It sucks growing old

[bill_g]

Damn jem. Just damn. Every bit of healing love I have is heading to you. Face forward. One step at a time.

[keith]

Have they tried using leeches to get the dead tissue removed? I have heard that they are much better at finding ALL the dead bits than a doctor and they don't mess with the good tissue at all.

[p0rtia]

Jem and Qbawl--

This falling thing is such a warning; one that I'm well aware of since I crunched my nerve root last year, but which, now that I'm in the feeling-damn-good strengthening phase, I need a reminder of. My legs are not as responsive as they used to be. And the living alone is not a plus.

Thank you both for this reminder to be extra super careful! Share of experience is the essence of the growing-old suckitude.

[RTH10260]

Have they tried using leeches to get the dead tissue removed? I have heard that they are much better at finding ALL the dead bits than a doctor and they don't mess with the good tissue at all.

Leeches? I understand that the latest in bio-technology is maggots!

[keith]

Have they tried using leeches to get the dead tissue removed? I have heard that they are much better at finding ALL the dead bits than a doctor and they don't mess with the good tissue at all.

Leeches? I understand that the latest in bio-technology is maggots!

I could be wrong. IANAMP.

[jez]

I am an old hand for abscesses and wound care (thank you HS). Don't be surprised if you end up on lymecycline, erythromycin or clarithromycin, rifampin, or clindamycin. The one that seems to work best for me is good old Doxycycline. Tears up the stomach a bit, but if you take a probiotic two hours before or after your dose of the antibiotic, it helps a lot.

Keeping pressure off the wound is of the upmost importance. Keeping the area around the wound can be good as well. If it's seeping a lot, ABD pads are great. Warning: TMI ahead.

► Show Spoiler

I get my cysts and lesions on my buttocks mostly. Sitting for extended periods or trying to lie on my back can be torture. I ended up on Humira to control the symptoms of my HS and it has been an absolute godsend.

Take care of yourself. Hibiclens is good for keeping the area around the wound clean. I really don't recommend putting it directly on the wound; it will burn. You can let the water wash over the wound with a very diluted Hibi, which can help.

I'm rambling, but I'm also functioning (HA!) on about 2 hours of sleep and a 4-day stretch of insomnia.

I hope you heal quickly.

[Foggy]

Yikes! Jem and everybody, BE CAREFUL! You may have to stop chasing buses!

I mean, we need Jem to sneak down to the States and vote in November, don't we?

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Jem and Qbawl- DAMN!!! ❤❤❤

[poplove]

Sending lots of healing vibes to you, Jem and Qbawl.

[AndyinPA]

Oh my! Best wishes and to both of you. I have become so paranoid about falls since my husband's fall.

Infections can make you feel so lousy, and the meds for it also can make you feel worse before they can make you feel better.

[bill_g]

I looked at my watch, 9:00am, and then for two and a half seconds panicked I had forgotten to wake her up and make her breakfast.

WTH!

[Slim Cognito]

[bill_g]

back at cha.

How's NM? It has it's own kind of beauty, but it is shockingly different than Florida.

[RVInit]

I looked at my watch, 9:00am, and then for two and a half seconds panicked I had forgotten to wake her up and make her breakfast.

WTH!

I was surprised how many years passed and I was still thinking to myself "I have to tell dad" whenever something happened that I thought he would appreciate. The good thing is that the pain of it gets less severe as time goes by while the appreciation of having known the person just gets that much stronger. I hope for the same for you.

[bill_g]

[bill_g]

I looked at my watch, 9:00am, and then for two and a half seconds panicked I had forgotten to wake her up and make her breakfast.

WTH!

I was surprised how many years passed and I was still thinking to myself "I have to tell dad" whenever something happened that I thought he would appreciate. The good thing is that the pain of it gets less severe as time goes by while the appreciation of having known the person just gets that much stronger. I hope for the same for you.

Thanks. I kind of figured I wasn't alone. It just came out of nowhere, and like a computer having a glitch, I had to think "What?", reset, and correct myself. No triggers. Just a glimpse of the clock, and this old schedule suddenly came to the front of my mind. It's my new passenger.

[RVInit]

I looked at my watch, 9:00am, and then for two and a half seconds panicked I had forgotten to wake her up and make her breakfast.

WTH!

