MEDICAL MATTERS

[PanBiker]

When our kids were younger I think the meningitis vaccine was given in mid teens around when they went to college.

[Marilyn]

If someone in our street had Measles/Mumps/Chicken Pox/whatever...we were sent round to play with them, so we would catch it too! That was how it was done.

[Sue]

For once Mr Trump has said something sensible, he has promoting vaccinations

[Stanley]

Completely forgetting he endorsed Wakefield and even met him. Great thing to have selective memory and a sliding scale of values if you are a politician.....
I can remember German Measles parties for girls Maz. Even then the dangers of having it in pregnancy were known and the idea was to get it out of the way. Never heard of it for more serious diseases....
Quarantine was widely used when I was a lad. Scarlet Fever was a frequent cause, see Ernie Roberts' interviews on the LTP. The Hospital at Banks Hill was a 'fever hospital'. There was a dedicated ambulance, in Stockport it was yellow and called 'The Fever Wagon', the council also ran a fumigation service for bedding and household goods. See also Horace Thornton's for an account of his sister having TB in Carleton in the inter war years. The council put up a wooden shed at the back of the house so she could be separated from the family but cared for at home. Fresh air was the only treatment.



Banks Hill in 1905.

Just remembered there was a TB hospital at Gatow in Berlin and the rumour was that the female patients were very sexually active. No personal experience of this but it was a commonly held belief.

[Big Kev]

A bit off topic and probably mentioned before, the gateposts in the pic were reused and are now at the West Close Road entrance to Victory Park.

[PanBiker]

I can remember German Measles parties for girls Maz. Even then the dangers of having it in pregnancy were known and the idea was to get it out of the way.

When Sally was confirmed as pregnant for the first time with our Carla. Our doctor at the time, Dr Roberstson (good bloke), noticed that Sally had never had German Measles. He called her in and she had to have three sessions of plasma injections, not very pleasant but he assured us that it was a much better idea than the potential effects of the disease during pregnancy. He had seen plenty of damaged babies as a result of German Measles when he was first doctoring during the war years. Post natal he had her back in for booster vaccinations.

I received a reminder text yesterday for my Aorta scan at Yarnspinners next Friday morning. It's late morning and count day for the elections so we will have a bit of lunch in Nelson after my appointment (probably at the new cafe at Unity Hall the former ILP Institute) and then go on to the count at Colne Sports Hall.

[Tripps]

There was a dedicated ambulance, in Stockport it was yellow and called 'The Fever Wagon',

There is a painting by LS Lowry - called The Fever Van.

fever.jpg

[Stanley]

Gateposts...., Thanks for that Kev, first time I have seen that. A new fact a day keeps dementia away!
Ian, good old fashioned doctoring!
David, brilliant, exactly captures the event. The Yellow Ambulance (It was a Daimler I think) told you that there was a contagious house in the street.

[Tizer]

Another drug crisis, this time in Bangladesh...
`Yaba: The cheap synthetic drug convulsing a nation' LINK

[Marilyn]

Why anyone would take a pill with Caffeine in it is beyond me. The rebound is predictable. We don't have Caffeine in our headache pills here....and I rejected buying them when in UK. Just give me straight Paracetamol. Caffeine is not your friend.

[Stanley]

Tell that to the makers of the 'Energy Drinks' that kids drink for breakfast on their way to school..... (I've just made my morning pint of coffee....)
Tiz. I heard a report about that on the World Service. I thank God that my only addictions are nicotine and red meat!
Did you see the proposal to put shock images on pain relief pills a la tobacco products? How about alcohol bottles as well?
The inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal in the NHS has started, only 30 years since the matter was raised.... The more cynical amongst us think that the victims may be right and there could be a cover-up. Also the delay has meant that many of those qualifying for the miserly compensation have shuffled off the coil.
'Scandal' is too mild a term, this has been and still is, a terrible blot on the NHS. Will the victims get a result? Will realistic compensation be paid? Don't hold your breath.

[PanBiker]

The shadow of the imported infected blood products is the reason I got bounced by NHSBT from my donation session this time in effect. I don't have an infection but they don't know that and will not take my word for it. Confirmation has got to come from some form of medic.

