The health and fitness thread about random things

[mrcharly-YHT]

Never used them. I order online from my GP surgery.

I've also used Boot's own system (bit difficult to tell what you have ordered).

If you run out of a prescription, you can go into any pharmacy and ask for an emergency scrip. The pharmacist will either prescribe or phone your GP and get over-phone or electronic proof of your prescription.

[rafletcher]

Whilst my wife uses the GP online system too, I believe the Lloyds pharmacies will also provide a repeat ordering service at no additional cost.

[JonJo]

Whilst my wife uses the GP online system too, I believe the Lloyds pharmacies will also provide a repeat ordering service at no additional cost.

I'm using Lloyds repeat prescription service at the moment but I have to drive there and pick it up myself. It's also a bit chaotic - they seem constantly surprised that two different people may have the same name or they tell me that I don't exist.

[barakta]

Well as predicted Prof shoulder surgeon's view on the left shoulder is "it's fucked, I'm not touching that" with arthritis developing and thinks the only option is leave it to get "properly fucked" before considering shoulder replacement (probably not) or joint fusion (more likely).

Right shoulder is probably over-use from covering for the left and because the wrist/elbow are limited. He thinks I've got a biceps tendon inflammation issue. So referral for steroid injection under ultrasound and possibilities of surgery if needed (severing the tendon entirely?) although that has risks of reducing my arm rotation ability. I think (hope) they'll be talking to the elbow/wrist guy they're referring me to.

Referral to physio for right and maybe left shoulder, and pain management cos there's nowt else they can offer for the left... I am wondering how many departments of the ROH I'll see by the time we're done.

[Pedaldog.]

CBD oil might well be something that would help; I'd need proper medical-strength dosage, not holland and barrett shite. It isn't being mentioned or offered.

I found the (Pharmacy Uber Strong) CBD oil Did ease the pain a bit. Very specific, short as in about 3 hours from when it kicked in, period of respite.
Realised, within around 20 days, that I was feeling generally "Angry and Intolerant" with everything. Stopped the CBD and that aspect went within a few days. I decided that the balance of Quality of Life weighed CBD out of the picture.

[mrcharly-YHT]

CBD oil might well be something that would help; I'd need proper medical-strength dosage, not holland and barrett shite. It isn't being mentioned or offered.

I found the (Pharmacy Uber Strong) CBD oil Did ease the pain a bit. Very specific, short as in about 3 hours from when it kicked in, period of respite.
Realised, within around 20 days, that I was feeling generally "Angry and Intolerant" with everything. Stopped the CBD and that aspect went within a few days. I decided that the balance of Quality of Life weighed CBD out of the picture.

That's interesting, Steve. " "Angry and Intolerant" with everything" is a side effect of topiramate (although where I work now, people have described me as "an anchor" and "always giving reasoned and considered responses").
I had assumed that CBD would have a mellowing effect.

[matthew]

Well as predicted Prof shoulder surgeon's view on the left shoulder is "it's fucked, I'm not touching that" with arthritis developing and thinks the only option is leave it to get "properly fucked" before considering shoulder replacement (probably not) or joint fusion (more likely).

Right shoulder is probably over-use from covering for the left and because the wrist/elbow are limited. He thinks I've got a biceps tendon inflammation issue. So referral for steroid injection under ultrasound and possibilities of surgery if needed (severing the tendon entirely?) although that has risks of reducing my arm rotation ability. I think (hope) they'll be talking to the elbow/wrist guy they're referring me to.

Referral to physio for right and maybe left shoulder, and pain management cos there's nowt else they can offer for the left... I am wondering how many departments of the ROH I'll see by the time we're done.

Barakta, sorry to hear that the prognosis for your left shoulder is so poor. Does this at least mean that he had read and understood your wider history?  Good luck getting the shoulder, wrist, elbow and hip people talking to each other. Maybe you need to be asking for a joint consultation / conference / meeting / complex case review to get them all in one room at one time to ensure they all know each other is treating you. As they are all ROH you would have thought there might be a chance. I appreciate this might make the environment difficult for you to cope with due to many people talking but it may work out to your benefit to be able to say this is my biggest problem so can they have first pass to fixing it please.

