Little Things That Irk You VII: Seething Pains

[QualityChimp]

My Mom had a tumble at Easter and as fell, she heard her jaw crack.

When she came home, it's been getting progressively more painful but really struggled to get anyone to listen to her when she said there's something wrong.

She went to the doctor who said it's just an infection. She then went several more times (6 total) but the doctor either moved the appointment or she was seen by a locum or nurse.
After my Dad died, she was supposed to be a "priority case" to check she's okay, but she just got fobbed off.

Still nobody at the doctor's would do an X-ray on her jaw, said her ears are just blocked and there's nothing wrong.

She went to the dentist who also said there's nothing wrong.

She changed dentist and they also said there's nothing wrong.

She went to the drop-in clinic who said there's nothing wrong.

She went to A&E when she was in agony who said there's nothing wrong.

She went to the 111 centre who said there's nothing wrong BUT agreed to do an X-ray.
The X-ray was supposed to go the dental unit at the hospital but she's heard nothing.

The pain was so great that she had to pay to go a private dentist to get someone to listen to her, who said she had to have some wisdom teeth out to stop the pain.

She had the teeth out, but it still hurt, so they looked again at the x-ray and said there's "a shadow".

Finally, they did some tests and she is then told that she's got a cancerous tumour growing on her jaw.

...

I went with her to see several of the cancer team at a nearby hospital (surgeon, case leader, nutritionist and speech therapist) and here's what's happening:

• She had an MRI scan to check that the cancer hasn't spread, either to her lungs, neck or brain - it hasn't. Phew.
• She had a CRT scan on her legs to check the bones are okay to be used as part of a new jaw.
• She's seeing the team again today to confirm that last scan's results. If OK, the rest will happen.
• She's having a PEG (feeding tube) put into her stomach on Friday as she won't be able to eat normally for a while.
• She's going in next Monday to hospital, ready for surgery on Tuesday.
• The cancer has eaten away most of her jaw where it's attached, which is why her jaw is brittle and keeps cracking and hurts so much as it grows. (You can see how swollen it is now)
• They're going to take out almost half of her jaw with the cancer attached.
• They're going to take out part of her leg bone with some attached bits (skin, nerves?) to build a new jaw with a plastic cast of her jaw and metal plates. The bone will help her body accept the jaw quicker.
• They're then going to put in the new jaw.
• They're also taking out her lymph nodes as they can be a source or cancer (precautionary).
  (All of this should be about a 15 hour operation)
• Then she's going to have radiotherapy on the jaw for a few months (6 weeks?) (precautionary)
  (Chemotherapy is for the whole body, radiotherapy is focused.)
• She'll need a walking stick for a while, but should be okay.
• She'll be pretty weak from the radiotherapy.
• She'll see the speech therapist to help train her how to speak/eat again with the new jaw.

So, I'm a bit worried about her at the moment. The whole procedure is "routine" and the cancer hasn't spread, but it's still a big operation and still has its risks.

Really annoyed about the way she's been treated by everyone and just ignored despite repeatedly asking for an x-ray. At the doctor's, they ring a bell after 10 minutes to tell you your time is up and have to leave. However, I can't believe how many professionals didn't listen to her and she's had six months of increasing pain and potential for the cancer to spread.
The amount of chasing of receptionists she's had to do is ridiculous.

Once diagnosed, the cancer team at the hospital have been amazing - efficient but understanding.

This isn't an anti-NHS rant, it just illustrates how stretched they are.

It's going to be an interesting Christmas and 2020, that's for sure.

[vanpeebles]

Gah, get well soon!

I'd be gunning for them, if that was me. My Mam was in hospital at the start of the year, and I had to take them to task a few times. Being stretched is not an excuse for negligence.

[Neon Ignition]

Yep, my Nan has been in and out of hospital a lot over the last 12 months and she's only just opened up that she has Stage 4 Lung Cancer and since being diagnosed has opted against any treatment due to her age (84) giving her a prognosis at best of 2-4 months. Went to see her yesterday and the visible difference in her is stark, hardly looks like the same person even compared to how she looked months earlier. She has a tube permanently in her side now to drain her lungs and despite it all still has had to sit in corridor for upwards of 7 hours waiting for a bed or 2-3 weeks for an appointment. Chronic lack of resources, as the cancer takes hold the health visitors are actually reducing the number of visits their making - how is that even a thing?

On the flip side, the missus and kids are booked in for their 5th and 4th GP appointment in a row to address their ailments at the moment because of all sorts of stuff. Mostly, the GP's being far too quick in their 10 minutes to rush an opinion through that doesn't actually nail the right issue. Especially atm where SFJr1 has being going without his meds because the GP keeps entering the wrong prescription info like the last one he did where he prescribed medication suitable for 12yr olds and above only for our 4yr old. So much time wasted back and forthing between appointments and the pharmacy who have to keep sending us back to the GP. In the meantime we're taking up 10 min slots we shouldn't need and others should be able to use.

