The health and fitness thread about random things

[mrcharly-YHT]

trochanteric bursitis is what I get on my right hip (I think due to childhood perthes and treatment).

It is annoying and occasionally makes me limp like I have an artificial leg.

Bearable though. I'd rather put up with it than have surgery, with all the commensurate recovery bollocks.

My whinge is about my stupid shoulder, that after 6 effing months still hasn't healed.

That, and the cramp I keep getting just above my knee (that's probably my fault though, going from almost 0 cycling to 70km rides is possibly expecting a bit much from my aged body).

[Regulator]

The endocrinology team has now decided that there is an issue with my thyroid and has asked the GP to refer me.   I've only been chasing this for three years.

I'm going to give the endocrinology team at Addenbrookes a call and see what the wait time is for an outpatient appointment.  I have a feeling it might be a long time...

I had a call from the endocrinology clinic admin bod - I should get an appointment in the next 4-6 weeks, which isn't bad.  Plus it might be quicker if I can make a short notice slot.  I explained I work from home and live a mile from the outpatients department.  She said she'd let the team know... 

[barakta]

Flu jab scored, pharmacy round the corner walk-in, got it under respiratory nonsense criteria. Better than work's vouchers which wasted an hour of my time failing to find a slot in a place I could get to.

Less said about the fucking vertigo the better; it's not really improving, so doubled my meds and if that doesn't work I'll come off them and see if GP has any better ideas.

[T42]

Feeling like shit warmed up on a shovel this morning between Covid jab reaction and antibiotics.

[L CC]

Bearable though. I'd rather put up with it than have surgery, with all the commensurate recovery bollocks.

The commensurate recovery bollocks is a one time thing. The hip is arthritic, no doubt about that, so will need replacing sooner rather than later. Wait too long and the rest of me will be too worn out to appreciate the shiny! new! joint benefit.

I'll do the bursitis relief stretching/ exercising and see if it makes much difference. I don't really want to spend years on anti-inflammatories if I can spend 3 months feeling sorry for myself and then be OK.

[SteveC]

MrsC and I have both come down with some sort of gastric bug.
She was ill on Wednesday night, I was last night. Slept until noon today and didn't get enough energy even for a shower until about five.

We were supposed to be out all day today and have had to turn down an invitation to a pub lunch tomorrow.

[T42]

Finished antibiotics, abscess in throat still there. Should see quack again but I've had the medical trade up the arse enough this year already.  Bah. I'm away for a gargle with essence of arabica.

[Beardy]

This morning I had to get to the railway station in short order and as it’s chucking it down I elected not to put running gear on and run but to wear my everyday clothes and ‘speed walk’

Now, I wear barefoot shoes most of the time, and do walk quite bit, but I run in ‘normal’ running shoes (FCVO run). This morning I had my barefoot boots on. 

My shin muscles are now very weak and I find it very difficult to raise my toes. Standing is a bit wibbly as well. Maybe I won’t look at getting any barefoot running shoes just yet!

[T42]

Fresh antibiotics w. clavulanic acid topping to see if the Yellow Glob From Hell will succumb. If not, it's another round of specialist visits. I hate this f*cking year.

In other news, MrsT recounts the story of one of her UK chums who went to A&E with a suspected broken wrist and got it X-rayed. The break confirmed, they got her an appointment with a fracture clinic.  She just got it set & plastered, 2 weeks after the referral.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Fresh antibiotics w. clavulanic acid topping to see if the Yellow Glob From Hell will succumb. If not, it's another round of specialist visits. I hate this f*cking year.

In other news, MrsT recounts the story of one of her UK chums who went to A&E with a suspected broken wrist and got it X-rayed. The break confirmed, they got her an appointment with a fracture clinic.  She just got it set & plastered, 2 weeks after the referral.

That is weird. Last time I broke a wrist, it was set immediately and plastered.

IANAD, but I don't think you can set a break 2 weeks later, you'd have to 'rebreak' it (unless it was a hairline fracture and just needed holding in place, rather than 'setting').

[T42]

Fresh antibiotics w. clavulanic acid topping to see if the Yellow Glob From Hell will succumb. If not, it's another round of specialist visits. I hate this f*cking year.

In other news, MrsT recounts the story of one of her UK chums who went to A&E with a suspected broken wrist and got it X-rayed. The break confirmed, they got her an appointment with a fracture clinic.  She just got it set & plastered, 2 weeks after the referral.

