MEDICAL MATTERS

[Stanley]

I got my flu jab and the Covid booster yesterday and will betaking it easy today.

[Big Kev]

Still a bit tender in the 'covid' arm but all is good otherwise

[Stanley]

I had my second Dad nap. Arm is slightly better but still hurts and I have minor cold symptoms. I think I might survive.....
(Mine is the winter flu arm Kev. Down to an inexperienced pharmacist doing the job.... )

[Stanley]

I think I am better this morning..... These vaccinations are certainly active ones!

[Tizer]

We must be lucky, we haven't had any side effects other than slightly sore arms from any of the vaccinations.

It's hard to believe this is still happening in the UK in the 21st Century...
`Deadly lung disease in UK kitchen worktop workers is avoidable' Brit. Occup. Health Society

The above news story was put out by the Society on 13 March and I only know about it because the BBC has today put it in their News section. We often see builders grinding or cutting stone while not wearing a mask.

[Stanley]

Further improvement today Peter.
Liker you I am surprised that silicosis is still a problem, long understood in mining and working or drilling stone wet has been recommended for as long as I can remember. And yes, I often see contractors cutting stone with diamond saws causing clouds of dust, they seem to think a simple face mask can protect them. They are wrong!

[PanBiker]

Had my flu jab last Saturday, no after effects apart from a minor sore arm, cured with a couple of paracetamol. Covid jab this morning, just setting off.

[Gloria]

We had both ours done on the 7th October, flu in left arm, Covid in right, no real side effects other than being a bit sore for a couple of days.

[Tizer]

I'm frustrated with having spent this morning trying to get an update on the actinic keratosis (skin lesion) removed from my head. It was flagged up ages ago as `suspected cancer' and I was referred on 30 July to the hospital to have it removed. Eventually had it removed on 16th September and a bit sent for investigation but I've heard nothing since. No information in my NHS Access account. Rang the GP surgery this morning and asked them about it. They said I'd have to phone the hospital so I asked for a tel number for the Dermatology unit. They didn't have it. Had to ring the general hospital number and spent a long time listening to all the usual preliminary stuff. Then it started on the `Press 1 for...' etc. Had to drill down several levels until finally getting to Dermatology. Told the lady my story then looked for my details. Couldn't find them at first but after some further Q&As she said `Oh, it's on telematics, you'll have to ring Minehead (30 miles away). I asked what Minehead had to do with it? She said `Sorry my dear (very Somerset!), we don't know what it's all about!' We double-checked the number she gave me and I rang off. Then I rang Minehead - and got `This number is not recognised'. Tried it again - same result. I gave up at that point, I couldn't face working my way through the main hospital labyrinth again. I'll give it a bit more time then walk to the GP surgery to ask them to sort it all out for me.

[Stanley]

Reading that account is depressing because it is so similar to the systems you meet up with whenever you are dealing with a large organisation. (Me with |Talk Talk and British Gas for example.) I'm sure they are designed to grind you down and persuade you to go away.....

[PanBiker]

Reading the bumph that came with my Covid jab, I see that what they shoved into me was Spikevax JN.1. No active virus in it's composition. Apparently it works by by triggering antibody production of your immune system against the indicators in the virus that cause Covid if you become infected. Pre warned and pre-armed so to speak. Anyway no after effects other than very slight soreness in my arm. Will see what happens tomorrow. My last Phizer jab for Covid made me rough for a day. I think that ones mechanism was a different ballgame entirely.

[Tripps]

It's Pfizer and as far as I know - all their "vaccines" have been the mRNA.type.
I'd suggest reading more about it all. There's a lot more to it than how your arm feels the next day. I have found Dr Clare Craig's book "Expired" to be helpful.

[Stanley]

"There's a lot more to it than how your arm feels the next day."
I think I knew that but how it feels is my immediate concern, second is whether the vaccine is effective. Neither of these would be informed by further reading.

[PanBiker]

It's Pfizer and as far as I know - all their "vaccines" have been the mRNA.type.

Moderna according to the leaflet. Anyway a part from the sore arm, no other side effects. As I said before the last one made me feel a bit rough the day after. A few extra hours sleep cured that.

