We're getting old (OO medical complaints)

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Jan 07, 2022 11:01 pm

Why are you guys fainting? Is this some club I didn't get an invite to?

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sat Jan 08, 2022 1:26 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Fri Jan 07, 2022 11:01 pm Why are you guys fainting? Is this some club I didn't get an invite to?

Turns out I need to stop sleeping in my whale bone corset.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:29 pm

Just found out that my sister is going into hospice. She's lost her battle with ovarian cancer and her doc says there's nothing more to be done. I'm going to call her tonight to try and figure out how long she has left. I'm going to have to fly to MI to say goodbye; the big question is how urgent that is. I hope to have a week to plan the trip and tie up some loose ends here.

Hospice is designed for people with 6 months or less to live. A few last longer. Many die in just days or weeks.

Nothing makes you feel older than losing your younger sibling.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:53 pm

Sorry to hear that, Kraken.

F cancer. And especially F ovarian cancer. I lost my mom to that in 1990. A semester before I graduated college. F cancer.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:03 pm

Very sorry to hear, Kraken. Hope you have a chance to say goodbye and make things right for your family.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:10 pm

I'm so sorry to hear it Kraken.

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:29 pm the big question is how urgent that is. I hope to have a week to plan the trip and tie up some loose ends here.

Go ASAP; do everything you can to get there quickly - there's no time like the present.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:12 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:10 pm I'm so sorry to hear it Kraken.

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:29 pm the big question is how urgent that is. I hope to have a week to plan the trip and tie up some loose ends here.
Go ASAP; do everything you can to get there quickly - there's no time like the present.

Yep we were just in this situation with a friend. Time went much faster than we expected. Getting the chance to be there is way more important than missing it. Sorry to hear about the situation though @Kraken.

Madmarcus · Post by **Madmarcus** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 8:31 pm

Sorry to hear about that Kraken.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 9:48 pm

We had a good 45-minute conversation. She thinks it would be best if we visit in the first half of March. Right now she's still ravaged by the chemo, and there's some hope that she can partially recover from that before the tumors really start to romp. They give her 6 months, only because that's what they have to say to invoke hospice (which will be at home, not institutional) -- could be longer than that, or shorter, but it's very likely to be months as opposed to weeks.

Lodging is cheap in Muskegon, and I can work remotely, so I can stay for a week or more when I do go.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 9:53 pm

I'm sorry Kraken. I'll be thinking of you and your family.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 11:10 pm

Ya I wouldn't put that off. The longer you wait the worse she will be and its always possible to lose her suddenly before your planned trip even with what she says. Then how would you feel the rest of your life? Sorry K.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:23 am

She's planning to travel (in-state) for one last jam session with her musician friends from March 4-6. After her children, these people are the dearest to her. She'd prefer that we come after that. I'm taking my cues from her. We could go before her trip and make that date our anchor for coming back home. But March 4-6 is the fulcrum we must plan around.

I agreed to be the executor of her estate, which is mostly a formality because she doesn't have any money.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 11:29 am

Sorry to hear about this. A jam session is probably not the worst way to go out.

MHS · Post by **MHS** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 11:40 am

Sorry to hear it, K.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 11:44 am

So sorry to hear that Kraken.

Fuck cancer.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:40 pm

My stepson just called me and wanted to arrange a meeting with his brother and me of how to handle my wife. She's sill intubated and the doctor wants to remove the breathing tube. Not sure she can breath on her own except maybe with some kind of surgical breathing tube. I'm a little confused about it.
At anyrate she'll probably have to go (permanently) to a nursing home.
I am very sad.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:43 pm

Really sorry to hear that, dbt.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:47 pm

That's a gut punch. Sorry.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 4:06 pm

Damn, DBT. That sucks to be in that position. We're here to vent to or unload on all you like. I've certainly availed myself of that side of OO enough!

This has been one hell of a month for OOers.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 4:39 pm

Well we've been here 18 years together. Longer if you add in Gone Gold time. I was only about 34 and Im 53 this year. Those in their 50s would be near 70 now. Nuts time.

Best to your wife and you dbt in these times. Its really unthinkable to try and think about.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 4:41 pm

Hell, I had one seven-year-old kid from a previous marriage when I joined OO. Now I have three adult children and three grandchildren.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 2:51 am

This Saturday I will be Zooming with my little group of true friends. It will be my first and only chance to talk to anyone about my sister's coming death and our trip to MI. Since three of them live in MI, I'm counting on some emotional support, and because I love these people I know they won't let me down. They'll probably come to see me F2F even though I'll be on the opposite side of the state. That would be a huge comfort.