Like peebles says, negligence is a concern too. I'm still in the camp of being fine with the NHS getting a big money injection but I also want a thorough independent review of existing services too.

[fishbowlhead]

[MENTION=10111]QualityChimp[/MENTION]

I had a testicle removed last week due to one of them having cancer on it.

From finding it to the OP was 3 weeks. They didn’t mess around and I’m currently recovering.

NHS was brilliant.

Sorry to hear no one could be bothered to look though on your mum, its unbelievably frustrating.

[QualityChimp]

@QualityChimp

I had a testicle removed last week due to one of them having cancer on it.

From finding it to the OP was 3 weeks. They didn’t mess around and I’m currently recovering.

NHS was brilliant.

Sorry to hear no one could be bothered to look though on your mum, its unbelievably frustrating.

Thanks mate, appreciate your post.

Like I said, once the cancer was found, they've been great, but the lengths my mom has had to go to be heard isn't right.

I'd like to say it's a one-off, but my mother-in-law had the same issue and had to chase to get anyone to take her seriously and confirm that she had cancer.

It's treatable and I'm staying positive, mostly with distractions and ostriching a bit, but I hate that she has to go through all this.

Credit to you though, for checking, finding and sorting your cancer. I hope your recovery is really, really quick, but you're signed off for ages and make a dent in your backlog.

[fishbowlhead]

You have to check and have to take these things seriously. Trouble is people are generally quite scared of this stuff, but, its got to be sorted. As crap as it is having a body part removed it had to be done, and it is. Now I’m just chilling at home going through Poke Sword, Jedi & Luigis.

Though I’m in the fortunate position of not having to worry about income so that’s a something I’m not thinking about while recovering.

Hopefully your mum is sorted quickly and can get back to recovery ASAP.

[fishbowlhead]

Onto today’s irk.

My brand new iPhone 11 Pro has been effectively f*****d by apple’s latest update.

Now drops calls instantly and the battery is half of what it was before the update. To top it off the chat support is broken and doesn’t even start, plus I cant call them to get anything sorted as the phone drops the call instantly.

They BETTER F*****G fix it asap 🤬

[vanpeebles]

Bigger fool you!

[JazzFunk]

Current irk. It's very trivial compared to several recent entries on this thread....it's...cat fleas. Depressing. Very very. Cat's been all clear the last few days, all spot-onned and flea-combed, pretty much all crevices of the house sprayed with horrendous chemicals, it's been decent.

And then I get back about half an hour back and go to make a cup of tea and he's scratting a bit and my heart sinks but I'm not *certain* yet, so decide I'll drink my tea in ignorant bliss and check later.

So I go upstairs with my cuppa to get changed and feel a tickle on my arm, look down and there's this solitary, bastard flea. With a mix of frustration and despair, I swiftly press my thumb against the git, kind of ball it against the top of my index finger and grind and grind and grind until it's just particles.

For something so tiny, they are incredibly hard to destroy.

Uuuugh. It's awful. Know it's a common thing but it's the first time a pet of mine's had fleas and it really makes me not wanna be in the house any more, last few weeks have just felt really unsettled, proper weird insidious feeling.

I'm kinda getting more used to it (there was another solo flea in my bedroom last week and it proper weirded me out) but tbh, I'll be really glad when it ends. Really glad. Really really really glad.

When. If??? Hope not. Not looking forward to a flea-ridden Chrimble.

Any tips?

The cat tends to stay downstairs (I don't let it in the bedroom) so I'm guessing the odd flea 'hitches a lift' on my clothes and ends up in the boudoir. Which is the last place I want a ****ing flea.

Any stuff I can spray on me or the bed to keep em away while I sleep? Or any tips on bombing the house for fleas n' eggs? Don't wanna poison the cat but DO wanna poison these infernal micro-demons.

One good thing I CAN say is that they are sinister and elegant and obviously designed by Satan. The way they MOVE, so quick and fluid and evilly efficient.

I've battled quite a few ant infestations and they have nothing on these little twats!!!

Aaaaaargh, every time I feel a tickle, anywhere, I think it's a flea and I only saw one! Makin' me bloody nuts, jeezis...

[Mayhem]

Re Apple, I tend to wait 2-3 weeks after a new iOS drops to see what's going on before updating. iOS13 has been such a dumpster fire seemingly that with every update since, check to see what the concensus is. Apparently issues with every patch going. Hence why my devices are still on 12.4.1 here.

