MEDICAL MATTERS

[Stanley]

All is well. The very nice young Asian doctor inspected both eyes and pronounced the retinas as very healthy. She gave me the option of either booking another inspection or simply contacting her if there was any cause for concern, I chose the latter of course. She also said I could get my eyes tested but be ready for further changes in the right eye as the distortion will gradually reduce over the next few months. A good result and I shall be booking the test as soon as possible! Interesting to note that all the surgeons and doctors are of Asian extraction but of course could have been born in the UK. And some people denigrate immigrants!
Did you see the report of the botched cataract surgery at Musgrove Hospital in Taunton? (LINK) The private health care firm was brought in to relieve a backlog at the hospital and about half the operations were failures. I'm glad I was here!

[LizG]

Excellent news. You must be very relieved.

[Stanley]

I'm not sure about relieved Liz because I could see what a good job they have done but it was nice to have both retinas closely inspected and passed as in perfect condition. She was a very nice and funny doctor, I don't know whether there is anything in my notes but she greeted me by telling me that I looked like a bit of a handful! We had a good giggle and I came out feeling fine. That's the mark of a good doctor!

[Cathy]

I'm glad all is well Stanley, good news.

[Tizer]

I'm glad to hear it went well, Stanley.

News of a possible salmonella outbreak in the UK...
Salmonella: GP describes symptoms - and how to avoid them
BBC, 16 Aug 2014
`An investigation has begun into an outbreak of Salmonella which has now affected more than 150 people in England. Tests suggest that the cause of the illness, which is often linked to poultry or eggs, is from a single source. Three hospital patients in Birmingham have died - but health officials say the disease was not a contributing factor in two of the cases, and the third cause is still unknown. Dr Brian Hope told BBC Breakfast that Salmonella was far worse than a 24-hour stomach bug: "It's a very serious condition, especially for frail people or very young people, it can be life-threatening".'
Further information on the BBC site said: "Public Health England is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella which has affected 156 people in England over the past few months. Tests suggest that the cause of the illness, which is often linked to poultry or eggs, is from a single source. Cases have been seen in Hampshire, London, Cheshire and the West Midlands."

They keep mentioning poultry and eggs but some of us will remember the outbreak due to chocolate some years ago. It will be interesting to see the cause of this new problem. They should be able to track it down by comparing the detailed identities of the salmonella strains.

[Stanley]

The thing that strikes me is that you can cook chicken well enough to kill the bug but chocolate is a different matter. Boil your Easter Eggs?
Is this Professor Peter Barnes on Kitchen Cabinet any relation?

[Tizer]

Not that I know of. What's `Kitchen Cabinet'?
Another source of salmonella poisoning is from pets, in particular reptiles, amphibians and birds - and there are more exotic species as pets these days. I had salmonella as a child (devastating, I was seriously ill and ended up on antibiotics*) and it could have come from keeping tortoises and terrapins (not to mention the lizard, newts and budgie!).
(*..and that's in the days when antibiotics weren't given out like sweeties, but only when you were in serious danger.)

[Stanley]

Around 1970 farmers discovered that a good dose of Tetracycline stopped calves scouring and I've seen the floor in the dairy running pink as it was mixed up in industrial quantities. No wonder the bugs adapted! The vets weren't a lot better. If they weren't sure what was wrong with a beast they gave it a massive 'shotgun' injection. I think it had every antibiotic available in it.

[Stanley]

See THIS for confirmation of our shared suspicions about the overuse of antibiotics. This time it's doctors admitting that they sometimes give them to get a stroppy patient out of the surgery.

[Bruff]

I think we all know that happens.

I think we also know that said stroppy patient in the face of a doctor standing their ground through good clinical judgement, leaves and immediately rates the GP and Practice 'low' on the NHS's 'Rate Your Dr' site or whatever it is. Thus ensuring continued 'Failing GP and Practice' headlines in the absence of any context whatsoever.

Which some would say is progress (or a perverse outcome)

To give you some idea of the type of people (some would say idiots) the NHS has to deal with, I had the misfortune to overhear a receptionist at my practice early yesterday morning attempting to explain to a very irate (you could hear the shouting) 'patient' on the 'phone that the practice Drs do not generally telephone a patient when they (the patient) are on their holidays in Greece. That's right. This person wanted a telephone consult on their holiday, in Greece.

Maybe I'm unreasonable, but that seems unreasonable to me. But it's likely another 'low' rating............

Richard Broughton

[Tizer]

What's most shocking is that doctors have been mis-using antibiotics in that way quite openly for many decades and nothing has been done to try and change their habits.

[Stanley]

Richard, a good point and partly due to government policies designed to make the doctors the bad guys by devolving funding and responsibility to them. My personal view is that if you avoid antibiotics as much as possible you get a better result when you do need them. I have no doubt that they were used locally in my eye operation and there was a tiny amount in the eye drops. Did they work m,ore efficiently due to my abstinence? On the other hand I am just as likely to encounter an AB resistant strain of microbe as anyone else. It's a lottery and you do the best you can.

[Whyperion]

The thing that strikes me is that you can cook chicken well enough to kill the bug but chocolate is a different matter. Boil your Easter Eggs?