Maybe this should be in the adult friendship thread.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:05 pm

First of all, my thoughts are with dbt and Kraken. Sorry to hear about your loved ones.

I thought I'd pass along a little personal experience in this medical complaints thread regarding issues I've been having for the benefit of those who might end up going through the same issues.

As I related some posts ago, my PSA was high so I got scheduled for a Prostate MRI. I've never had an MRI but my wife has had several and they were all in the neighborhood of 10-15 minutes. Mine was 45 minutes

, lying stock still with pillows behind the head, back and legs, but my butt laying on a hard surface. Forty-five minutes of alternating very loud noise and silence. And constant admonitions to stay very still. That was early Wednesday afternoon, the techs said I'd probably get a call sometime Friday...

...my doc called me very first thing Thursday morning. Nothing like being woken out of a sound sleep to be told that you have a 1.6cm "hot spot" in your prostate. I got scheduled to go see another urologist who specialized in what is called several things, but the best description is an MRI-Guided Fusion Prostate Ultrasound and Biopsy. Or something to that effect. You have an ultrasound probe the size of the grip of a golf club inserted up your rectum and the doc uses the recorded MRI images overlaid with the live ultrasound to guide a sample needle into the prostate. But first you get two shots to numb the prostate, which hurt. Then the sample needle is inserted alongside the probe and samples are taken. And each time a sample was taken, it hurt either a bit or a lot more than a bit

in spite of the anesthetic. There were four samples taken of the hot spot, then an additional twelve of the prostate in general. Ouch...

Afterward my butt hurt for several hours, but that's almost gone now. For the first couple of hours after I left the doc's office I constantly felt like I had to pee, but never could get more than a thimble full out. After that time it has gotten better and now seven hours after the procedure it feels back to normal.

As I said, I'm posting this for those of you with aging prostates that might have to go through this, so you can be better informed. Questions gladly answered

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:08 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:05 pm As I related some posts ago, my PSA was high so I got scheduled for a Prostate MRI. I've never had an MRI but my wife has had several and they were all in the neighborhood of 10-15 minutes. Mine was 45 minutes , lying stock still with pillows behind the head, back and legs, but my butt laying on a hard surface. Forty-five minutes of alternating very loud noise and silence. And constant admonitions to stay very still. That was early Wednesday afternoon, the techs said I'd probably get a call sometime Friday...

Breath in. Breath out. Hold...... Breath.
Breath in. Breath out. Hold...... Breath.
Breath in. Breath out. Hold...... Breath.

I'm on the every five year plan for a colonoscopy so hopefully they're looking at my prostrate while they're digging around.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:14 pm

LordMortis wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:08 pm
jztemple2 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:05 pm As I related some posts ago, my PSA was high so I got scheduled for a Prostate MRI. I've never had an MRI but my wife has had several and they were all in the neighborhood of 10-15 minutes. Mine was 45 minutes , lying stock still with pillows behind the head, back and legs, but my butt laying on a hard surface. Forty-five minutes of alternating very loud noise and silence. And constant admonitions to stay very still. That was early Wednesday afternoon, the techs said I'd probably get a call sometime Friday...
Breath in. Breath out. Hold...... Breath.
Breath in. Breath out. Hold...... Breath.
Breath in. Breath out. Hold...... Breath.

I'm on the every five year plan for a colonoscopy so hopefully they're looking at my prostrate while they're digging around.

Oddly, it was only during the last set of image taking that they had me hold my breath, otherwise they just wanted me to breath normally but shallowly. Also, while the prep sheet I got days beforehand had mentioned I'd be getting both ear plugs and ear defenders, once I was in the machine I realized they hadn't given me any ear plugs. Well, I thought, they must not think the ear plugs are needed... oh my gosh that noise is loud

. My ears rang for the next hour or so afterwards.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:30 pm

I've had several MRIs for colon and kidney and heart things. I've never been offered ear protection. I have been injected with stuff that made me feel like I was perpetually and uncontrollably shitting myself. That was disturbing to say the least.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:38 pm

LordMortis wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:30 pm I've had several MRIs for colon and kidney and heart things. I've never been offered ear protection. I have been injected with stuff that made me feel like I was perpetually and uncontrollably shitting myself. That was disturbing to say the least.

Yeesh! I forgot that during the Prostate MRI I did have an IV with an injectable. Oddly, even though I'm not thrilled about needles in general, that was the least issue I had during the procedure.

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 7:18 pm

Having an MRI without ear protection is crazy, those things are very loud!

I've had several different MRI scans done over the years for various body parts, and one local place here gave would give you noise-cancelling headphones and you could listen to music. If they needed to talk to you, they would talk through the audio system into the headphones instead of trying to yell over the noise. Pretty cool.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 7:52 pm

When they stuck me in the MRI they asked what music Id like to listen to. I barely heard anything.

