Living with a progressive illness
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Is anaesthesia a problem for someone with HSP [hereditary Spastic Paraplegia]? This was a question I needed an answer to when I was told that I may need surgery for the spinal cyst I have. Blank looks, eye-rolls or shrugs were about the sum of it. So, I turned to Dr Google and found a
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An ill-fitting box ‘…I put the word “diagnosis” in quotes because I have not yet seen that case in which a “diagnosis” led to a “cure”, or in fact to any outcome other than a confirmed, and therefore an enforced, debility.’ – Joan Didion, Blue Nights. I spent decades wanting a diagnosis, a meaning, a
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That sounds bizarre, so let me explain. In the medical world a ‘zebra’ is medical slang for a ‘rare, unusual, or surprising disease or condition’. The usual quotation, frequently used in medical school, is ‘When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras’ – which is encouraging the student doctor not to confuse common ailments
Philippa Lee 