I had just left hospital. In the intervening time I have had nightly, at rest angina episodes in the early morning. This morning I had 4 between 0330 and 0730, each time requiring nitrolingual to settle. This despite taking a calcium channel blocker.
So today was the follow up with the surgeon. Talking with the pacemaker rep I discover that my unique setting were not hard-copied across to the new pacemaker. My file no longer notes that the pacemaker setting are never to be changed. The original pacemaker took 5 months of weekly visits to get set up properly and none of these settings were copied to the new pacemaker. I have been tired, easily fatigued, breathless etc since the procedure and now I know why. The pacemaker rep said the settings had not been changed so I quized her and discovered I had a standard calibration and then quizzed her the settings. They were not MY settings. I have fired off a stern email to the pacemaker manufacturer asking for confirmation they will ensure proper processes are in place in future to prevent such a catastrophe happening to other patients. My surgeon was apologetic (it was not his job to calibrate the pacemaker). I asked him how he would feel if he sent his Maserati in for a service and it came back with the performance chip disabled?

When things turn to cough it always happens to me but not to others. At least that is my experience.

 

[RooFlyer]

I’m on Mounjaro, which people may know slows the emptying of your stomach to make you feel fuller to encourage weight loss. It also slows the uptake of fluids when you’re drinking, which is what I’ve been told by Dr and is also my experience.

I had a bladder ultrasound requiring a full bladder on arrival a few months ago and realising what the effect would be, I started drinking water much earlier than their recommended one hour beforehand. This worked and I arrived with a full bladder which I was able to empty and the ultrasound was good.

So now I’m in for a kidney ultrasound. The instructions were to drink a litre of water between one hour and 30 minutes before arriving. That’s all. I started a bit earlier but on arrival was asked - do you have a full bladder? I said no; I’ve drank the water as required but no one mentioned anything about the bladder for a kidney ultrasound.

I would’ve thought Ozempic and Mounjaro use was wide enough now for them to realise to ask that question when giving advice on needing to have a high water uptake before arriving.

At the moment, I’m just sitting in reception waiting for nature to slowly take its course.

 

[RooFlyer]

At the moment, I’m just sitting in reception waiting for nature to slowly take its course.

To conclude. The sonographer was very flexible and did my ultrasound two patients later when I was ready to ‘go’. Results given orally were good.

Then I had to dash straight off to see a specialist on something somewhat related, but the u/s wasn’t requested by them, but I knew they would be very interested in the results.

By the time I saw the specialist, 30 minutes later, the report from the radiologist was already on his system. He was very pleased - he was going to order these tests anyway so now the issue is seen to be resolved. I don’t have to see him again.

30 minutes to get a radiologist report, how good is that? And all the imagery is on their app on my phone.