Tag: prostate exam

It Is a Long Way from Kansas – Cardiology

~ quantumdreamer ~ Leave a comment

The world is pretty fucked up right now. When the butcher of Khan Yunis is nominating B2- “Obliteration”- Boi Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize things are more than a little topsy-turvy. This is perhaps a new(ish) if twisted reality for our times. If you remember Franco, Mussolini at al., the unpleasant people, once formed a bad-boys club before and that turned out well…

The world is heading into a very nasty phase. Brutality is holding dominion over compassion and humanity. Rife me-first separatism is being propagated, decency {and common sense} is subdued by the practice of domination, coercion and forced submission. The disproportionate exercise of power is once more in flow. Waving cocks is once again sadly de rigueur.

It is along way from any idyllic Kansas of ere.

Today I get to find out if I have a heart amid all the high iron rust in my arteries and veins. They will probably plug me into the mains and look for traces of Fe2O3 in the pre-operative electrocardiogram. They may look for signs of a still pulsing muscle with an ultrasound device.

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By the 18th of July I will have had 13 medical appointments in a little under three weeks. I will have given blood, had a CT and separate radionuclide scan {bonus CT also included}, a colonoscopy and test for sleep apnoea. I will have seen GP, implant dentist and consultant orthopaedic surgeons, a cardiologist, an osteopath, a rheumatologist and a lung specialist. That is a fair clustering of appointments. My dance card has been and is still full. In August I get to see a urologist for an update on my high prostate specific antigen levels. The next line of attack after the high res MRI I already have had is a prostate biopsy. Yippee!!! That will be fun. You can see from the look on my face above when they try to put a finger on it.

And on the TV in the news we get to see a stage managed travesty as mentioned in the first paragraph…

Are we really in this parallel universe. How the hell did we as a humanity get to this low low place. How much lower must we sink?? When this sort of thing seems quasi-normal?

This stinks, it smells real bad…

Am I a Mutant?

~ quantumdreamer ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow I am going to have genetic testing for hereditary haemochromatosis.

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“Haemochromatosis is caused by a faulty gene that can be passed on to a child by their parents.”

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“Predictive testing of individuals who have a family history of HH, in coordination with appropriate genetic counselling

This test detects the 2 common disease-causing variants in the HFE gene: C282Y (c.845G>A) and H63D (c.187C>G). The S65C variant will be reported only when it is observed as part of the C282Y/S65C genotype.”

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I have signed the form and given permission for any blood left over to be used for research purposes. I can’t undo the test nor unsee the results and if I am indeed a mutant there is a legal obligation for me to tell relatives in France. I can ask the GP to do this, if I want.

According to the NHS the disease is caused by a “faulty” gene, a bad pair of Levis. NHS speak is not always the most helpful and it is aimed low.

I will find out if I have the X-factor soon and if I can join the mutant army.

Because I have a proper nanna disease, osteoporosis, I am also having a whole bunch of other tests on my Thyroid function done.

Yesterday because we had mole sign, I set traps down by the edge of the pond. Today we went for a walk along a beach. Both of these are getting harder. In two weeks, I will find out if there is a possibility / likelihood of being able to have replacement hips. It is difficult to imagine what life might be like with some flexibility and reduced pain. There is no guarantee.

People selling hip surgery quote statistics like these:

“In general, the success rate for hip replacement surgery is high: About 95% of patients experience relief from hip pain. In one study, HSS interviewed patients to learn about their progress. Two years after their surgeries, 99.4% of patients said they had relief from pain, 98.8% said their ability to move was improved, and 97.8% said their quality of life was better because of their surgery.”

Because I am worth it…there is no big U for Unilever.

The Arthritis foundation says:

Pain Before and After Hip Surgery  

  • 90% – Of patients who had moderate pain before their first surgery reported mild or no pain after five years.  
  • 89% – Of patients with severe pain before their first surgery reported mild or no pain after five years.  

Limitations After Hip Surgery 

Some patients still have limitations after total hip surgery in activities like walking, climbing steps and getting in and out of a car. Seven percent of patients with moderate limitations and 20% with severe limitations before their first surgery still had severe limitations after five years. Among those having revision surgery, 13% who had moderate limitations and 30% with severe limitations reported severe limitations after five years – so 70% were doing well. 