[eastyy]

Looking to get some PC stuff and noticed Scan had a pre black friday sale....and I saw a m.2 drive i was interested in....but hang on the deal price was the same price i saw a few weeks ago

[Lebowski]

Current irk. It's very trivial compared to several recent entries on this thread....it's...cat fleas. Depressing. Very very. Cat's been all clear the last few days, all spot-onned and flea-combed, pretty much all crevices of the house sprayed with horrendous chemicals, it's been decent.

And then I get back about half an hour back and go to make a cup of tea and he's scratting a bit and my heart sinks but I'm not *certain* yet, so decide I'll drink my tea in ignorant bliss and check later.

So I go upstairs with my cuppa to get changed and feel a tickle on my arm, look down and there's this solitary, bastard flea. With a mix of frustration and despair, I swiftly press my thumb against the git, kind of ball it against the top of my index finger and grind and grind and grind until it's just particles.

For something so tiny, they are incredibly hard to destroy.

Uuuugh. It's awful. Know it's a common thing but it's the first time a pet of mine's had fleas and it really makes me not wanna be in the house any more, last few weeks have just felt really unsettled, proper weird insidious feeling.

I'm kinda getting more used to it (there was another solo flea in my bedroom last week and it proper weirded me out) but tbh, I'll be really glad when it ends. Really glad. Really really really glad.

When. If??? Hope not. Not looking forward to a flea-ridden Chrimble.

Any tips?

The cat tends to stay downstairs (I don't let it in the bedroom) so I'm guessing the odd flea 'hitches a lift' on my clothes and ends up in the boudoir. Which is the last place I want a ****ing flea.

Any stuff I can spray on me or the bed to keep em away while I sleep? Or any tips on bombing the house for fleas n' eggs? Don't wanna poison the cat but DO wanna poison these infernal micro-demons.

One good thing I CAN say is that they are sinister and elegant and obviously designed by Satan. The way they MOVE, so quick and fluid and evilly efficient.

I've battled quite a few ant infestations and they have nothing on these little twats!!!

Aaaaaargh, every time I feel a tickle, anywhere, I think it's a flea and I only saw one! Makin' me bloody nuts, jeezis...

Fleas are getting more resilient to flea treatments we regularly swap the brand and type we use that we get form our vets to stop the fleas building an immunity. We also have an electric flea comb thing to go over the cats that zaps them as you find them. its an ongoing battle but we seem to have it under control at the moment.

[Blobcat]

Off sick after being off to visit family. I have this lurgy thing thats been going around and I need a day to recover from driving/ visiting family in general who I love but had a vile night on Sunday which set my bug off after badly sleeping. Spent 8 hours driving yesterday and feel too crappy to do a thing.

Also my staff Christmas do is this Friday after work at the same place we have gone the last 2 years which no one cared for (owners are friends of the boss). About 1/4 are not going because of this.

Would it be super bad If I just came for the free meal and left? I doubt I'll be feeling 100% by then and I simply can't be arsed to drink.

Not sure what to do about fleas, never had a problem with our pets growing up but my best friend's mum's house for a long time was CRAWLING with fleas on the sofa I would have to sleep on. Pretty disguisting, they went after getting rid of the sofa and the cat moved in with her daughter when they moved house.

On a related note, my mum has an infestation of Fungus gnats which she was being hostile about when I arrived saying it wasn't too bad. She has LOADS of houseplants and is very green fingered but I know from experience I always get a few of these bastards whenever I have a houseplant I haven't killed yet. Its the time of year and she is probably overwatering along with the house being warm. It was only after making up after a fall out near the end of my visit she admitted there was a problem. The house looks fine but if you stop and look at the ceiling you can see at least 5 instantly and if you sit down I gurentee one will be in your face every 2 minutes for your ENTIRE stay. Trying to convince her to buy some unsightly sweet sticky papers to catch them but she thinks it will look ugly. I said if she doesnt do anything now its going to be unbearable by Christmas.

[JazzFunk]

Fleas are getting more resilient to flea treatments we regularly swap the brand and type we use that we get form our vets to stop the fleas building an immunity. We also have an electric flea comb thing to go over the cats that zaps them as you find them. its an ongoing battle but we seem to have it under control at the moment.

"Electric flea comb thing", you say? Kind of JUST what I was thinking about the other night...though only as though such a thing might exist only in myth.

My current method involves filling a pan with piping hot water mixed with washing-up liquid and placing it bang near the cat's tail so when I'm combing, I can dunk the fleas/flea-crap straight into the water. It's not ideal but it's instadeath.

Only saw about three when I combed earlier but it's what you *can't* see with these bloody things...especially if your carpets are dark and patterned...gah.

Lucky last resort is that my best mate worked as a pest controller for the best part of the last two years so I'll get him on the case if it spirals too hard. But even then, I'm feeling this is gonna be an ongoing process from now on, as long as I keep the cat.

Annnnnnooooooooooying.

[fishbowlhead]

Just get rid of the s****y cats. Problem solved.