MEDICAL MATTERS

[Tizer]

The headline sounds a bit pessimistic but confidence is higher now in EU countries including UK...
`Largest global vaccine confidence survey reveals hesitancy hotspots' LINK
`While vaccine confidence remains low in Europe, there are signs that public trust in vaccine safety has been increasing in some EU countries. Of people surveyed in December 2019, those that ‘strongly agree’ vaccines are safe ranged from 19% in Lithuania to 66% in Finland. The new study, including Imperial College London researchers, mapped global trends in vaccine confidence across 149 countries between 2015 and 2019, and is published today in The Lancet. It is based on data from over 284,000 adults (aged 18 years and older) surveyed about their views on whether vaccines are important, safe, and effective. The results show that within the EU, public trust in vaccine safety was increasing particularly in Finland, France, Italy, and Ireland – as well as in the UK. In the UK, confidence in vaccine safety rose from 47% in May 2018 to around 52% in Nov 2019..'.

[Stanley]

It baffles me that confidence in UK is so low. I can remember when many diseases were endemic, they aren't now due to vaccines and immunisation programmes. Slam Dunk as they say...

[plaques]

Ignorance is bliss. My pal went berserk when his son in his forties said that there wasn't any point in flu jabs because it wasn't that bad. Listen Son, I've had it twice and it nearly saw me off. A dose off real flu can kill people. Get down and get one.!!!

[Big Kev]

Ignorance is bliss. My pal went berserk when his son in his forties said that there wasn't any point in flu jabs because it wasn't that bad. Listen Son, I've had it twice and it nearly saw me off. A dose off real flu can kill people. Get down and get one.!!!

Anyone who says flu isn't that bad has obviously never had it. Probably tempting fate here but I've been lucky so far, plenty of bouts of 'manflu' but have so far avoided a full blown dose.

[Marilyn]

I did pick and choose when I had the flu jab. I had no health issues, but when I worked as a nurse, I had them religiously. Later, after giving up work and not coming within touching contact with many people, I chose not to have it, though I insisted my husband did due to his medical conditions. I have had flu jabs the past two years, after being knocked out with a ruptured disc and being diagnosed with Diabetes. We must be sensible nowadays! Suddenly we are fallible!
( I did have a dose of flu in my early 20s...knocked the stuffing right out of me, could barely claw my way out of bed to get to the loo - for three days even a shower was beyond me and I ended up in a darkened room in hospital with a drip my only source of nutrition for a whole week. Believe me, the flu is more than a sniffle!)

[PanBiker]

Sally put it into context when we both had it in 1999 and into 2000. Started on 17th December and neither of us ate until the 3rd January. She said it was worse than the six months of chemo she had when she was being treated for breast cancer! We both lost abut 3 stone over the duration and I know it took me until May to get the weight, strength and stamina back.

[Tizer]

We need as many people as possible to have the influenza vaccination or it will lose its efficacy. Those who think `I don't need/want it' are then endangering other people's lives by potentially becoming carriers and spreading the virus even if they're asymptomatic. It's time we made it obligatory and stop leaving it to individuals to decide our fate.

It's also time to stop talking about `flu'. The word is synonymous with `bad cold' for most people. Influenza is dangerous, it isn't a common cold or even a bad cold, it can kill some and wreck the lives of others. The news media, politicians and even medics need to abandon the word flu. Now!

[Stanley]

Couldn't agree more with all of you. I had Asian Flu in the 50's and even though I was a fit strong lad it took me 9 months to fully recover. Remember there was no treatment at all then apart from bed, lots of fluid and industrial doses of Aspirin. You are all correct, Influenza is a killer. (But we knew that in 1914.....)

[PanBiker]

Just had a text from Barlick Medical Centre. Anyone who had their Flu vaccination with them last year will automatically get and appointment for the same this year. They will be sent out when they have stocks of vaccine.

[PanBiker]

Well that was quick. Second text today with an appointment for this coming Saturday. The text sends you two links, one to confirm whether you will be attending and the second is a link to a document download that explains the clinic arrangements for entry and exit. There will be two clinics running A and B with separate entrances both with a common exit onto Phillip Street. Social distancing to be maintained between patients and face coverings to be worn by all. You have to be arm ready when you get to the nurse. We are both in the same clinic (B), I am first on and Sally follows me with one minute between appointments.

[Big Kev]

I got the first text this afternoon

[Sue]

Our flu vaccinations are this Thursday afternoon . I think a lot of people think a bad cold is flu. It used to really annoy me when students came into class on Monday and say they had flu over the weekend. Rubbish I would say!