[Big Kev]

It's Pfizer and as far as I know - all their "vaccines" have been the mRNA.type.

Moderna according to the leaflet. Anyway a part from the sore arm, no other side effects. As I said before the last one made me feel a bit rough the day after. A few extra hours sleep cured that.

I had the Moderna and a sore arm for a couple of days. Didn't notice anything, in the other arm, from the flu jab.

[Stanley]

We must just hope the boffins got it right.... I don't want either Flu or Covid. Both nasties I can well do without!

[Tripps]

We've mentioned Alan Milburn not so long ago. I think his aim is to privatise the NHS by stealth -much to his own benefit. He will publicy deny it naturally, but like "boiling the frog" - by the time we realise what's happening it will be too late. Yet again don't believe anything they say -watch what they do.

They look like they will use the tried and tested business consultants' method of splitting up a large organisation into smaller more local 'community' parts. (See McKinsey) - then after some time it will be recombined for 'greater efficiency'.

21 Oct 2024. A 10 year plan for the NHS? Here we go again
Channel 4. Victoria Macdonald Health and Social Care Editor -
The public engagement exercise is billed as the biggest national conversation about the future of the NHS since its birth, with the ‘entire country’ called upon to share their experiences and ideas.

Ten-year plans for the NHS are popular with health secretaries. In 2000, Alan Milburn published his to great acclaim. It was signed by health organisations, unions, patient organisation and charities, so there was no criticisms from the usual critics to spoil the day.
Theresa May and the then head of the NHS, Sir Simon Stevens, launched the NHS 10-year Plan in 2019 aimed at shifting resources out of hospitals and into the community, and in particular improving mental health services. It also came alongside the NHS funding settlement.
And here we are again – a consultation launched today by the current Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, and the prime minister ahead of a 10 year plan for the NHS to be published next spring.
With Alan Milburn as an adviser, perhaps it was inevitable that this would be the direction of travel . Journalist and author, Nick Timmins, quoted Mr Milburn as saying the best political trick he had pulled off was publishing the plan because it ‘bought time’.

[Stanley]

I fear there is a lot of evidence that points to what you say David, a stealth transfer of the NHS more and more into private providers who will accept the responsibility but extract a healthy profit for doing so.
Something that is never mentioned is why certain people would want to see that happen. The assumption is always that it is so that organisations can profit from the need for medical care.... I agree that that is one powerful motive but it only applies to the private sector, government can't 'make money' only save a little. No, I believe the motive on the government side is the ability to devolve responsibility for the provision of care to someone else. Men of principle like Beveridge and Bevan believed it was the government's duty to care for the public. Less principled politicians would rather see that onerous task devolved to industry. That has been the trajectory of development in all areas of governance over the last 40 years......
(For an example of what happens under privatisation to large industries look at the railways or a utility like water....)

[Stanley]

I want to report a very rare event nowadays.
When I had my last diabetes assessment the nurse practitioner said that all was satisfactory and did I want my repeat prescription setting for 6 or 12 months. I of course asked for the latter but privately thought, yes, I'll believe it when it happens.
This morning I called in at Well and asked about the meds. They told me they would be in by Friday and the repeats had another 8 months to go! I am of course delighted and I apologise to the nurse for not believing her.

[Tripps]

Less principled politicians

That's almost all of them now in my opinion.

For example=
Wes Streeting’s boyfriend Joe Dancey has been appointed Labour’s new Executive Director of Policy and Communications. Stitch-up accusations abounded as Dancey was selected for the Stockton West constituency despite living in London with Wes. It didn’t matter in the end – he lost to Tory Matt Vickers in the only Labour defeat on Teeside.
Dancey will now be based in London to “provide strategic leadership across the organisation to ensure that Policy and Communications functions are at the cutting edge.”


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Now - I came across this last night. Brief (10 mins 'ish ) , by his usual standards, and well worth watching I'd say. The main point he makes regarding the BCG intradermal vaccine, and its effects on other conditions could probably be backed up by site members. Certainly by one particular member.

Google Profesor Angus Dalgleish to see his impressive record in UK and Australia.

The fact that the proven medicine Ivermectin is not allowed to be prescribed in UK due to inadequate testing is hugely ironic, considering the fact that long term trial still remains undone for mRNA "vaccines", which I think, still operate under an 'emergency licence'.