JZT Are you sure you were in a doctor's office and not a massage parlor?

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 10:09 pm

Hope you get the all-clear on your biopsy. Most men do develop prostate cancer if we live long enough, and most of us die of something else before it advances.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 10:29 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 10:09 pm Hope you get the all-clear on your biopsy. Most men do develop prostate cancer if we live long enough, and most of us die of something else before it advances.

I am aware of that statistic, yet a life-long friend managed to die from it at age 57 despite all of the experimental treatments he tried.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:12 am

I used to have no allergies or seasonal anything. Then about 4 or 5 years ago I started developing a cough in the spring and fall. It would last a month sometimes. Then about 2 years ago it got worse and lasted longer again in spring and fall. If the weather went from warm to cool or cool to warm I got the cough. I was constantly clearing my throat of a little mucus too. Well last year the weather started being roller coasty all year long. Now I keep a cough almost all the time and clearing my throat. Usually nothing else..no runny nose or sneezing....usually. Sometimes those happen too.

Anyways I found I can take cough medicine to keep it away or to calm it down. As a side effect I found I actually can sleep almost normal with it if I take it about 2 hours before bed. You are supposed to take a cap full but I have to take about 2 caps at a time.

Anyways this has been great over time but its expensive. Delsym runs like $15 a bottle for 5oz. Thats about 2 1/2 doses. I cant afford that. I found Walmarts brand to help the same sleep and all. Its also cheaper at like $9 a bottle. But online at their website its less than $5. Months ago I could order 3 at a time for pickup. Now I can only stick 1 in my cart for pickup. Not sure why. In store you can still buy 3 but you always have to have some worker come over to age check you then you have to get them to price match. Sometimes that goes smooth, sometimes they have to fiddle with a manager or something, and other times they refuse to price match their own website. Its a toss up as to what some one will do. Its nerve wracking as I cant afford the store price. Wasting time and gas to end up with nothing anyways is a pain.

I tried their online chat but Kumar was reading his script and not being helpful at all...he kept thinking my order got cancelled or something..over and over he said the same thing when I was trying to explain I cancelled it myself because it wont allow me to add but 1 item to my cart. Annoying. I just want to know why I can get 3 in store but 1 for pickup.

So Im coughing my head off tonight and bet I dont sleep well. Yay fun.

As a side note yes other places sell the same thing in off brand.....CVS is $15, Walgreens is $12 and Dollar General is $7 for a smaller bottle. Hell Walgreens lets you buy 100 if you want online for pickup. Too bad I have to deal with Walmart due to price.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 12:29 pm

Dextromethorphan is abused to hell and back. In the clubs it's called DXM, Poor Man's PCP, Skittles, Purple Drank, all sorts of other things.

Be very careful about doubling the recommended dose and using it long-term.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 12:32 pm

Had stronger stuff as a kid. Back in the 70s they really gave you the juice good. Think it was all codeine back then.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 12:46 pm

I surrender. Just consider that what you're doing isn't a solution to sleep problems any more than drinking until you pass out every night is.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 1:27 pm

I've had a persistent cough since 2016 or so. Most likely due to allergies causing sinus drip into my lungs while I sleep. Treating the allergic reaction is the solution, not taking more powerful suppressants to knock oneself out.

I use OTC stuff like Benadryl, Claritin, Zirtec, etc. The results are mixed. I just recently scheduled a appointment to see if they can figure out what I'm actually allergic to.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 1:43 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Wed Feb 23, 2022 12:29 pm Dextromethorphan is abused to hell and back. In the clubs it's called DXM, Poor Man's PCP, Skittles, Purple Drank, all sorts of other things.

Be very careful about doubling the recommended dose and using it long-term.

Made that mistake when I was working call center as a manager. It was an interesting day.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:57 pm

I got the news about my prostate biopsy today and it's not good. I have prostate cancer, which sucks. We meet with my urologist early next week to discuss the options of either get radiation treatment or surgery to remove the prostate; we are leaning towards the latter. I've only ever had one surgery (that being outpatient) so I'm freaking out a bit. My wife who has had a dozen major surgeries is going to be my rock on this.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:10 pm

My dad had it. Seems to run in the family. He elected for the 100 or so radioactive pellets to be stuck into his prostate with a needle. Im not sure if thats a modern treatment or a medieval torture.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:11 pm

Dammit, that sucks! It's a rocky experience, but I found it helped to reverse the usual life advice: keep focused on the destination, not the journey. One day soon the experience will be over and you'll be able to put it behind you.