We're getting old (OO medical complaints)

Malificent · Post by **Malificent** » Thu Aug 11, 2022 8:53 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 9:12 pm
The Meal wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 8:55 pm I learned a new word today, hemoptysis. Doctor visit on Friday.
That's not a good word.

Yeah, I looked that up and winced a little. Best of luck and health to you.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:51 pm

I just looked it up too. Yuck. I hope you never hear that word from a doctor again.

Madmarcus · Post by **Madmarcus** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:15 am

This isn't the same type of medical complaint but I've finally found something that makes me thing getting old sucks. I can't seem to solder circuit boards anymore!

I was never good at it but I've populated arduino type board before and while the results have been a little ugly but they work. So one of the things I set up in my new workshop was a soldering area because I have a couple of electronics projects I'd like to build. I can solder wires to other wires no problem but soldering wires or headers to a circuit board is hitting some sort of anti-sweet spot where I even with a stand I can't get the wire, the board, the solder, and the iron all at such a point that I can see them well enough to do the work.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:39 am

Madmarcus wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:15 am This isn't the same type of medical complaint but I've finally found something that makes me thing getting old sucks. I can't seem to solder circuit boards anymore!

I was never good at it but I've populated arduino type board before and while the results have been a little ugly but they work. So one of the things I set up in my new workshop was a soldering area because I have a couple of electronics projects I'd like to build. I can solder wires to other wires no problem but soldering wires or headers to a circuit board is hitting some sort of anti-sweet spot where I even with a stand I can't get the wire, the board, the solder, and the iron all at such a point that I can see them well enough to do the work.

Are you using magnification? And if so, is it binocular?

Madmarcus · Post by **Madmarcus** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:23 pm

Yes to magnification. No to binocular; I'm just using the basic big magnifying glass on a stand. Binocular might be a problem for me as my nystagmus does not always play nicely with binocular eyepieces.

Later today I'm going to see if I can find a board to practice on that has more open space. Part of the issue is that previously I would solder without a magnifier and now I'm running into hand eye coordination issues when the iron is visible both in and out of the glass and closer.

BTW, unconnected by weren't you running a blog for a little while last year? I'm thinking of doing a similar type of "host my random rambles and ideas" blog and I was going to follow the link in your sig to see who you were using but there isn't one anymore. I have other stuff on Google Sites and it's probably exactly what I should use.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:21 pm

If you got the money there's always eye surgery.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:54 pm

Since this thread is about getting old as well I was thinking about just how old am I? Sooooo...if my wife had been able to carry our twins when I was 18 Id be a dad. If they had had kids by 15 Id be a granddad and if those had had kids by 15 Id have 5 year old great grand kids running around.

Can you imagine your great grandad kicking your ass in games??? I couldn't even imagine my parents getting ANYWHERE close. Of course thats all different generations of time.

"How'd you do in the tournament?"
"Grandad kicked my ass by a mile."

"Cool car"
"Ya thats my great grand dad's"
"He's taking us to see Def Leppard and Volbeat this weekend."

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 3:18 pm

Madmarcus wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:23 pm Yes to magnification. No to binocular; I'm just using the basic big magnifying glass on a stand. Binocular might be a problem for me as my nystagmus does not always play nicely with binocular eyepieces.

To be honest, I'm not sure what you mean by binocular eyepieces. Binocular magnification doesn't need eyepieces, just a separate lens for each eye instead of one big one. The one big one tends to distort what you're looking at and messes with depth perception. Binocular maintains what depth perception you naturally have. I went through similar issues when I started needing magnification for painting - single stand lenses were the problem. I went with something like this, which puts the lenses out in front of my face, a good inch forward of my glasses:

And the last time I looked it was cheap on Amazon. Like this one.

BTW, unconnected by weren't you running a blog for a little while last year? I'm thinking of doing a similar type of "host my random rambles and ideas" blog and I was going to follow the link in your sig to see who you were using but there isn't one anymore. I have other stuff on Google Sites and it's probably exactly what I should use.

I was. I started it for a specific project, but didn't use it enough to justify the cost when it came time to renew the hosting. I did pony up to keep the address, though.

Madmarcus · Post by **Madmarcus** » Fri Aug 12, 2022 5:09 pm

Aha, my mental picture was a binocular stereo microscope set up like https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SE306R-P ... 5&sr=8-13. If the one you linked does work with glasses it might be a good option.