I have had flu three times in my life. Once at October half term. The girls were at university, Bob was working away . I retired to bed and for days did not eat and just drank water as I could manage to get that myself . Once over Christmas all of the Christmas break. Once at Easter, again during college holidays. I went to watch Julia do a timed mile swim, sat down on the poolside to counter lengths, but felt really ill when I stood up. I could hardly move . It was flu.

Each time it was at least two weeks before I started to feel better, a d as luck would have it, each time it was college holidays !

You know what they say if you have a cold and you see £10 on the ground you will pick it up. If you have flu, you leave it where it is as you are too ill to bend down

[Stanley]

I've had that text from the GP as well Ian but get mine at the pharmacy on Thursday afternoon.

[PanBiker]

Have you followed the link to tell them that you are not attending?

[Stanley]

Not yet, I only opened the MyGP message yesterday. I have to mail Hassan on a separate matter and will tell him when I do.

[PanBiker]

I think you would be better doing it on the link provided as that will be the one the inoculation team will be monitoring and it's them that will need the information.

[Tizer]

During the covid crisis GP surgeries have had to change how they dealt with appointments such as making patients phone in first to get an appointment for a telephone consultation during which the GP will decide whether the patient needs to attend the surgery or can be given sufficient advice and/or a prescription raised during the call. There was even a time when some GPs were seeing patients in their cars in the car park! From my experience today I hope they make some of these changes permanent.

I've noticed a swelling on the left side of my groin, soft tissue and not painful. I rang the surgery, told the receptionist and within half an hour a GP called me back. I described the problem, he asked several questions and then he said `Does it go down when you lie down?' I told him to wait a minute while I lay down on the floor and then I was able to tell him yes, it did. Next was `Put your hand over the lump and cough; note whether or not it moves'. It did move. From that and the rest of my description he diagnosed a hernia and told me not to worry about it, carry on as normal. If it gets painful or the skin becomes flushed red contact us again. Job done. Just think how long it would normally have taken to get a diagnosis like that! (I'm glad he didn't ask me to come and show it to him in the car park!)

[Big Kev]

(I'm glad he didn't ask me to come and show it to him in the car park!)

[Stanley]

Been there, got the tee shirt. Mine showed up when my right testicle swelled to the size of an orange, didn't half limit movement!

[PanBiker]

Flu jab went OK at the surgery, well organised with a reception and appointment check on the main entrance doorstep. Distance tape on the floor inside. Clinic B in the first surgery on the right, exit onto Philip St through the next door on the corridor. Two clinics in operation, the other entrance from the doctors car park and their exit at the normal one onto Philips St.

[PanBiker]

I received a letter yesterday from LGI. I will have my go in the MRI scanner this year despite the Covid restrictions, I have an appointment for the 22nd October. I am asked to ring before attending to make sure the scanner is in operation and obviously not attend if I am showing any virus symptoms. I will be back at LGI this time, my previous scans were at St James's. I know my way around LGI. I have to attend on my own and follow all the guidelines in the accompanying Covid advice. It's an afternoon appointment and I am asked not to attend early, (no more than ten minutes) so no hanging around.

I thought I might miss my go this year.

I will do the normal run to Leeds, drive to Skipton, train to Leeds and bus up to the hospital.

[Stanley]

Good luck with it Ian and don't hug any of the nurses!

[PanBiker]

Mainly untouched by human hand Stanley. Apart from the one that shoves the cannula in and then the one that shoves the contrast dye in but you are captive in the machine at that point so not a cat in hells chance of a cuddle. Going back to LGI, I would love to go up to the fifth floor neuro ward and see the team that put me right but I cant. So near yet so far, bloody virus!

[Stanley]

I think we all know that feeling Ian!
Something I have noted over the last six months, and it coincides with the end of my visits to hospital and the doctor's, is that my home BP readings (About every three weeks now) are all in the 120/80 range. Sixteen year old lad country. It makes me suspect more and more that stress is a large component of the factors that affect BP.
I remember hearing a lady who had survived cancer being interviewed on Woman's Hour and when asked what the worst part of the operations and treatment was she said the hospital appointments. I agree with her!

[Tizer]

One of my NHS hearing aids failed. We can't visit audiology at present but I phoned and explained. I was asked to send it in by post. Got a call to say that having checked it they would send me a new one by post. Another call shortly after to say that the new one is the latest model and therefore they have to send me the new version of my other aid too! I don't need to attend the clinic because they simply put my personal programme settings on the chip. They've arrived and I'm hearing better than ever. All sorted in the time it took for first class mail to go there and back. And all for free except for my postage cost of a few pounds. Yet so many people pay a thousand pounds for a pair of private hearing aids!