The whole blood service now runs on the paranoia of infection and minimising the risks of this. About 80% of the medical questionnaire screening is directly related to infection risks. Your actual fitness to donate comes down to a pin prick test of your haemoglobin level and a triage nurse asking you if you feel well. Everything else is down to your responses on the questionnaire.

Why has it taken so long to bring this matter to enquiry?

[Marilyn]

Any infection in particular?
Hmmmm...they could take your temperature as they prick your finger...that would be elementary!

[PanBiker]

The basic idea is that you need to answer no to every option on the questionnaire. It covers a whole raft of potential sexually transmitted infections and has questions to that effect on your sexual habits. West Nile Virus is mentioned, Hepatitis, any invasive procedures including dental work, tattoos etc, contact with infected people or have been abroad. If you tick a yes it invokes the cavalry and you get the third degree. You can check for health eligibility on the NHSBT website which basically asks the same questions.

Links for eligibility here:

NHSBT - Who Can Give Blood

[Stanley]

Seems draconian I agree but in view of what happened with the imported plasma and the terrible consequences it's a good thing.
Later.... see THIS Guardian report on a major review of Altzheimer's disease. I am not qualified to judge this but Nina Silverberg, a director of the US National Institute on Aging and co-chair of the review, said: “Recent research and clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease have taught us not all of the people we thought had Alzheimer’s have it.” This may have implications for the present confused state of research into dementia and for that reason might be a hopeful finding.

[Tizer]

It's good news because it helps explain why new dementia drugs which should have been effective have failed in practice. Another reason for the failures has been recognised - they need to be used much earlier in preventative mode but we don't have good enough ways of predicting the onset of dementia. However, research is pushing ahead to develop better indicators of who will suffer.

[Stanley]

[Tizer]

Gotcha!
`Insys Therapeutics founder John Kapoor convicted in US opioid case' LINK
`The founder of Insys Therapeutics John Kapoor has become the first pharmaceutical boss to be convicted in a case linked to the US opioid crisis. A Boston jury found Kapoor and four colleagues conspired to bribe doctors to prescribe addictive painkillers, often to patients who didn't need them. The former billionaire was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy for his role in a scheme which also misled insurers. Tens of thousands of deaths have been caused by opioid overdoses in the US. Indian-born Kapoor founded drugmaker Insys Therapeutics in 1990 and built it into a multi-billion dollar company. The jury found Kapoor had also misled medical insurance companies about patients' need for the painkillers in order to boost sales of the firm's fentanyl spray, Subsys....'

[PanBiker]

My aorta scan went well, about 10 minutes of a job. Checked for health of the artery then another scan to measure the width. Mine is 1.4cm well inside the range of 3cm which can indicate the start of inflammation. Once done and passed there is no need to attend again so another thing I know is not wrong with me.

[Big Kev]

Good news Ian.

[Stanley]

Ian, isn't it nice when they come up with the right result! Very pleased for you.
Tiz, yes I have been following that and Like you I am delighted. Why don't we in the UK go after the heads of companies like the US courts do? Would we have seen that result here?
On another matter. I heard a scientist say yesterday that the incidence of dementia is falling world-wide. How come that isn't more widely publicised? Is it because it would damage funding or am I too cynical. (Is it true??)

[Tizer]

You can probably get whatever you want, an increase or a decrease, depending on how you define and measure dementia.

[Whyperion]

Is it a decrease in the rate per 100,000 population of a given age ?
Do elderly Japanese and Chinese have dementia in the same way ( are those early morning excercises well into old age beneficial?)?

[Stanley]

Airedale are on the ball. I have my appointments for 3 consecutive weeks early on Tuesday morning in July, exactly as I requested. 3 maintenance treatments infusing 5mg of BCG virus and not the 500mg ones then a small scale cystoscopy with only local anaesthetic in September. I am having no problems at all and enjoying the summer!

[PanBiker]

Got a letter from NHSBT today to say that they have written to my doctor and I am now clear to return to Blood Donors.