[barakta]

Matthew, thank you for your kind and thoughtful responses, as ever.

Sadly, the left shoulder prognosis is somewhat "as predicted" and physio and pain management 'might' help. If not, I'm no worse off. It sounds like they think there's nothing I could have done to prevent this, they were impressed with how I could function while barely moving the joint (thanks RNOH!).

Right shoulder/arm sounds more fixable/improvable than I expected too. not sure I'm up for tendon chopping yet but I guess we see what steroid does.

I did ask if elbows doc could see me at same time as shoulder bods and physio I saw in Oct acted shocked I suggested it. I did have a multi-disciplinary prodding at RNOH which was scary but I think useful as you really got a sense of everyone's perspectives. Sadly ROH don't seem to this. Beyond the wit....

I fear how patients who are less educated, less persistent and less aware of "how" to wrangle the system 'fare'...

[ElyDave]

I must have just been lucky over the years to mostly find docs that believe in joined up thinking.  It really shouldn't be that hard, should it?

[Legs]

AAAAIIIIIIEEEE!!!!! Tripped over while collecting coal from our local merchant (on a timber bearer protruding from under a pile of stuff on his yard), and broke my fall on my left patella.  I am now Big-Knee-Little-Knee and dosed up to the eyeballs on Co-codamol.

[L CC]

Spent the morning with a Mr, being x-rayed and foot massaged. Nice to get an expert opinion on the sprain as well as what I actually went for.

As this is a cycling forum I can use our terminology: I'm getting my hot-foot sorted. After years of 'stiffer soles' 'wide footbeds' Road vs SPD and cleat positioning, I went to see an expert.

Diagnosis - mechanical, probably not a neuroma, bursitis and metatarsalgia. First stop, a pro about orthotics, back to the mister in 4 weeks for steroid injection and repeat ultrasound and if none of that works, surgery.
I liked him. He listened, and looked, and had a good foot fondle.

[Legs]

AAAAIIIIIIEEEE!!!!! Tripped over while collecting coal from our local merchant (on a timber bearer protruding from under a pile of stuff on his yard), and broke my fall on my left patella.  I am now Big-Knee-Little-Knee and dosed up to the eyeballs on Co-codamol.

Nice visit to A&E this morning; nothing borked but I need to go back to Fracture Clinic on Tuesday to assess for connective tissue damage...

[barakta]

I must have just been lucky over the years to mostly find docs that believe in joined up thinking.  It really shouldn't be that hard, should it?

To be fair to the ROH docs, I think they're reading each other's clinic letters and hopefully can interpret one another's illegible handwritten scrawl notes and Prof Shoulder bod was less uninterested in my right shoulder than the shoulder physio had been - and it's one of those shoulder/elbow/arm interfaces which possibly could be handled by any/or of the specialists. I think if I had not insisted on an elbow/arm referral Prof would have made one of those too - I just pre-empted it a bit... And as I haven't heard anything yet, wonder if it was on a "pause" till Prof had seen me... Letters are a bit random, the appts come quickly but the clinic and "Dear Forename" referral typed letters take 21-35 days cos it looks like a backlog in the transcription.

Will see what the clinic letter says. I might ask if anyone can see an elbow referral/appt in the system next time I'm in as people do see happy to check the computer, or I can ask my nice PALS lady.

[ElyDave]

AAAAIIIIIIEEEE!!!!! Tripped over while collecting coal from our local merchant (on a timber bearer protruding from under a pile of stuff on his yard), and broke my fall on my left patella.  I am now Big-Knee-Little-Knee and dosed up to the eyeballs on Co-codamol.

Nice visit to A&E this morning; nothing borked but I need to go back to Fracture Clinic on Tuesday to assess for connective tissue damage...

Ouch, I fully sympathise, make sure you drink lots with the co-codamol. 

