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Off Topic We all need TLC - tendons, ligaments and cartilage

Discussion in 'Watford' started by andytoprankin, Oct 28, 2016.

  1. NZHorn

    NZHorn Well-Known Member

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    All this talk has resulted in my ankle starting to hurt again:emoticon-0101-sadsm. I don't want to have that operated on again.
    Last time the surgeon promised to cut my hair but didn't. He said that barbering is no longer part of the training.

    I've found all my surgeons very easy to get on with. And to support Andy's point, they are amazing people. When I was a child I spent time in Mt Vernon Hospital. There were some horribly disfigured and maimed children in there but they were helped enormously by the skill of the medical staff. You've got me wondering about my fellow patients now. I wonder how they got on in life. It is 50 years ago now.
     
    #41
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  2. Bolton's Boots

    Bolton's Boots Well-Known Member

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    Truly awful things those tumours. I have a niece in Oz whose husband collapsed at work this time last year & was diagnosed with one. Unfortunately it's in a position that makes it inoperable, so he's been undergoing a variety of chemical treatments ever since - so far in vain. Both my niece and he are in their mid twenties and have three young children and life is pretty awful for them at the moment - he can't work or look after himself, so she has to stay home because of that. Like here, DWP over there is fairly unforgiving.
     
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  3. Jsybarry

    Jsybarry Well-Known Member

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    One of my colleagues made a brief appearance in the office today - she's recovering from a knee operation. I couldn't hear fully what she said as she was talking to a colleague over the other side of the room but it sounds like something in her knee was compressing the cartilage and to remove that, she also had to have part of her kneecap removed. I don't know exactly how old she is, but at a guess I'd say she's in her mid 20s.
     
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  4. oldfrenchhorn

    oldfrenchhorn Well-Known Member
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    A friend in England had a brain tumour removed recently in a four hour operation while she was awake. It went well with 95% removed. Unfortunately before she could start the chemo she was back in hospital with pneumonia. She got over that, and the chemo started, but she reacted so badly they had to change the type given. I haven't heard in the last week or two, but hope she is managing with this one.
     
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  5. andytoprankin

    andytoprankin Well-Known Member

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    There are many very brave people in this world dealing with, to me, unimaginable happenings. I sincerely salute them all. It stops my breathing when I try to put myself in their shoes.
     
    #45
  6. andytoprankin

    andytoprankin Well-Known Member

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    Crikey, that's young. I suppose my moaning, which is something I excel at, is put in perspective by this. I ran a lot in my 20s and early 30s, 80K/week - back when I considered it a good thing to do and dodgy knees were what wrinklies had.
     
    #46
  7. hornethologist a.k.a. theo

    hornethologist a.k.a. theo Well-Known Member

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    It's a reminder to live life as well as we can. A friend of ours was told yesterday her cancer is beyond any further treatment but she is remarkably positive about what she's already done and what she plans for whatever time she has left.
     
    #47
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  8. andytoprankin

    andytoprankin Well-Known Member

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    Those of you with TLC problems - am I imagining it or is the cold making it more painful?
     
    #48
  9. Bolton's Boots

    Bolton's Boots Well-Known Member

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    Certainly is - to be expected when you have two lumps of steel where once there was bone though...
     
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  10. yorkshirehornet

    yorkshirehornet Well-Known Member

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    Finally got my pelvic MRI result yesterday.... lots of acute tendon inflammation and wear and tear of various bits........ but no real reason for the electric nerve pain.... so now back on the list for another MRI .. of lower spine....

    I could have told them that months back...

    So 5 weeks waiting list... then two weeks analysis and reporting time.... so should know end of January :(

    Apparently they cant do hip and spine together......oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
     
    #50

  11. andytoprankin

    andytoprankin Well-Known Member

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    Off for ultrasound on my Achilles' in a few hours.

    Sorry your result wasn't what you wanted, yorkshire. What can they do about acute tendon inflammation apart from prescribing Neurofen or something similar?
     
    #51
  12. yorkshirehornet

    yorkshirehornet Well-Known Member

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    I was on mega anti-inflammatories but they upset my stomach too much.

    It is a really weird injury.....sometimes it all locks up and it is so so painful....... I am going to an osteopath and doing stretching exercises been 7 months up to now :(
     
    #52
  13. Bolton's Boots

    Bolton's Boots Well-Known Member

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    Extend the 'they' to beyond medical doctors. Some of the more 'traditional' remedies sometimes do outperform prescription drugs - for example, it may be worth trying turmeric milk instead of taking anti-inflammatory drugs. Works for me and certainly tastes better. :)
     
    #53
  14. andytoprankin

    andytoprankin Well-Known Member

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    Never heard of it. Will look it up.

    My Achilles' tendon has a lump of calcium in it. When the ultrasound doctor put a filter on the images that showed activity (which was so amazing - red and blue pulsing, flashing movement) he winced and said "Oh that is painful." Got to see the consultant in ten days but ecstatic the tendon is fully attached. Back to karate by Christmas, I hope.

    please log in to view this image
     
    #54
  15. yorkshirehornet

    yorkshirehornet Well-Known Member

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    Turmeric..... is that a sort of sheep?
     
    #55
  16. Bolton's Boots

    Bolton's Boots Well-Known Member

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    Are you in your cups
    Over tups?

    Try as I might, I don't get the connection... :(
     
    #56
  17. andytoprankin

    andytoprankin Well-Known Member

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    No, Tur was John's lesser known Danish half-sister.
     
    #57
  18. andytoprankin

    andytoprankin Well-Known Member

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    The same doctor who did the ultrasound did an ultrasound-guided injection of steroids yesterday evening. Fantastic doctor. I watched the whole thing on the ultrasound screen. One wasp-sting anaesthetic, then in he went with the needle. He showed me the "grain of rice" he was aiming for and the needle made its way towards it. Initially, I jumped with the pain. He said "I'll just put some more anaesthetic in". I could see it leave the needle tip, he waited about a second and continued with next to no pain.
    He said the ultrasound doesn't give much of an idea about density of the calcium, but he said mine was "chronic" because it had "been there for a long time and was so tough". He bigged me up in terms of being able to take the pain - but I could barely feel it, the anaesthetic was so precise and shockingly fast-acting (almost immediate).
    I could see him break up the calcium with the needle. He kept apologising for the pain, I said couldn't feel it and to go for it as I was really enjoying seeing the cause of my pain disappearing before my eyes.
    He finished with a couple of guided injections of steroids around the tendon. He said this had a bad press because in the old days they would ask where the pain was then jab in the needle, often putting steroids into the tendon, which he said would damage it, often leading to snapping. With his ultrasound to guide him, he guaranteed (<yikes>) that wouldn't happen. I could see exactly what he meant as I watched him skilfully deliver the steroids all around the tendon, but not in it.
    Five days total rest, physio after ten, no karate for... "a couple of weeks." <laugh>
    I'll leave karate till after Christmas to be certain it's all right. I'm so happy the tendon is in good nick otherwise. Given the degradation in my knees it was pleasant to have some good news about my crumbling body!
     
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    Last edited: Dec 1, 2016
  19. andytoprankin

    andytoprankin Well-Known Member

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    Have you got a date for your MRI yet, yorkshire?
     
    #59
  20. yorkshirehornet

    yorkshirehornet Well-Known Member

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    Turmeric apparently is an anti-inflammatory...
     
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