Madmarcus · Post by **Madmarcus** » Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:04 am

Not medical but odd. I ordered the magnifier that Blackhawk recommended. For some reason Amazon shipped it but it was cancelled after being listed as reaching the distribution center near me. Weird.

Default · Post by **Default** » Mon Aug 15, 2022 2:25 pm

I have that one. Comes with several power lenses. Highly recommended.

Madmarcus · Post by **Madmarcus** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:47 pm

Thanks for the recommendation! It works although I'm going to have to work on the nose piece and strap. It's really tight and digs into the bridge of my nose. On the other hand you are right that it works well in combination with glasses.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 6:07 pm

Madmarcus wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:47 pm Thanks for the recommendation! It works although I'm going to have to work on the nose piece and strap. It's really tight and digs into the bridge of my nose. On the other hand you are right that it works well in combination with glasses.

Awesome. FWIW, I use the glasses-style frame, not the headband. I also sprang for this.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 3:07 pm

Got my final surgery clearance from my PCP this afternoon. So now it's going through the inevitable pre-surgery hoops till I go to the hospital in mid-September. Assuming a hurricane doesn't come this way...

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 3:14 pm

The Meal wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 8:55 pm I learned a new word today, hemoptysis. Doctor visit on Friday.

Doctor visit turned into a telehealth visit a few hours before the appointment. NBD.

Telehealth visit resulted into setting up a chest X-ray at an off site imaging service. Office faxed orders to imaging service on Friday. I called that afternoon, and they said they hadn’t received them, but it could take up to 24 hours to process. I called back on Monday and they still hadn’t seen the orders. I reached back out to my office and they faxed the orders over again. On Wednesday I called the imaging service and they still had nada. I reached back out to my office and asked them to call them over directly as what they had been doing wasn’t working.

Got my chest X-ray Wednesday afternoon. Technician said results would go to a radiologist that evening and my health care professional would reach out to me on Thursday morning.

No news on Thursday.

At lunchtime today I reached out to my office. “It’s been 44 hours since my X-ray. Anything?” “Oh we just got them and it looks like bronchitis but everything else seems ok. How about some prednisone?”

So that’s where things stand. I have a six month follow up with my asthma doctor next month. Every day I’m feeling a bit worse, so hopefully the Jesus pills do their job this time around (they generally have in the past).

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:21 pm

At lunchtime today I reached out to my office. “It’s been 44 hours since my X-ray. Anything?” “Oh we just got them and it looks like bronchitis but everything else seems ok. How about some prednisone?”

I love prednisone and they won't give me no more. I also consider them Jesus pills. Or Superman pills. They always make me remember what it was like to be normal, only I slept a lot less on prednisone than when I was normal. I was OK with that side effect. Alert and clear thinking, breathing, not achy, active. Jesus is right.

After a blood test came back with borked live enzymes and then another blood test, then came a pregnancy scan. It cost me about $750 out of pocket (so far. They don't just bill you once. I probably should go to Aetna and see if there are other bill in the works). It took over a month for the GI doctor to contact me and make an appointment for my normal follow up and the appointment person wasn't qualified to say anything about the scan. I took that as a good sign that I don't have a baby cancer. I'm not sure if I need to be happy or angry at the loss of the $750 with no follow up. My old boss says I should be furious but I figure if it was serious, they'd treat it seriously. That or my nieces and nephews are going to be better off financially from a malpractice suit.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:45 pm

Prednisone. I used to call it Predisone. I left out an n there. My wife took it for years and years. Had something she was missing due to a tumor on her pituitary gland.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:54 pm

I never joined the party on this thread. Or at least I don't remember doing it.

Positives...
Quit smoking again.. Wooo.. Been over a month and I don't see me ever going back again.