That is weird. Last time I broke a wrist, it was set immediately and plastered.

IANAD, but I don't think you can set a break 2 weeks later, you'd have to 'rebreak' it (unless it was a hairline fracture and just needed holding in place, rather than 'setting').

Aye, you'd think it would start to knit* in the interim.  One of my collar-bones in knobbly because an unseen fracture did that.

* betcha she didn't.

[L CC]

Apparently (according to Mr Smith, who had it from his consultant, and wasn't seen by a doctor for more than 2 weeks after his break) current practise is to treat conservatively (ie do nothing) much more than historically was the case- some previously common interventions were found to have no better, and often worse, long term outcomes.

And, bonus, it's cheaper. The Post-Covid NHS is quite different from the pre-Covid, as a user.

Obviously, IAANAD

[De Sisti]

Since my return to physical activity (in Nov 2022) from my radical prostatectomy operation
(Sept 2022) I've had a sharp pain in my right glute. I've been active all my life and have
never had that sort of pain before, but can't honestly put it down to the effects of the operation.

I've tried Pidgeon stretch, but that hasn't helped. I'm going to try a massage gun to see if it will
make things better.

Sciatica, caused by my radical prostatectomy operation.

[Regulator]

I’m getting my flu jab this afternoon.   It’ll be interesting to see if I get any reaction - several people I know who are normally fine with the jabs said it really knocked them back this year. 

[hellymedic]

That is weird. Last time I broke a wrist, it was set immediately and plastered.
IANAD, but I don't think you can set a break 2 weeks later, you'd have to 'rebreak' it (unless it was a hairline fracture and just needed holding in place, rather than 'setting').

Adult fractures are still fairly mobile after a fortnight and are only just starting to get 'sticky' but a fortnight's delay is somewhat suboptimal.

It does mean (hopefully) the fracture will get set
in daylight
under expert supervision
with optimal anaesthetists.

[hellymedic]

I’m getting my flu jab this afternoon.   It’ll be interesting to see if I get any reaction - several people I know who are normally fine with the jabs said it really knocked them back this year.

Had both 'flu and Covid jabs on 28 September this year.

Arms felt a bit bruised but I was well.
[YMMV obv]

[chrisbainbridge]

I’m getting my flu jab this afternoon.   It’ll be interesting to see if I get any reaction - several people I know who are normally fine with the jabs said it really knocked them back this year. 

No reaction to either this year.

[Kim]

No reaction at all to my flu jab this year.  Covid was another matter.

[Basil]

No reaction at all to either.

[Ham]

I'm not entirely certain I want to know the answer to this.

If someone is being given IV Vancomycin alongside IV flucloxacillin for an infection, does that signify an infection (bone) condition that is a matter of extreme concern? Full culture results are not available. MRSA is not a factor. Reading Vancomycin is an antibiotic of last resort makes me think so.

[Kim]

I'm not entirely certain I want to know the answer to this.

If someone is being given IV Vancomycin alongside IV flucloxacillin for an infection, does that signify an infection (bone) condition that is a matter of extreme concern? Full culture results are not available. MRSA is not a factor. Reading Vancomycin is an antibiotic of last resort makes me think so.

Unless they're using it because the patient is allergic to more usual antibiotics, that's fairly serious stuff.  I'd expect them to be monitoring the vancomycin levels and renal function.  Possibly they might switch to something more specific if cultures become available.


(IANAD, but I answered the phone for one who had to approve doses of this stuff for most of my childhood.)

[Ham]

That's what I thought, especially with the dose taking 3 hours multiple times daily (no allergies involved). I was hoping someone with knowledge might pop up and say it's a normal precaution, but I don't think it is.

[Kim]

You've got to titrate Vamcomycin to a fairly precise concentration in the blood (enough to kill the organism without risking kindney damage) and the half-life is fairly short, so administering it slowly like that would be normal, unless it was a one-off dose for post-surgical prophylaxis.

I don't think it can be administered orally?  Most of the patients requiring my dad being involved out of hours were unconscious in ITU, thobut (usually MRSA run riot or complicated cases with HIV and such), so my perspective is probably skewed.

[hellymedic]

Bone infections are a bugger to treat.
I presume the antibiotics are prescribed with the advice of the hospital microbiology team, who know their stuff.

[Ham]

Microbiology, plastics and orthopedics are all involved.