I think its the pre-mix ingredients that need appropriate heat treatment, and suitable conditions in the moulds, machinery and utensils used at the liquid state into cooling.

[Tizer]

We haven't been told anything new about the salmonella outbreak. The last official news I can find is:
From: Public Health England Published 22 August 2014
Salmonella case reporting slowed over the last week.
PHE is continuing to investigate a national outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis. Total reported numbers have reached 247 cases, from 158 on 15 August 2014. The additional cases are not new infections from the last 7 days, but historical cases reported to PHE during that week. Encouragingly, overall case reporting slowed over the last week. Dr Paul Cleary, consultant epidemiologist at PHE, said:
"Investigations into the recent Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak are progressing, at both a national and European level. There is now evidence to indicate that cases in Europe with the same strains of Salmonella infection were associated with consumption of eggs from a single source. This egg supply also reached distributors and food outlets in England, but at this stage we cannot conclusively demonstrate this is the infection source in this country. We are continuing to work with the Food Standards Agency and public health organisations in Europe but, importantly, the decline in Salmonella case reporting this week alongside other elements of our investigations reassures us that the current risk to public health is low. Salmonella Enteritidis is a bacterium that causes gastrointestinal illness and is often associated with poultry or eggs. Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever. Symptoms are self-limiting and most people recover without treatment although it is important to remain hydrated."
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/salm ... ion-update

[Stanley]

When you think of the variety of sources for imported food it's a wonder that there aren't more infections. Do you remember the imaginative strategies used in Thailand for farming chickens? The cages were over tanks containing fish and the droppings from the hens fed the fish. Brilliant?
Did Mink farmers really feed the carcasses of the skinned mink to the other fir producing animals? Is maggot farming a health risk? How about the rendering of waste from the commercial butchering of animals and birds being 'rendered' into 'protein granules' for inclusion into pet food?

[Tizer]

BBC, 27 August 2014
`Tomatoes 'important in prostate cancer prevention''
Tomatoes are rich in the anti-oxidant lycopene. Eating tomatoes may lower the risk of prostate cancer, research suggests. Men who consume more than 10 portions of tomatoes each week reduce their risk by about 20%, according to a UK study."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28950093

Nothing new about that. We've known since the 1990s that lycopene in tomatoes probably helps prevent prostate cancer. We've had enough positive evidence to make it worthwhile eating plenty of tomatoes just to be on the safe side. I'd eat lots of them if it weren't for my stomach being intolerant of fresh tomatoes. I can eat some tomato paste and tomato ketchup so I take in as much of that as I can without getting tummy trouble. What is more interesting in the article is the bit that says: "The researchers also looked at two other dietary components linked with prostate cancer risk - selenium, found in flour-based foods such as bread and pasta, and calcium, found in dairy products such as milk and cheese. Experts advise eating a wide range of fruit and vegetables. Men who had optimal intake of these three dietary components had a lower risk of prostate cancer, they said." Now just think about all those men who avoid eating dairy products and wheat products because they've been told that these foods will cause allergies.

[David Whipp]

I'm glad I eat all the right things; it's just a shame I eat too much of them...!

[Stanley]

Same here David! I have consistently ignored 'advice' about specific foods for years and am still here an in good health. Mind you, I too am overweight! (They tell me I shall die.....)

[David Whipp]

Good luck with eye test today Stanley.

[Stanley]

Could be a good day! I saw Colin yesterday and it turns out that I was mistaken. It was Derek Kerr I lent the little building to which is now the taxi office....

[Stanley]

Had my eyes tested yesterday. James Bontoft is a pleasant and competent young man, very pleased about that.
I learned a couple of things. The contrast in clarity between my left and right eyes is not solely due to the fluid in the eye. The implant in the left eye is growing a film which accounts for the slight blurring. He says this is quite common and can be cleared by a laser treatment which is non invasive, not another operation. So we'll monitor that.
The double vision is partially astigmatism but also a product of the distortion in the retina which is slowly improving. He can improve the situation but long term it will depend on how well the retina adjusts, could be a month or two before we know.
So, no instant cure but hopefully an improvement when I get the new glasses!
Later.... I have realised that I made a mistake leaving my close readers for re-glazing! I have had to get the El Cheapo plastic reading glasses out to enable me to (just about) read the BET. I shall just have to put up with it! Thank god for the facility that lets me increase the size of the font on my screen! (There will be typos, give me a break when they happen....)

[Cathy]

Sounds like progress will be slow but sure Stanley. Sending you patience. Good Luck.

[Sue]

Poor you Stanley, one thing after another. Keep smiling.

[Stanley]

Thanks to both of you. I'm hoping the new specs will give some improvement, we'll see. Looking on the bright side I am only seriously hampered with my reading of books. After all, I am nearly 80 years old and 50 years ago I would have been blind by now, lots to be thankful for. I wrote two articles for the BET yesterday and will probably do the same today. Things could be a lot worse!
One thing that encourages me is that I can see daily improvement in the distortion. I took the right hand lens out of my computer glasses but have now put it back in as even though distorted, the right eye is helping in some ways. For instance, if I close my left eye I can see well enough to type this, I couldn't do that a week ago.

[David Whipp]

Good to hear of progress Stanley!