Arthritis?

[Richard]

Ed Agreed, pass or fail is not relevant. It is a gauge at best, perhaps like one in a fuel tank. I does not measure the quality of the tank only the amount of its contents, however this should not be extrapolated too far. It might indicate why someone does not like, or perform well at certain things, but that is simply the ways that things are for them. A bit like colour blind painters or electricians might not be a great idea. Someone who does not like noise and does not get on with crowds of people might make a lousy nursery school teacher, but possibly still make a great stock controller dealing with goods note people.

Management teams are always falling for fad personality tests, their enthusiasm for the latest fad appears to be in inverse relation to their skill at taking the company forward. I have severe doubts about some of the authors of these fads. They are a bit like the definition of a consultant, someone who borrows your watch to tell you the time, then takes your watch.

I saw one road scheme test that failed comprehensively causing serious congestion. The sadist who set it up was pleased. Their model predicted that the scheme would fail so the validity of their modelling tool was proved.

[PlaneMan]

I now have some CBD+, nothing else works well so for the sake of £10 it’s worth a try.

Lots of people have commented that it tastes rank, just tastes like cabbage to me. The pipette in my bottle is, at best, crap. No way to tell without a visual how many drops are being released. I’ve been putting the drops into a shot glass and depositing that under my tongue.

May well be snake oil but time will tell.

[Ed P]

When I was quite young; hemp seed used to form a fairly high proportion of pet bird seed. My mother was in the habit of blowing out the husks from the canary’s food pot at the bottom of our garden onto an area of ‘natural’ park land. As a result some very pretty six foot high plants sprung up during one warm summer and she received a visit from the local constabulary telling her to cease and desist! (Cannabis growing was not actually illegal at the time, and was readily available on Doctor’s prescription).

A huge 45 year long study in Dunedin (New Zealand) has shown (amongst many other things) that cannabis consumption has many positive side effects and only one evil one – regular users suffer far more gum disease than the average population! There are lots of very interesting findings in relation to health, nurture and ageing to be found in the Dunedin Report (A very readable overview can be found here).

[Richard]

My Aunt had a budgerigar at probably the same time. Some seed fell from the feeder into a hard to reach post where is promptly grew within reach of the bird. The budgerigar in question was lame in one leg and had a very disabled foot. However it happily munched on the small growing shoots for years and the poor thing died at some grand old age whilst having been happy as Larry while peg legging it round his cage. I see they often do not last more than 8 to 10 years, this one was well into his late teen years.

I understand that seed was later treated in some way to reduce the chance of sprouting.

[Bob Williams]

Here I go again, sailing off topic…

After leaving the Army and a relationship, the only pet I could have in the flat, was a cagebird. So, being me, I bought a monster cage and a male Cockatiel, dad christened him Joey after mam’s brother and his best mate. He began plucking out his chest feathers (Joey, not dad) and the advice I received was to get him a female companion. However, it was thought that Joey was too old to breed, so mam christened the hen bird Sally and told her she was very, very lucky to have the chance of pleasure without the pain of kids. ?? I fed them well with the best recommended pet shop stuff, until a workmate whose brother bred them in a huge aviary, told me to check out Chickweed: it’s nutritious and contains certain oils that they need, best of all, it grows as a weed anywhere. The little buggas were mad for it and thrived upon it, apparently it suits all cagebirds. Joey and my dad were big mates: Joey would land on his toes while dad was reading, run up his leg and body and sit on his head, hanging his beak down and squawking at him. He started pulling out his feathers again after dad died, but going to a new home and becoming a parent cured that. Sally took to mam, but wisely stayed away from her head.

I used to let them out for a fly around the flat, ensuring the doors and windows were shut. They loved that, made a heck of a racket and my parents loved it. Then one day I met the current Mrs Bob W and she phoned after our first short meeting whilst the birds were out and screaming. I had to take the phone into my bedroom (no mobiles then) and had to do some fast talk before she became convinced that she was not talking to a headcase. In the fullness of time, first dad and then mam passed away and I managed to con convince the lady to marry. As we were at work all day, I had to find my beautiful cockatiels a home: my workmates’ brother took them on and they settled in there well – so well, in fact, that they soon heard the flutter of tiny wings. I went back to see them and they both came to the wire to talk. I told Joey I was proud of the old bugga, but not to exert himself. One thing I learned was never again to have a cagebird unless I had the space for an aviary big enough to give them flight room.

