The health and fitness thread about random things

[hellymedic]

A diagnosis of COPD might prioritise you for 'flu, Covid & other vaccines, which may be no bad thing…

.. i wonder if your GP is 'gaming' a stingy system to squeeze you a few vaccines...

[T42]

In Haguenau hospital yesterday to have them read out the Afib bug they stuck in me last August. Zilch, as I expected.  I wish my previous cardiologist hadn't retired, we liked and respected each other.  His successor shoved me in an age-labelled pigeonhole and is irritatingly patronizing.

[ian]

Still suffering from groorkiness, got around to booking a proper appointment with my GP after the usual wait-a-week-and-see-if-you-die crowd control measure.

Of course, no sooner had I confirmed, I have spent the day feeling increasingly better. I really do think doctors have voodoo dolls of their patients and they poke them with knitting needles until they ask for appointments, and then as soon as their wish is granted, out the needle away. Using the dark arts to drum up custom.

Not that, in practice, I'm complaining about getting better. And there are still occasional groorks to contend with.

[citoyen]

This is why I don’t bother with the doctor unless it’s something chronic. Either I’ll die before I get to see them or I’ll get better. So far I’m fortunate it’s been the latter every time, though I started to get a bit concerned when my temperature went above 40 recently.

[ian]

I’m normally a serial doctor dodger and that policy works until it doesn’t, I suppose. This doctor is the posh one who says ‘tummy’ like I’m five.

[T42]

This is why I don’t bother with the doctor unless it’s something chronic.

Some of them are something chronic, it's true, but I have to sympathise with them occasionally: seeing a procession of old farts with virtually-identical conditions every day must be as boring as hell, not to mention smelly.  But getting talked down to then slapped with a one-size-fits-all-(not you but live with it) cocktail of poisons and the same old screed of thou-shalt-nots gets up the nose faster than an LFT swab.

[Mrs Pingu]

Started coming down with lurgy on Monday and thought it would be getting better by now but all I've done this evening is sneeze and cough until Pumpkin gave me the evils and got up in disgust.

[ian]

This is why I don’t bother with the doctor unless it’s something chronic.

Some of them are something chronic, it's true, but I have to sympathise with them occasionally: seeing a procession of old farts with virtually-identical conditions every day must be as boring as hell, not to mention smelly.  But getting talked down to then slapped with a one-size-fits-all-(not you but live with it) cocktail of poisons and the same old screed of thou-shalt-nots gets up the nose faster than an LFT swab.

A consultant audiologist (or whatever they call ear doctors these days) extended my appointment by about 45 minutes to talk to me about exciting science stuff, which was nice, though tempered by the fact that most of his conversations with his customers were probably 'pardon?' A friend of mine is a GP and she has to go shopping 10 miles from her home to avoid conversations with patients. No, that isn't normal, and doubly so as you're showing it to me in the freezer aisle of Sainsbury's.

I do like the doctors who tell it like it is, I remember once going to see my elderly GP in Lewisham about some knee pain, and she just made a pffftt sound and said 'you think that hurts, try being my age.' I'm working on it.

[Kim]

A consultant audiologist (or whatever they call ear doctors these days)

Otolaryngologists, I think, AKA 'Snot doctors' in this household.    Audiologists are the ones with the beepy headphones (and the good ones will have a random conversation with the patient in order to determine the pardon?-rate after jibbling hearing aids).

[T42]

Shone a torch into my achy throat today and discovered a bright yellow Junior Smartie with an angry red rim grinning back at me out of one corner. Only it wasn't a Smartie.  Got a grumbling molar, and despite PPIs & so forth throat is half-digested with acid reflux so... targets of opportunity etc., you fill it in.  Dentist was already booked for Tuesday, doc is on a long weekend. Was planning a 200 but MrsT sez "you can't ride with that and pump it all round your body" which does feel right so I'm stuck here grumbling while the sun shines. Arse.

[sam]

I feel on the edge of BPPV again, and made the mistake of mentioning it to my wife. Am grounded as well, though I feel an appeal coming on.

[T42]

That's the one where you get out of bed and start to fall over backwards/sideways/anybloodyway, isn't it?  Fortunately, when I built our bed I put metre-high posts at the corners.

[sam]

That is exactly how it happens for me. Out of the bed and into the wall. I can sometimes tell there's trouble ahead when I'm lying down and start to bring it on simply by turning my head to the left. At its worst I end up crawling on my hands and knees if I need to get anywhere.


Welcome to my world

[mrcharly-YHT]

That's the one where you get out of bed and start to fall over backwards/sideways/anybloodyway, isn't it?  Fortunately, when I built our bed I put metre-high posts at the corners.

Nope.
You are stationary. It it the world that spins round and hits you.

[T42]

I only get the backwards variety of this.  Haven't fallen. Goes away pretty fast, but I'm not going to stand with my back to a precipice any time soon.

[cycleman]

On Friday evening I developed a sore throat and by Saturday evening I was coughing and wheezing and I have been Awake all night. I  phoned 111 at 00.30 and again at 0320 before seeing a doctor at 05.20 .now I have to find a chemist that might dispense on a Sunday morning 

[hellymedic]

A consultant audiologist (or whatever they call ear doctors these days)

Otolaryngologists, I think, AKA 'Snot doctors' in this household.    Audiologists are the ones with the beepy headphones (and the good ones will have a random conversation with the patient in order to determine the pardon?-rate after jibbling hearing aids).

There's an ENT consultant who Tweets as ***Snot...

[T42]

Throat flared up overnight, looks like the rubbish bin in a butcher's shop. Doc's away, locum's booked out (Monday, innit?). Dentist tomorrow. Hope antibiotic does something by Wednesday, but not so much that I feel too lousy to ride - the weather's perfect.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Throat flared up overnight, looks like the rubbish bin in a butcher's shop. Doc's away, locum's booked out (Monday, innit?). Dentist tomorrow. Hope antibiotic does something by Wednesday, but not so much that I feel too lousy to ride - the weather's perfect.

Gargle with soluble aspirin.

[Flite]

Gargle with soluble aspirin.

I was given that advice by a GP decades ago, and it really does work.

[T42]

Thx but can't tolerate aspirin so there's none in the house.  Used chlorhexidine to no great effect.  Will try presently with espresso.

[Regulator]

Nonsense in medical records is normal and ordinary, but it does raise an interesting question of how that particular factoid got there.  (Possibly a pharmacist in Huddersfield making a typo?)

My guess is a pharmacy assistant inputting data into the SCR has mistyped an NHS number/a wrong NHS number was recorded on the vaccination form and they've not double-checked the other demographics to confirm the patient ID.  It does happen unfortunately, no matter how often you drum into people the correct processes for accessing and recording data on the SCR.

[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...

[rafletcher]

Bugger. The opti-quack decided that although improved by 4 weeks of steroid eye drops my macular oedema wasn’t better enough. So I got a steroid injection around the eyeball. I hope that does the trick, but he wants at least 2 more visits, each of which entails my wife driving me then hanging about for 3-4 hours. 

[L CC]

Met with a surgeon for hip replacement today. He doesn't want to operate because my arse/hips have too much subcutaneous fat with poor blood supply. He also thinks a portion of the pain I'm getting isn't from arthritis, but trochanteric bursitis, and joint replacement may well make that worse.
I could go see another surgeon but I don't think 25% risk of deep infection is a risk I'm willing to take.

Some American Website (Dog Bless Google) tells me that cycling is bad for hip bursitis. They can feck right off.