Baratka, I wasn't having a dig, sounds like you're well capabable of coralling your various docs from experience.  Seems like the current lot are co-operating. 

In my case, entry into my training diary for today, for a 20 minute turbo session, it's a start.

first recovery session 5weeks and 5 days post pelvic fracture.  On Giant, on turbo.  Pelvis OK, depending on position on saddle.  Neck and lower back limiting effort and duration of session.  HR high by about 10-15bpm                        

[hellymedic]

Restaurant meals have more calories than fast foods.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46540132

This, apparently, makes them 'less healthy'.

I don't dispute the facts but the eating behaviours I'd associate with these foods are not IMO equivalent.

A restaurant meal (for me at least) is an 'occasion'.  I'll be sitting, eating, chatting, taking my time and stop eating when I'm full. I would not expect more food for several hours afterwards.

I don't really do fast food myself now but it seems those that do eat on the hoof, mindlessly downing the chips and expecting more food quite soon.

The issue of eating behaviour seems neglected. I don't think like is being compared with like...

[ElyDave]

For some of us, that travel regularly in connection with work, restaurant eating is much more frequent, by necessity.

To avoid ending up spherical you do need to be a lot more mindful

[hellymedic]

Indeed. This starts with breakfast.

A small breakfast is easy at home and almost impossible in an hotel.

Two of my brothers travel a lot for work. One of them eats little when away from home, mainly on religious/convenience grounds. He's never overweight.

The other brother has lost loads of weight after reducing his carb intake. I think he crammed when he could.

[Kim]

Restaurants are an occasion.  Fast food is fuel.  There's a blurry line somewhere around "really good fish and chips".

But for plenty of people fast food is a treat.  And for many, fast food is cheap, accessible food.

I hadn't really considered restaurants as an only source of food for travellers.  That sounds like a circle of hell, TBH.

[hellymedic]

A problem with fast food IMO is that it's not eaten as a meal.

[mark]

When I had to travel for work, I learned to 1) be very selective at hotel breakfasts, 2) bring a good supply of sandwich makings including good whole wheat bread, as well as fresh fruit and Clif bars to snack on and 3) use the hotel room microwave for meals when possible. This allowed me to pocket a good bit of my per diem allowance and kept me from getting too spherical.

I also became adept at using Google maps satellite view to pick out good running and walking routes.

[Kim]

A problem with fast food IMO is that it's not eaten as a meal.

I dunno, fast food is generally the sort of thing you eat in one go before it gets cold anyway.  IME usually somewhere random before resuming your journey or continuing with whatever task has made more usual food arrangements impractical.  The problem is that an awful lot of it is spectacularly unsatisfying (particularly at the Scottish Restaurant end of the spectrum, where this seems to be by design).

While I'm a big fan in sitting to eat at a table, that probably makes me old-fashioned.  Or at least sufficiently privileged that I consider having the space to do that to be normal.  I don't think it correlates with moderation particularly - my parents' generation, who are sit-down table eaters by default, are some of the worst for obsessively clearing plates regardless of how much they've eaten.

[hellymedic]

Yet the plate-clearing generation are not generally as obese as their progeny...

[Kim]

Yet the plate-clearing generation are not generally as obese as their progeny...

Maybe eating behaviour isn't a major factor, then?

I suspect it's more to do with availability of food (both financially and in terms of immediate accessibility) and levels of activity.  It's much easier - and crucially, more appealing - to nibble random stuff while you're pushing pixels or driving cars all day than it is when you're on your feet or getting your hands dirty.

[tonyh]

And also to do with the habit of eating food whenever it's available?

[hellymedic]

As you say, it's much easier to eat when you're not getting your hands dirty.

Aside from the occasional biscuit with a hot drink, our predecessors seldom ate between meals.

IMO eating behaviour IS a major factor in obesity, with the almost incessant grazing and snacking.

Schoolkids now visit the chicken shop on the way home to their TVs, where they'll feed their faces whilst moving their bodies very little.