So – chickweed is a no-cost bird food. Who’d a thought it?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[JayCeeDee]

My Dad was two things – a very keen gardener and a cage-bird enthusiast. He bred canaries and won cups and certificates for several best of breeds/best of show at the shows at Earls Court.

He learned at a very early stage that they loved chickweed, and even had a patch behind his “shed” for it to thrive without spreading to the garden borders. The shed was in reality, a home built 15′ x 10′ aviary. Happy days??.

[PlaneMan]

Yesterday was a  bad day.

Since Wednesday I wasn’t feeling right but I get that a lot so didn’t make much of it. Thursday morning I felt a lump on my arse cheek. Thursday afternoon it started to hurt. By then my car was snowed in and nobody could have got to me except for a 4×4 with winter tyres or maybe a husky dog sled team.

Called the Docs and was given advice, call 999 if gets worse,keep it clean, wash hands thoroughly, usual stuff.

Yesterday by about 10 am it was agony. Called the NHS Direct number and they got a doc to call back in about 40 minutes. After a bit of a chat he said it was probably a cyst. Repeated the same advice.

About 7pm I’d just sat down to drop some friends of at the pool and I heard a ‘pop’. Of course I almost literally sh*t myself.  Blood and pus everywhere in the bowl.

No chance of getting the car out to see a doctor, no paramedics available so it was a 12 pairs of kecks night. Luckily I hoard stuff so had about 5 years worth of unworn christmas present kecks.

Finally got to see a GP tonight and it’s an abscess. It’s been drained again and I have antibiotics. Have to see the surgery nurse for advice how to look after it while it heals.

The worst bit is I had blood tests done on Tuesday, have them every 4-6 weeks because of my medication, got the results yesterday and all was better than should be. Which is usual for me, but I have an infection that must have been in my system since at least Monday apparently.

Baffling medical science one again.

 

[Bob Williams]

Nolan you appear to have the same multiples of medical problems as myself, with the addition of plain medical bad luck. My dad had one of those abscesess, in the same area but further into the business end of his fundamental, if you understand my meaning. I was on leave at the time it burst and shudder at the memory, what a mess. He was able to get help, unlike yourself, but by the time the ambulance arrived, I had cleaned up dad, bed and bedroom. They thought mam was the patient at first, as she had tried to help but wound up ill and head down toilet and was very pale. This was a precursor to the time many years later when dad was dying of cancer and bedridden. I was able to carry him to the bathroom and bathe him, without embarrassment to either of us.

Having had 4 separate piles ops, a diseased and prolapsed bowel and a Parastomal hernia over my later years, I have an idea of the trauma you have just gone through.

Hope it gets better soon, good luck.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I think when they test, they just test for that they are looking for. As the wife has multiple tests a week, monitoring god knows what, each dept sends a different sample for test each week.

No one spotted her ear infection that has been on and off for a good 18 months, and worst last year no one noticed the C diff that landed her in isolation for 10 weeks.

So i can only gather, they can only test for what they are looking for. There must be a one MOT style test. Yesterday i woke to a sore lump im my ear lobe, its probably a spot, but it’s yet to break the surface, and feels like it’s on fire. Not good for someone that lives with earphones on for 16h a day. Usually.

[PlaneMan]

Bob, thanks for the good wishes.

Steve, because of the arthritis any infection should show up, it’s a core part of the monitoring because of the disease modifying drugs I’m on. I’m seeing the consultant in about a month so he might be able to explain things a bit more.

[Richard]

PM, sorry to learn of your trails and tribulations, over the abscess. Now that it has burst I guess there is still some way to go before all will be recovered, though hopefully the treatment will ease the way forward. The weather is a factor for many but you have caught the really rough end of this one. I can only trust that you are able to keep warm and have full access to the  required treatment.

[Bob Williams]

One of my many medical problems, is a skin condition. Diagnosed by a Dermatologist in ’82 as the result of a dormant Middle Eastern bug that woke up after an Op, it resides in my Lymph system. Because I am what my SWMBO calls a Hairy Neanderthal, any slight infection has plenty of hair follicles in which to breed. This results in lots of pimples which become boils, carbuncles and other sundry volcanic eruptions. To combat this, I have to wash and shower using Hibiscrub (the pink stuff that Surgical Teams scrub up with.) It keeps it down: there is no cure, but it is neither contagious nor infectious and I am happy about that – I would not wish this on anyone else. I can’t use soap and I cannot use a bath, no flannel or sponge, hands only: shower only, head to foot, so that whatever runs out of my battered old bod can be swiftly conducted away. I clean out and disinfect the shower drain twice a week.