[Stanley]

Morning David.... You make a good point as regards Streeting, I knew that but had forgotten it..... It's a disgrace that it is allowed.
I watched the video and much of it went over my head but if they were advocating the use of BCG I asked that question at the time because of course my generation was injected with BCG as protection against TB. (something I don't think happens now) But more specifically because the immunotherapy for my bladder cancer was a long programme of BCG infusions directly into my bladder and I know they were doing something because the treatment knocked two days out of my week and were very uncomfortable (to say the least) I don't know how that exposure to BCG compares with intra-muscular or intra-dermal applications but nobody could answer my questions about the effects on Covid19.
But, as you know, I am a fatalist in these matters. I don't question the medical advice because I haven't the knowledge to act as a basis for criticism.
I take bets based on instinct. That's how I accept the vaccinations and trust the medics and refuse further immunotherapy on the grounds I think I can outlive the cancer.
So far so good!

[Tripps]

I haven't the knowledge to act as a basis for criticism.

Neither have I - directly - but I know a couple of people who have.

***********

PS I just did a search for "BCG" on the site and was very surprised how much I had forgotten about your tussle with your bladder and the BCG experience, going back five years or so. I had forgotten and perhaps even didn't realise what a hard time you had. Well done for coping, and seemingly overcoming the problems. I would say your experience supports what Campbell and Dalgeish say. Sorry if I have revived bad memories.

I can't help thinking though that any medical practitioner who recommends any alternative to the official (pharmaceutical company and vested interest supported) line would not remain in employment for long. Professors Dalgleish and Clancy, and Doctor Nurse John Campbell, seem to be of an age where this doesn't matter to them. They've got their "get lost" money, and so can frankly say what they think.

Make of it all what you will. I have done so.

[Tizer]

Mrs Tiz spent one hour and 40 minutes in the dentist's chair this afternoon as part of work on a molar that needs a crown but they say now also needs root canal treatment - it was worse than they expected and she now has future appointments for all the work. And the cost of all this? (Sit down first...) - £1800. In contrast, my cousin had a tooth break while she was away in Estepona, Spain. I don't know the cost but she got an immediate appointment with the local dentist there to prepare the broken tooth and then she was back in a day or two later for the final work. Britain is sliding rapidly down the scale for medical treatment.

[Wendyf]

It has taken over three weeks for an urgent referral to get from Pendle Medical Partnership to the surgeon who did Cols Oesophagectomy in Bradford. Col has had to email the referral letter to them. The main issue has been the CT scan on his pancreas which was done in Blackburn, and Lancashire and Yorkshire do not speak!
Although the scan didn't show signs of malignancy there is a blood clot blocking the blood supply to his spleen and pancreas, causing the pancreas to shrink and become ineffective, hence the alarming rise in his hba1c results. There are also signs of chronic pancreatitis which we are now thinking was likely to have been caused by Metformin, as all symptoms stopped when he stopped taking it. He has just this minute got an appointment at St Lukes with Paul Manby (the surgeon) at 9 am on Monday morning.
The good news is that Col is being well supported by the diabetes clinician in Colne and is now making a slow change to taking insulin.

There is no personal support from doctors at our local surgery, none of them know Col's history and he has been seriously let down. Thank heavens for the diabetes clinician in Colne who is type 1 herself and had actually read his records before their first meeting and showed sympathy for everything he has gone through. Also the wonderful specialist nurses in Bradford who have battled to extract the referral from Earby. They have been there on the end of the phone with help and support for nearly 4 years now,

[Stanley]

No need to apologise David.... I think I came out of it rather well and was well supported by the system and Susan my daughter.
Glad to hear Colin is getting over the shock of that diagnosis Wendy. He even mentioned he was worried when we met last week. Stab of fear when I heard of the link you suspect between Metformin and Pancreatitis.... but that's natural. (A little learning is a dangerous thing.....)
Peter, yes, I have heard a lot of horror stories about the cost of dental treatment. Thank God for Mr Pinder...... Please give Janet my love and sympathy, from what I have been told, root canal treatment is very unpleasant.