Negatives
My hernia has gotten so bad that I can't carry anything for more than a few minutes without dying of pain. Have to schedule getting it fixed early next year. I'm super not looking forward to that as well it will suck. Not being able to carry anything over 5 pounds without dying is probably worse.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 5:11 pm

During yesterdays fall I twisted my right knee. Didn't really let me know until today. So I can barely walk. Fortunately I have my wife's motorized chair. So far I've pinned myself twice to the kitchen sink.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 5:53 pm

Congrats on the not smoking. Im still proud of myself for quitting when I did. Smoked from age 12-23. 11 years I wont get back. Lucky I was young then and didn't smoke more than a half pack a day really. It was one Saturday night and I figured they were getting expensive at $1.75 a pack..up from $1.25 when I started and I wanted to quit. I had tried 2 times before half heartedly. Friends were always smoking around me in my teen years. I figure I go all night without one why start again the next day. And I did it just that way. I carried a pack and lighter with me for two weeks. I was grumpy and fussy about wanting one. At the mall my wife would say well go ahead and have one and shut up. But no I was 4 -7 days out by then and refused. 2 weeks later on another mall visit as we left the mall a guy asked me for a light and I simply gave him my pack of cigs Id been carrying all that time and my lighter and went on home. Never looked back.

Not touched one since. After a year I never thought of them and never wanted one again. I had a dream once I was smoking again and I felt bad about it when I woke up lol.

I used the money I saved on cigarettes for computer parts and upgrades. Worked out great. Im still here healthy AFAIK and computering. I talked to my mom two weeks later after I had quit back in 92. She told me she had lung cancer from her years of smoking. She died the next year Jan 10 1993 at 57. Im 53 now and feel great. Mom could still have been here all these years. Damn cigs. Stupid peer pressure. And 'coolness' that didn't really exist. Just smelled bad to those around me and made them sick at the dinner table. I know because I would get sick in a restaurant years later when a smoker would light up way over in their 'smoking section'.

They should ban the things. But the Gov makes money off dead and dying people and wont ban them. Up to us to avoid the crap.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 6:12 pm

When I quit smoking they were $3 a carton.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 6:23 pm

Dad quit while I was in high school. Mom didn't quit until years later. They're both approaching mid-70s.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 6:53 pm

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 6:12 pm When I quit smoking they were $3 a carton.

I'd like to think I've quit but given that all these later the cravings are still strong and the smell is intoxicating, so I can't say for sure. I am a cigarette equivalent of an alcoholic. A true addict. I want to say cigarettes were around $7 a carton when I started and around $55 that last time I had one. I was hand rolling at the end, though. It probably cost me around $12 a carton to roll my own. You could also have service roll them for you for a total cost of around $25 a carton.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat Aug 20, 2022 10:44 am

I think cartons were near $20 in 92 when I quit. I remember my wife getting me a carton for my birthday sometime in the late 80s.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sat Aug 20, 2022 11:00 am

I quit in... 2002, I think. I smoked off and on starting when I was about 8, but wasn't really a 'smoker' until '95, so I only stuck with it for seven years. Of course, there was a portion of that time when I was sucking down two packs a day.

The closest I come now is that when the weather is just right and coincides perfectly with my mood, I'll occasionally go down on the porch, load up one of my pipes (I have some nice pipes, including a real gourd and meerschaum calabash), and smoke that. In practice that comes down to once or twice per year.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Sat Aug 20, 2022 11:17 pm

Octavious wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:54 pm Negatives
My hernia has gotten so bad that I can't carry anything for more than a few minutes without dying of pain. Have to schedule getting it fixed early next year. I'm super not looking forward to that as well it will suck. Not being able to carry anything over 5 pounds without dying is probably worse.

Have you hit your deductible for this year? Then do what you can to get it done this year! We always try to get as much done in the last couple months of the year as we can (of course, we've always hit our out of pocket maximum by that time).

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat Aug 20, 2022 11:51 pm

Reminds me of the hernia episode of Friends when Joey got one.