Atm I have an eruption on my right shoulder blade, which is a real bugga as I struggle to reach it and SWMBO refuses to go near it. I look upon this as one more ‘entertainment’, in a life full of them.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Richard]

Happily for me after several operations my spinal issues have been largely mitigated and though I have some arthritis issues as a result of both decay and damage none of them are that serious for the moment. I do have a possible legacy from my time in the Middle East and will see the skin people early next month. Unfortunately with one hospital within a mile, two more within 5 miles and a further couple within 10 miles they only exist in a location nearer to 20 miles away to which driving provides the only practical access. Since my wife’s issues are becoming ever more limiting asking her to drive me is out of the question. So in the event of needing an operation beyond a quick freeze dry is a none starter. My wife has started her long awaited treatment after two years of delays while other issues were explored, though there is some blunting of her original symptoms other new ‘early days’ side effects are affecting her.

I stress, that none of these issues rival those suffered by others on here, but it does make for a depressing read all round. Because of the need to heat the house to a constant warm temperature today’s latest meter readings do not make the happiest read. In spite of the cold spell daily gas consumption is only marginally higher than last year and the electricity is actually very slightly lower, though not by enough to get excited about. I use a SMART METER READER (me), not the numbskull from Morrisons Meter Readings, whose reading last September has only very recently been reached two winter quarters after his efforts to read summer consumption.

[PlaneMan]

Thanks Richard.

I’ve just got back from the surgery as trying to get through on the phone was impossible. No nurse there today as she is still snowed in. I know she lives in the valleys somewhere so that’s not impossible.

Soonest I can be seen is Thursday so that’s been booked. If they have a cancellation I’m first in line. Managed to have a very quick chat with one of the doctors and they are happy with what I’ve been doing to keep it clean and so on that’s something at least.

[PlaneMan]

Thanks Richard.

I’ve just got back from the surgery as trying to get through on the phone was impossible. No nurse there today as she is still snowed in. I know she lives in the valleys somewhere so that’s not impossible.

Soonest I can be seen is Thursday so that’s been booked. If they have a cancellation I’m first in line. Managed to have a very quick chat with one of the doctors and they are happy with what I’ve been doing to keep it clean and so on that’s something at least.

[JayCeeDee]

One of the things that I use when the “scar on my leg where the bone came through” plays up and ulcerates is something called a “HydroColloid” dressing. These are expensive and hard to find a pharmacist that stocks any, but mine ordered a box of ten, sold me five, which covered his cost and kept the rest. They are available from Amazon.

They look like a large blister plaster, ie thin gel-like and they come in all sizes – I use the 4″ x 4″. I wash the skin area with saline solution and pat it dry with a towel, then apply the plaster straight on to the skin. After three or four days the area of the gel directly covering the wound turns milky and it’s time to remove it and check. If it’s not OK, I literally rinse and repeat. If it is OK I then use a similar size Mepore dressing for the next few days and it’s usually healed and all back to normal.

These can be used for any open type wound that leaks or ulcerates because the gel contains it, instead of it leaking onto, and becoming attached to, a fabric plaster and pad which re-opens the wound on removal.

 

[PlaneMan]

Thanks for that.

Hopefully the nurse will sort me out with stuff but the local Boots has them in stock so that’s always an option.

[PlaneMan]

Got back from seeing the nurse and it’s now been properly cleaned, packed and dressed. Have to go back tomorrow for a dressing change and get a prescription and ‘healing plan’.

The dressing is very similar to the ones linked to above by JCD, I have a few spares incase the one the nurse applied comes loose.

Apparently the wound is 2cm * 1.5cm by 2cm deep. The depth shocked me but apparently it’s not uncommon. So far I’ve dodged surgery (which is the usual route when they haven’t burst) but time will tell.

[JayCeeDee]

PlaneMan wrote:

……. I have a few spares incase the one the nurse applied comes loose.

I found they stayed on really well – ie they survived two baths. I used to use elastic bandages to stop my trousers “rolling” the edges. Not a lot of help on your ar*e though!!

[PlaneMan]

Thanks for that . Hoping the prescription includes a nice outer Hebrides scotch, I doubt that though!

[Author]

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