OneGuyFromBarlick

Been to see the plastic surgeon this morning, I think I have mentioned before about the skin grafting on my leg (result of an accident with a bus when I was 11) breaking down. I was referred to Dermatology who said it was not their problem, they referred me to orthopedics who took x-rays & a scan and decided it was not their problem but advised if it kept doing it to be referred to plastics. The plastic surgeon says it needs a 6-8 hour operation to remove some of the old grafts and re-do with flesh that will have all the blood vessels etc. attached - sounds fun!!! He also asked me if I would go to Preston next Thursday where he is examining future plastic consultants and he wants them to look at the leg and decide what they would do.

Thanks Cathy, from your mouth to God's ear!
Moh, sounds like a fun day out! Good luck with it.....

The system is working... I have an appointment at Mr David's eye clinic at Burnley on April 14th..... Roll on!
Later at 11:30.... I heard a very interesting piece on Woman's Hour as I was quietly working in the shed on 'medical dogs', the ones who can sniff out disease. The lady being interviewed is in charge of the facility that trains them to sniff out disease. It was fascinating . There were stories from people who had had their problem sniffed out by a dog and the lady gave her ideal specification for a sniffer dog. Its an inquisitive hunter who is totally boded with it's companion animal, always sniffing at things and full of life. She was describing Jack exactly! I've said before that when I am having a pee he sticks his nose in and has a quick check... From what one lady said whose deep seated breast tumour was sniffed out be her Labrador who had no training, all I have to watch out for is unusual behaviour after he has checked me out.....

See THIS report for what looks like good news for anyone with macular degeneration.

Thank you for the article dad, we will be taking it to the specialist when we go next and keeping a close eye on matters.

Stanley made reference to "peeing broken glass syndrome", this is extremely painful when at its worst. Like Wendy's Husband, Colin, I too have had multiple viruses, three since Christmas Eve. This latest one came with the aforementioned syndrome which thankfully is now past its worst. That syndrome can be indicative of more than one problem, the most common being urinary tract infection, possibly also attendant to a virus. The other common one is often the first warning of a venereal disease, in Naval terms "catching the boat up". Last night the pain levels had decreased significantly only to be replaced by another painful effect, the first signs being a bit like some nut case messing about with the human sound equalizer setup, applying light pressure to the lobe adjacent to my left ear hole proved to be painful so I have left it well and truly alone. By this morning all seemed to well again until I hiccupped, it was akin to having a sharp object inserted hard in my ear, a small "burp" has the same effect. I am now also at the stage where anything coughed up resembles a "DNA" sample from Shrek and am now convinced that this is some kind of alien life form.

Sounds horrible, hope you are soon back to your normal self.



[Before and after the virus?]

To cheer you up a bit Thomo...I read a comment in the paper about the unfortunate juxtaposition of advertisement hoardings that sometimes occurs. An example given was from, I think, the 1950s - one was a Government health warning to avoid VD, the other was from the Co-op and said in large letters "I got mine at the Co-op".

I suspect there have been some nasty and pernicious viral infections about this winter, I have heard of several people who have had them. One thing that has struck in the past few years is the way some of these infections seem to be recurrent. You think you are shaking them off and they hit you again. I've never seen this mentioned anywhere.....

We notice it too, in ourselves and in others, and friends and relatives complain of the same. It's difficult to know whether it's persistence or re-infection with the same, but slightly altered, organism.
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Daily Telegraph, 17th Feb 2015
NHS report by Lord Rose 'put on backburner'
A report by one of Britain’s leading businessmen, criticising the way the NHS is run, is yet to be published despite being submitted to ministers two months ago, it has been claimed. Lord Rose, chairman of Ocado and the man credited with turning around the fortunes of Marks and Spencer, was invited by Jeremy Hunt, health secretary, to assess NHS leadership. The report, in which he is reported to conclude that mediocre managers are not properly held to account and that success is not properly rewarded, has not yet been published. A source, who has been in meetings in which the report is discussed, told the Financial Times it has now been put “on the backburner of the backburner”. Jamie Reed, shadow health minister, told the newspaper: “Patients will be concerned to hear that ministers seem to be suppressing yet another report that criticises their management of the NHS.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/ ... urner.html

The perception that the recent top down overhaul of NHS management by the Tories was a disaster keeps surfacing and being sunk again. This is cross party criticism and the last thing the Tories need in the middle of an election campaign. Another instance of the 'Oborne Syndrome' I mentioned under politics.

