MEDICAL MATTERS

[Stanley]

Jack and I enjoyed our full morning walk this morning. Glorious day!

[Stanley]

I'm not going overboard but my assessment is that I have made a full recovery. Nice to have evidence that my natural defences are in good working condition. Don't worry, I am still looking after myself....

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS for an interesting development in the treatment of Age Related Macular Degeneration.....

[Stanley]

I have made a complete recovery from my 'adventure' and indeed, I am i9n better nick than I was before it happened because it forced me to re-evaluate my eating habits. In the process I lost a stone in weight and that also is beneficial. I am pursuing the weight loss very slowly and steadily. BP yesterday was 121/79 and HR 69rpm! Figures that many would love to have. Not bad for the mileage!

[Moh]

Ref. your letter in the Colne Times today Stanley - it is ridiculous that treatment is being stopped. Hubby tried to book a blood test before seeing the prostrate doctor for his check up at our doctors as usual, he was told they no longer do them if they are requested by the hospital - you have to go to the hospital to get them done!! I have developed cellulitis in the leg which is going to be operated on, I went to the doctors on Tuesday and when he looked at it he had to put the same dressing back on, saying we don't do dressings here so we do not have the things to redress it!! I go for my pre-op assessment on Monday and am supposed to have the op. on the 29th but the doctor is not sure whether they will do it until the cellulitis has cleared up. I am on anti-biotics for 2 weeks.

[Stanley]

Commiserations Moh.... And yet Cameron assures us the NHS is well funded and doing better than ever.....
I sent the letter to the Medical Centre as well, no response. I will mark their card......

[Tizer]

I was interested by your comments Moh. Perhaps there is a difference between urban and rural surgeries. Our local surgery provides for a large rural area and they have to ensure a wide range of treatments are available; for instance they probably carry out more types of minor surgery than an urban one would do.

[Moh]

Our surgery is a couple of minutes from the hospital, but you have difficulty in parking and have a long wait. Dressings are done at a health centre in town or at Nelson. the surgeon my hubby sees did not believe it and said he would take it up with the medical director. the main thing seems to be costs!!

[Stanley]

That's the excuse in Barlick as well Moh......

[Moh]

Here I am home again plus vacuum. I had an op. On Wednesday when they cleaned the leg and put a big VAC. On, then on Saturday they took me to theatre, cleaned the wound again and put a smaller VAC. On and sent me home for three weeks.

[Marilyn]

YAH! Well done Moh.
Now....seriously... ...take it EASY!

[Stanley]

What's a VAC?

[Stanley]

See THIS for a Guardian account of the report issued by the Stroke Association drawing attention to the worrying rise of strokes attacking the young. Yet another example of how our food and life styles is being harmed by a deterioration in nutrition and lack of physical activity. How many of these deaths can be traced to the food industry....?

[Stanley]

Moh.... Are you OK? still don't know what a VAC is!

[Marilyn]

She has gone a bit quiet, and hasn't been posting under the dinner topic, which is a worry.
As far as I know, Stanley, a VAC is a system of gentle suction that allows clearance of fluid that can build up between surfaces where a skin graft has been performed, enabling faster healing. Biggest downside is infection ( anywhere that you have tubes inserted is prone to infection). Not the prettiest get-up to have hanging off your body, but I believe it can be quite successful in hard-to-heal wounds/ulcers, whilst maintaining mobility.

[Stanley]

I hope she's OK. If you're out there Moh give us a shout, we are worrying about you......

[Tizer]

Did you see the news story about the man, formerly called `the world's fattest man', having 3 to 4 stone of skin removed? LINK

[Moh]

Had to go back in to have intravenous antibiotics as oral ones were not working. I am home until Wednesday evening when I go back to have the actual skin graft. A VAC is a vacuum pump which draws off any infection or impurities, a piece of foam is put over the wound which has an artificial skin put over it. the foam is covered with film which has a small hole made in it and the pipe for the VAC is put over the hole and the VAC switched on. the impurities are collected in a cassette fixed to the pump which can then be replaced with a clean one. I had one on after my hip op., but that was to make the hollow in my leg shallower.

[Stanley]

Thanks for posting Moh! Glad to hear you are still making progress but sorry you aren't out of the wood yet. I hope it's a success this time round..... The infections must be a worry for you in these days of AB resistant bacteria..... Best of luck and three cheers for the cook!

[Tizer]

Even the Royal Navy now has norovirus. About 70 have it at the HMS Raleigh site at Torpoint. Our local hospitals seem to take turns at having outbreaks. People keep complaining saying the hospitals are at fault, "we never used to have this in the past". But it's not all down to the hospitals - people travel much more widely and frequently than in the past, and to other countries not just other towns, and it's become a lot easier for bugs like norovirus to get a hold and thrive. There are norovirus carriers who aren't affected and show no signs - as soon as one of them goes into a hospital or any other crowded place there is a strong chance of passing it on.

[Stanley]

It's a frightening world out there. Perhaps I get protection by being largely solitary, having my own micro-climate of bacteria and regular innoculations from Jack!

[Stanley]

I woke up yesterday with a pain in my wrist that felt just like a break. Very strange. I decided to have a day doing nothing and rubbed it with old fashioned embrocation. It's OK this morning.... Old age is funny isn't it......

[Stanley]

I have always believed that the best guarantee of as good health as we can expect depends largely on how we treat our bodies. I always remember a friend once telling me that the body never lies and I believe her. As I sat there resting and rubbing old fashioned embrocation into my arm yesterday it occurred to me that of late I haven't been drinking as much water as I usually do. So I rectified this by making sure I drank more. I've always had this simplistic notion that our bodies routinely produce toxins and that drinking plenty of water helps us to flush them out of our systems. I don't know whether I'm right or not but I can report this morning that the pains in my right arm are 100% better. In fact they have almost completely vanished. So, whether I'm right or not I shall make sure I am properly hydrated! After all, it can't do any harm..... My favourite trick for ensuring this is to drink half a pint of water every time I go for a pee, it's a useful reminder. (Or am I just a hypochondriac?)

[Cathy]

Sounds good Stanley, unfortunately it would be impractical for those who aren't close to a loo. I seem to need a loo close by whether I drink or not, especially in the cooler weather.

[Stanley]

That's where I am lucky Cathy, I spend most of my time at time and can manage things quite nicely!