Thanks all, Went into Joondalup this morning, they are running more tests for the kidney stones, but the reaction from the drug has been covered.  Also concerned about his lungs, so more test there as well.  Just as well I have a comfy house sit to keep me busy.

Thanks VT, agree, just as well it has happened here, and not in few months time when we are up north on the Gibb.  We are house sitting here till 7th March, so hope we get the clearance to move on by then, our next one is in Geraldton starting 16th March.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and wishes.  Hopeful that he will be out today. Spoke with him last night, he was comfortable in his air conditioned room, tv on, steak for dinner.  He faired better than I.

Confirmed three kidney stones, which they will allow to pass normally, also confirmed (what we had suspected for a while) that he has emphacemia, so they want to have that covered off before we leave the area.

Dunmowin wrote:

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Earlier today, Mr D started complaining about lower back pain (excrutiating), so this evening, we went into the afterhours GP at Joondalup Hospital, who diagnosed kidney infection or stones and prescribed Cephalexin.  He took the first one at the pharmacy before we returned to Yanchep.  By the time we had returned to our house sit in Yanchep (30 minutes later), he was complaining of numbness and tingling of the gums.  Got home and he started coming out in whelts and rashes, as if something was biting him.

We rang the GP Hotline, who suggested we might try an anti histamine, (fortunately there was some Polaramine in the house), and they called an ambulance, who have now taken him back to Joondalup hospital for the night. (What a great way to start a house sit)

All a bit scary when you are alone in a strange place.  However, I can't comment enough, the attention that the person at the GP hotline gave us, and subsequently the paramedics from St Johns Ambulance.  I will update tomorrow when I know more, but I suspect he will be allowed home tomorrow.

Its a bit lonely here, I am the only one on the forum at the moment.

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 Cripes, have only just seen this post Lorraine, hope the young fella is recovering ok, sorry to hear about the lung problem also, give him our very best and like you have said better this happened in the Perth region (if it had to be) than up north in the more remote areas.

Get well soon John!   Vic & Carol

Yes, Andrea. I (we) don't want to do a "tour de hospital" like your John.

Baz421 wrote:

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In regards to records,,, I need to take mine when we are on the road,, I need to go to an ER once a month for a specialised jab, some take my script and ID and treat me; some accept my electronic Doctor's records on USB; and some wanted a hard copy letter from my Doctor.

I suggest you get the Doc's OK to have your records copied to USB (usually PDF format as it is harder to change anything) and a summary of medical info in a one page letter, ie current condition, alergies, treatment, current medication etc; and take them with you.

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Agreed, Baz! We carry all our records, including copies of blood test results, x-rays & scans, discharge notes, etc.

And one more useful 'tool': while John was in the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle last year I got heartily sick of various doctors and nurses referring to 'this happened', or 'he did such-and-such', and having to correct their misapprehensions - including one statement that John was 'alcohol dependent', which got me really mad! I was also being asked frequently about what happened when. So I sat down and wrote a summary of events, from the time John went to Port M Base Hospital in September, listing everything by date. The two pages are much easier to read quickly than the bundle of collected notes, and I've been given (somewhat surprised!) thanks ever since by a series of doctors and specialists. And it's easy to update whenever necessary.

Anything we can do to make their job easier is worth the effort.

Andrea (hoping that I won't need to become familiar with any more hospitals this year!)

 .. 'tis good to see all's well !

Yes, before we set off, and I had my last "annual spruce up", the doc gave me copies of all my records, including ecgs, blood pressure records etc, etc, and current meds.  Now, when I go to a doctor, I can pull out the relevant paperwork (if for rewrite of meds) or had the history to hand, i.e. when my knee realignment was done etc.  Had thought about putting it all on a USB, but find it easier to just have the paper work to hand. 

If eHealth ever gets up and running properly, it should be good.

Thanks Jules, keep in touch re WA,  we will be around for quite a few more months, but moving north slowly.