I have seen this issue discussed by medics who say it is a new infection . Lowered resistance at a time when recovery is not complete encourages opportunist organisms. There have always been these strange virions about but we have become a nation that does not expect to catch things and also are not tolerant of being ill from minor ailments. We expect our medics not only to cure us but also to irradicate the world from all minor bugs and ailments. There are about 100 forms of the common cold that do not mutate, that is a lot of colds to catch. I think I caught a fair number as a teenager ,

Bearing in mind that many of us work and mix with large numbers of people on a daily basis often in air conditioned and recycled air environments the chances of coming in contact with some one carrying one of these Is high. Some weeks ago Bob had a chesty cold that lasted a three weeks. No antibiotics needed and it eventually cleared up. I did not catch it, I think I had it in November. This week I have had a classic three day cold. Bob has not caught it. It's possible he had the same virus years ago. So what we get depends on what we have already had and whether the virus mutates. Some mutate frequently after just a few virus generations (or bacterial generations.) Others remain quite static which is why immunisations work.
As well as colds there are numerous viruses that cause rashes and stomach bugs. Not all have names, not all are common but they are still there. I think there is an unrealistic idea that we know what all disease organisms are.

Remember our ancestors were killed by these little blighters. We live to fight another day and complain about all these new bugs , which aren't new, that are around. If something nasty kills you there is little chance to catch the minor things that don't kill you.
Keep taking the paracetamol, eat well, drink plenty, stay warm and keep away from those darned air conditioners!

THIS report confirms everything you say Sue. We ignore these preventable diseases at our peril.

I have always considered my self lucky that as a child, the only things I had other than the occasional cold were measles and bronchitis, no mumps, chicken pox, German measles, whooping cough, impetigo, acne, scarlet fever or anything else attendant to that era. I have been vaccinated/inoculated against many things, including some that are not very common, typhoid, cholera, yellow fever, blackwater fever and several other things associated with the equatorial and tropical regions. I have also had a couple of things that here in the UK are not very common today, viral pneumonia and dysentery, the former was in Asia but the latter was right here in Barlick. Many years ago we were redecorating the old Masonic hall behind the Seven Stars, on the ground floor there was a kitchen area , but when not in use, no hot water, it would not have met modern standards in any respect. This was on a Thursday and the state of that kitchen coupled with the hot pie that I had for lunch, and I was en route for something very unpleasant. On the Friday I went on my motorbike to a job at Thornton that was ongoing, the outside a large house just above the Church, at mid morning there was a sudden urge to "go", as there were no facilities available I went over the wall into the field and made do with the aid of dock leaves. This was repeated an hour later and then at more frequent intervals, it was time to abandon and get home. The Doctor was called and came quickly finding me sat on a bucket by my bed, by then I had lost contact with reality, apart from the pain, I was empty, there was nothing left within but the urge to go was still there until I passed out, much of this was told to me the next day when the Doctor came again, after a weekend of eating boiled eggs recovery was soon under way. Much has been said about "Asian Flu" and its variants, but one thing I do know is that having it at home here does not compare in any way with having it in the place it was named after, the heat and high humidity add another dimension altogether, physical strength and mental ability count for naught, when awake all that you are aware of is sound and vision, none of which has any meaning whatsoever. Now, in the middle of my third infection since Christmas, and probably the worst one, I have two choices, tough it out, or call the Doctor, if it does not get any worse by tomorrow morning I should get through it, if it does not I will have to act quickly as weekend is approaching, the mind is still working, but the body is knackered.

