After last night some good news (non footy)....

...https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63859184

This is simply amazing and straight out of sci-fi. In a relatively short timeframe (sadly probably not in the time I have left) I can see many diseases being treated in non-invasive ways. No longer with cancer be 'carpet bombed' with crude chemo / radio therapy systems which basically poison , not just the cancer cells but the rest of the body too. Cell samples will be taken, manipulated and re.injected into the body to do their work (a bit of a simplification I know but that seems to be the essence of what DNA treatment involves).
Obviously, at this stage it is experimental, specialised and expensive but I could see large laboratory complexes which carry out theses processes. along the lines of independent labs that do blood test now, almost on an industrial scale. As they build up a 'library' of DNA procedures the whole thing becomes simpler and cost effective, certainly compared to the long drawn out processes of 'in-patients' regular chemo for cancers as well as treatments for other genetic diseases. EVen further down the line it has been suggested elsewhere that it could be possible to 'programme' bodies to regrow lost limbs.
On the downside. again there is a real risk of militarising DNA manipulation for military purposes i.e. 'super soldiers'. Currently the stuff of sci-fi movies it is one step nearer to being possible in reality.
The other problem is , in a shrinking World, we are even further down the road of 'cheating nature and evolution' . We are in danger of, if we have not already done so, no longer 'evolving' since natural selection of nature where genetics play a major part, leading to increasing life expectancy and even faster population growth. Until medical science took hold, humans like everything else on the planet were 'contolled' by survival-of -the-fittest but that no longer applies. In many ways that is good but in the long term...?

IF we don't destroy ourselves in the meantime I predict medical science will be revolutionised and most of the current treatments, even those we consider advanced, will be viewed by doctors of the future in the same way we view Tudor/Elizabethan period doctors with their blood letting, amputation without anesthesia, and mercury covering just about every ailment.

 

Good news indeed.
You say "Time I have left" I assume you are suffering this terrible disease. I can only wish you the best if so.

 

Nope but I am coming up to 69. Pretty good health ATM but even if I make it t0 100, given our family history of heart disease on the both sides of my family (mum died in her 40s after multiple thrombosis over the last few years of her life, my dad died from angina and a heart attack in his late 60s and I had 1 superficial thrombosis and a DVT a year later about 4 years ago ) I don't think that is likely.
That is why, 30 years may seem a long time and medical advances are rapid, but the scale of change I was thinking about in terms of the revolution in medicine, given the state of the World economies and misplaced priorities where nations prefer to blow each other up rather than feed, cloth, house and care for the population, I don't see happening until wll after that. Too late for me anyway... I will have had my time... for future generations to benefit!

Thanks for your best wishes anyway Stay healthy have a good Christmas

 

All this science will go to waste because you'll still not be able to get past the b1tch on reception.

 

I think you're being a bit harsh calling someone that, they are doing a job and encounter MANY nasty people and it's upsetting and some take that upset home with them. I think people should understand what stress they can cause to not only the receptionist but also the Doctors and Nurses. I admit SOME receptionist's are little Hitlers but most aren't. My Mother in law went to get her hearing checked(86 years old) and the Doctor couldn't have been nicer but he did say he can go home upset with the odd nasty patient,WHY would anyone be nasty to an hearing expert is beyond me.

 

I agree I cop for it all the time. You develop a cynicism as a result. Not a great feeling. It does numb you a bit though.

 

Back on thread. There's been research done using cells from "immortal animals" such as Jellyfish. I'm sure there's a few examples. I read something on the BBC about a month or so back. I remember thinking it will only be a matter of time before it's translated to humans.

 

In our case it's not anyone on reception but the telephone system. You have to call at 8am to get to see a doctor (the on-line appointment system is ALWAYS completely booked up). So you call, it's engaged so you redial, and redial and redial till eventually it rings and answers. You then listen to all the usual pre-recorded gumph and get in a queue. Just at the point of getting to speak to a human, the line goes dead. I'm not sure if it's just an old system that can't cope with the volume of calls or a deliberate act by the practice but it is massively aggravating.

 

I wonder what would happen if large numbers started turning up at reception stating they cannot get through and wish to make an appointment in person. If enough did it I wonder how long before the receptionist had enough and they had to update the phone booking system?

 

I would imagine it’s just a case of not enough receptionists on hand to answer quick enough as a result of everyone trying at the same time instead of across the day.

 

Some GP services do have limited walk-in appointments on certain days. The irony is that prevents the Reception staff answering calls. I don't think there's any right and wrong in that situation.

I'm lucky living where I do that if I ring at 8am I can get an appointment. Might have to wait on the line for a while and have a call back or telephone appointment instead.

There was a confusing one last week. I was supposed to have a medication review. I told them I couldn't attend and asked for a telephone appointment. They wanted to see me in person. I rang up and cancelled the appointment on the day as George was in hospital so they rebooked me for a telephone appointment on the 28th.

 

I tried that & was told to phone up at 8am the following day. They even suggested I get a load of friends to try calling on my behalf at the same time to increases chances of getting through. Or they just try pass the buck to A&E departments, who are already overstretched..

 

The NHS is broken. It's as simple as that.

The GP surgery system in this country simply doesn't work anymore and needs radical reform.

 

Sounds similar to ours. I had crippling anxiety last year and eventually plucked up the courage to try and get an appointment to see a GP about help-I felt I needed a short-term chemical solution so I could get through the next few weeks - I tried 3 days on the trot to get through and each time I had the issue you describe - a ridiculous long queue wait, then getting cut off. Baring in mind that I was already in state of anxiety and this was hightened knowing I was going to have spill my guts to a doctor about it - so each day I was working myself up more to only not be able to speak to anyone - in the end I just gave up, and stayed depressed for a couple of months until I was able to use meditation/breathing/exercise to eventually pull myself out it - not very easy, and it has left me totally resigned to never being able to speak to the Doctors again. I wonder how many people have had this? Unable to get help when suffering from mental health issues, and then just ended up doing something drastic or self-medicating on drugs and alcohol?

 

Yes it occurred to me that some people would be much less able to cope with it than I was. At the moment I've got a couple of skin moles that have changed colour and started to itch so I thought it a good idea to see a doctor. That was a week ago, still not got anywhere. I'm thinking of going to A&E but they will be up to their ears in it at the moment and could do without time wasters. The moles seem to have settled down a bit now so I may have been worrying unnecessarily but you never know.

Edit; would I get anywhere by phoning 111?

 

In my experience 111 was a complete waste of time,but i wouldn't tell anyone not to try it,there's nowt to lose.

 

111 just pass you to a and e but it takes longer and an inane phone call to boot. Trust me. Me and Laura ring them all the time with George. Every time it's resulted in us going to a and e. I think they're just covering their backs.

 

This sounds about right. When I had my panic attack last year. I managed to get a telephone appointment with my Doctor. As I wasn't suicidal and wasn't classed as drug or alcohol dependant wouldn't prescribe me anything in spite of being on anti depressants before I moved to Rotherham. He gave me numbers for talking therapy and a crisis team. They in turn have appointment slots. I sacked it off too. He wouldn't even give me a sick note and told me to return to work once my self certification ran out. He didn't think someone in my mental state would benefit from being off work for a sustained period and I needed routine. I sought of agreed but some citalopram wouldn't have hurt.

 

You moved to Rotherham? Must be beyond anti depressants now then...

 

As a place it has more to offer than Pontefract and the five towns. Close to Barnsley, Doncaster, Meadowhall and Sheffield and decent transport links once you've crossed the border.