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This is not such a rosy picture. I am on the younger end of the age spectrum despite officially qualifying as an “older person” now. This data is not age weighted. Given my level of medical comorbidities, I don’t have to worry about living another twenty years, so I will probably only need one set of joints. It clearly is not a universal holy grail or panacea for hip osteoarthritis.

In some sense I will have to place a bet. I will be betting that the surgery can happen, that it works and that I recover. I am betting that it will not kill me. My guess is that the second operation will be harder to handle and the likelihood of death during and afterwards higher. I am betting that I will feel better and more able, eventually, post-op. It will take a lot of time.

If I have HH I will probably be getting bled on a regular basis too.

It is possible that I may have some more fun to add to the medical merry-go-round pencilled in for summer. Colonoscopy, prostate PSA levels too high follow up {un toucher rectal} and French rheumatology are all in my diary upcoming. I need to have a full dental survey to rule out infection before I start on bisphosphonates for my brittle bones.

Blood tests often lead to more blood tests…maybe my Thyroid is shot too!

Hey-ho…

It would be a lot easier to take me out the back paddock and shoot me….

Away From the Highfalutin

~ quantumdreamer ~ Leave a comment

Irrespective of anything fancy, life goes on much as normal here. Yesterday I went to see the arse doctor and today we went to see the boob doctor. I was being followed up for post operative colon cancer and the wife for post-op breast cancer. In July I have an appointment for a colonoscopy and in August one for the higher PSA level and a prostate follow up.

I was thinking of a tune but I could not quite put a finger on it so to speak

“Bum-titty-bum-bum…”

Once I have seen the chimney sweep, and after my joyous interaction with industrial grade laxative, if all is well and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, there is no more programmed chimney sweeping for five years.

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My next GP appointment is, barring any health change, due in October. I have a rheumatology appointment next week, which should provide some clarity. The issue of two {three} major operations on my hips will be on hold over the summer.

We view a house for sale later this week which will make the downsizing real. A brief visit to Jersey will advise if we can hack being surrounded by anglophones.

At the moment aside from the wife, I speak briefly with the guy who cuts the grass every few weeks, 4-6 times per year with the GP and with the physiotherapist every three weeks or so. That is the full extent of my external “social” interaction. I speak with nobody on the ‘phone or internet and am not in any email dialogue. People might find that extent of social interaction difficult to believe. But it is true.

It is possible that we may downsize this year. The tax return has been sent off.

Shortly I have 75kg of dry bentonite in the garage. The pond has a slow leak and I am going to attempt to plug that a little with clay. Then before we have any drought warning I will refill the pond from the river.

The contrast between the day to day life and what happens in the dreaming is marked.

My “diabetic” socks from China have just arrived without any tariff notice or to pay.

There are two decisions pending patent and blog…what to do…

Life goes on pretty much as normal…nothing fancy…

Replacement Hip CAD – Prostate Exam Dream – 21-02-2025

~ quantumdreamer ~ Leave a comment

Here is last night’s dream it has contextual relevance to life circumstance.

The dream starts with people discussing me behind my back. They are concerned about my health and longevity. They are trying to figure out if I can have a replacement hip fitted on the left hand side of my body. They are looking at X-rays and various, multiple, auto-CAD designs which may be possible without extracting the Titanium nail which is in it.

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They are calling up various designs and the discussion continues without my involvement. They are unsure as to whether it is possible and suggest that if they are going to do a staged bilateral hip replacement it might be better to start with the difficult one first.

Finally, someone comes to talk with me about it. They are unaware that I have been privy to their discussions behind my back.

My principle concern is that if both hips have severe osteo-arthritis it seems unbalancing to do only one hip. If they fix one hip the other one will only get worse and the wear on the fixed hip will be accelerated.

I awake.

I drift back off.

I know that there are widespread concerns about my health and longevity. I am being taken for a “compulsory” prostate exam even though I have had one recently. They are doing a Bilan or full blown health screen.

I am dressed in a blue hospital gown laid on my back and a woman is between my legs about to do a sneak sudden prostate exam. I say that would be stupid. Let me know and I will relax. I say to her that this is unnecessary as I already know it to be gonflé enlarged. They have made detailed high resolution MRI measurements of it.

Nevertheless, they want to press ahead and do their own full health audit. I relax. She proceeds to do a prostate exam and concludes “enlarged”.

I say, “I told you so!

The dream ends.