At last a better night, it did however get much worse before bedtime. Having been wracked by frequent bouts of heavy coughing yesterday, the pain in my neck, shoulders and back increased, couple this to a headache and earache and the "sound chamber" effect in my head plus extreme fatigue, and I was wrecked. Just before ten during another bout, something happened to the ribs on my left side, the pain was "off the scale". I will not disclose exactly what I took when I went to bed but it must have had an effect, and today has been slightly better, no cost to the NHS at all, purely an educated gamble.

Thomo wrote:no cost to the NHS at all

Sorry Thomo but get yourself in there!

Moh, how did you get on with your doctors at Preston? Any good news?

"Sorry Thomo but get yourself in there!" Thank you, it has been considered, but like many of my generation we know that it is there if we truly need it, in short it is almost a last resort, and not the first port of call when unwell. My GP knows this and I know he is there if I need him. We hardly ever see each other and most problems are dealt with quite efficiently over the phone. If he considers that he must see me, it is often the same day. Far too many people of the younger generations do not have the patience to take this approach, and to be fair, if they have the patience to sit in A&E for hours on end, I am sure that they would benefit from using the alternative.

Thomo, we are probably out of the same mould. A&E are there for what it describes 'emergencies'. But sometimes, reluctantly, we have to take stock of things and go to the experts. I mean the Doctors. Nothing wrong in taking a second opinion and given your infrequent demands on the service you should get a first class check out. They always quote the general rule' if something hasn't cleared up after two weeks' visit your Doctor.

Do dogs note disease because a) its a sick, therefore weak animal suitable for killing and eating; b)its sick, therefore not eating; c) its one of the pack, therefore we should leave it; c) its one of the pack, therefore we attempt to care for it.

Peter, if the cough and pain/fatigue does continue over another 10 days its possibly not a virus. Ideally get a doc's blood pressure test ASAP anyway ( I know virus and illness can affect BP, but so can other things), also get Doctor to check if you have shortness of breath is it in upper lung segments and on the 'In Breath' or 'Exhale' stage. I was mis-diagnosed and so mistreated by GP, but hosp docs (I had 5 diff opinions in 24 hrs) sussed the problem and back on the correct longterm medications, as much as I dislike them. Are you putting weight on at all ?

I shall keep quiet in future! My cold appears to be back after only a week cold free. Is it Bob's cold, we assumed his was mine! Sore throat, headache, tight chest, runny nose, feeling feverish. I know , paracetamol, eat well drink plenty keep warm ! Aagh!

They are tricky little beggars Sue. I hate recurrent viruses.....

Hope you make a quick recovery from this one Sue, take it easy for a while woman!!
Colin thinks his infection has been beaten after weeks of different antibiotics, this was a post cystoscopy UTI which proved very hard to shift.

Wendy, I know from experience that this is right, it's a gamble whether they get the right antibiotic for a UTI. Mine was hit on the head by a lady doctor in Bacup who hit it with exactly the right treatment. Never had a recurrence thank God! Possibly the worst pain of my life, Colin has my sympathy and I hope he's right.....

Antibiotic sensitivity tests in the laboratory are essential for identifying the right bacteria in a persistent UTI, usually caused by gram negative bacteria, but not always. The normal treatment is initially what are called broad spectrum antibiotics but these are becoming less and less effective as well as encouraging the spread of resistance. Some of these antibiotics like penicillin kill bacteria by rupturing their outer walls of both the offending organism and others around. The DNA is then released into the environment of the other bacterial cells around which have the ability to pick up this DNA and the genetic material for resistance. By doing sensitivity tests a narrow spectrum antibiotic is used which targets the specific organism. These very often kill the bacteria in a different way and reduce the spread of the genetic material to other bacteria. The theory sounds good but this all has to be weighed up against the severity of illness, the urgency of treatment, time factor for testing which cannot be done in less than 48 hours and the encouragement of the development of the bodies own immune system against the infection. Eg in the case of suspected meningitis there is no time to wait for sensitivity tests.