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 5:18 am

Hey guys.
Its been a long time since I posted and just popped back today.
I was browsing the forum and this thread caught my eye as I am dealing with some major issues.
Short version... I was hospitalized in Feb 2022. Apparently I was on the edge of leaving this mortal plain but the docs were able to bring me back, even though they still don't know what the cause was.
Details.
I went in on Feb 18th for what I was told was extreme back pain. (I still dont remember that day or the days leading up to it.). I ended up having full kidney failure and 2 strokes that same day. I also had to get put into a coma for about 1.5 to 3 weeks. When I came out of it I was basically paralyzed and on dyalisis 3 times a week.
I was in the hospital for about 2.5 to 3 months and transferred to a live in physical and mental therapy facility. I was still paralyzed and on dyalisis when I went there.
Thankfully within a week of being in rehab they were able to get my body to start moving. 2 weeks in and I could feed myself and stand with assitance for about a minute.. not much but that little bit helped immensely with moral. I was in rehab for about 2 months and then switched to in home therapy for about 2-3 weeks.
Im at the point where i can get up on my own and on somee days walk to the bathroom unassisted. Past that, I can use a walker for short distances, but anything else and I'm in a wheelchair.
My kidneys have also gotten better and i am temporarily off dyalisis but have to go for bloodwork and urinalysis regularly. While i am no longer in the danger zone, the bad numbers have been slowly going the wrong direction so I will probably have to be monitored for quite a while.
I am still dealing with immense back pain regularly to the point where even 2 or 3 oxy pills dont help on some bad days.
I also have dexterity issues with my hands and typing is a nightmare. I use voice to text when I can.
I also have a bunch of memory loss on various subjects. As an example I have been dealing woth computers for over 30 years. I tried fixing my computer with my wife over the phone while I was in rehab and after over an hour of trying different things I gave up and had my friend come over. He jsut rebooted it and it was fixed. The #1 tech repair step and it never even entered my mind.
I have forgotten a bunch of other things both techy and personal and have issues with remembering some new things as well.( ex. What day it is, why I went into the room im in, topics of my current conversation, etc...)
I did lose my job when my FMLA ran out but they seemed very open to me coming back when I was ready.
Still waiting on social security disability to decide my current economic fate and thats stressing me out more than anything right now.
I'm taking everything day by day though and hanging in there.
Gonna try to come back to the site more often again though.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 6:33 am

Wow. Just wow. The best health you can possibly have to you.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 9:45 am

Wow thats a scary story to read never mind have to go through. Glad you've made it back to here at least. Them not being able to tell you what happened is not good. It almost sounds as if you were poisoned from the back pain and kidney failure part to the brain issues, paralysis, and such.

Out of curiosity how old are you and has anyone in your family ever experienced anything like this at all?

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 10:45 am

I am so sorry to hear of your problems. Do you know the cause of all this?
Was it a disease, genetic,or maybe a dietary problem?
Good luck on your recover.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 11:02 am

Amazing that you're still thinking of going back to work. Best of luck on your recovery.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 11:08 am

Hope you continue to improve, or at least stabilize at a comfortable level. You've come a long way already.

Torfish · Post by **Torfish** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 11:31 am

Incredible journey you've been on. Thank you for sharing and I hope for your full recovery! Keep posting if you can.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 12:13 pm

That's unbelievable, Punisher. Keep pushing forward.

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 12:54 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 9:45 am Wow thats a scary story to read never mind have to go through. Glad you've made it back to here at least. Them not being able to tell you what happened is not good. It almost sounds as if you were poisoned from the back pain and kidney failure part to the brain issues, paralysis, and such.

Out of curiosity how old are you and has anyone in your family ever experienced anything like this at all?

I am 51, 52 in dec.
Nope nothing like this in the family. I am diabetic. But have had it controlled for the most part for years.
They even sent biopsies out to other hospitals like Mt Sinise and nobody could determine an exact cause.

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 12:58 pm

Jaymann wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 11:02 am Amazing that you're still thinking of going back to work. Best of luck on your recovery.

I REALLY liked my job. It was fun snd they people were great so that's a motivator.plus it was 100% WFH.
Plus if I dont get approved for SSDI then I wont have toouch of a choice. At that point its going to be necessary. Then the problem is finding a job I can do and do remotely.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 4:51 pm

Punisher wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 12:58 pm
Plus if I dont get approved for SSDI then I wont have toouch of a choice.

I'm sure you've heard this before, but don't forget that getting denied is more-or-less normal for people who get it. Most get it on the first or second appeal.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 5:56 pm

When I got it, it was usually 3 tries. Two on your own then get a lawyer and then you get it.
Also no matter your problem it's best to go mental. They can't prove you're not mental but they can (to their satisfaction) prove that you can do physical. Vine pruner any one? That was one of the ones they told me when I was disapproved the first time.

Default · Post by **Default** » Sun Aug 21, 2022 6:05 pm

Sitting in the ER, with the ex-wife, who has a high fever and vertigo. Has had blood work and a Cat scan. A possible stroke has been ruled out.

Punisher, that is crazy what you are going through. I hope that things get better, like, yesterday.