I was surprised how many years passed and I was still thinking to myself "I have to tell dad" whenever something happened that I thought he would appreciate. The good thing is that the pain of it gets less severe as time goes by while the appreciation of having known the person just gets that much stronger. I hope for the same for you.

Thanks. I kind of figured I wasn't alone. It just came out of nowhere, and like a computer having a glitch, I had to think "What?", reset, and correct myself. No triggers. Just a glimpse of the clock, and this old schedule suddenly came to the front of my mind. It's my new passenger.

I know what you mean. The mind is a weird thing, memory is especially strange and can be so surprising. Even a couple years after my father was gone something would happen and I would reach for my phone...actually physically reach for it.

[Slim Cognito]

back at cha.

How's NM? It has it's own kind of beauty, but it is shockingly different than Florida.

Love it. I really needed the change.

[bill_g]

back at cha.

How's NM? It has it's own kind of beauty, but it is shockingly different than Florida.

Love it. I really needed the change.

[realist]

back at cha.

How's NM? It has it's own kind of beauty, but it is shockingly different than Florida.

Love it. I really needed the change.

[Volkonski]

Ha ha! Just this past week I was at the podiatrist and I hesitated to mention to him a very occasional twinge I get in my left foot. I did mention it, apologetically, he said it could be a bit of arthritis. He moved my foot around a bit but I felt no pain. I expect he will check it every visit going forward.

[Rolodex]

This has been the summer of being rocketed into old age.

I signed up with a concierge internal medicine/gerontology doc. She used to just be my normal doc, but left her practice to teach at the medical school and then came back into practice in a concierge model. I need a primary care, so I went back to her. So far, it's been a lot of visits, but all my "numbers" are perfectly fine. I'm on no prescriptions and don't need anything (except B12 which was not unexpected). A1C a little elevated, but I'm fat so no surprise there.

She sent me for a stress test/echocardiogram last week; all fit as a fiddle.

Things are just breaking. Bad knee - will need a replacement soon, but I'll just go get an injection hopefully next week. Popped up a couple of weeks ago with a toothache, so that might be a root canal or extraction/implant.

Seems like 90% of my outings are to some doc's office and I don't even have any ailments!

[MN-Skeptic]

I think this is a good spot for this -

Square profile picture
TechCrunch
@TechCrunch

Apple says that AirPods Pro 2, its latest wireless earbuds, can be used as clinical-grade hearing aids. This feature hasn’t been FDA-cleared, however — although the company says that it expects approval “soon.”

The feature, when enabled, boosts specific sounds in real-time, like parts of speech or elements of an environment.

The hearing aid feature for AirPods Pro 2 will launch this fall via a software update in over 100 countries and regions.

Over the counter hearing aids and the HUGE reduction in price for these units is possible because of President Biden's actions -

August 16, 2022

Statement by President Joe Biden on FDA Hearing Aids Final Rule

For millions of Americans, hearing aids and the doctor’s visit to get them prescribed are too expensive. In the executive order I issued last year to increase competition in key industries and lower costs, I called on the FDA to finally make hearing aids available over the counter.

Today, the FDA is doing just that. As early as mid-October, Americans will be able to purchase more affordable hearing aids over the counter at pharmacies and stores across the country. This action makes good on my commitment to lower costs for American families, delivering nearly $3,000 in savings to American families for a pair of hearing aids and giving people more choices to improve their health and wellbeing. And, it’s the latest action we are taking to make our economy more competitive and less concentrated. When too few companies dominate, American consumers pay higher costs. We’re finally building an economy that works for working families.

[Foggy]

Today I woke up with stomach problems, and emptied my stomach completely before covfefe. But I had a nerve conduction study, also known as an EMG, scheduled for 9 am. So I had a rough morning before I even arrived at the pain factory.

First the tech made little marks all over my arms, then they connect the electrodes to your skin and they start giving you painful electric shocks and watching the results on an oscilloscope. Painful electric shocks were what I had for breakfast.

And then, I am not making this up, it honestly happened, the tech had a radio going at low volume and it started playing Shock the Monkey by Peter Gabriel.

And I realized that I was the monkey.

Then the doctor took over and stuck me with needles about 20 times all over my useless shoulder.

He said there's a problem with the axillary nerve and he's sending a report to my surgeon today.

They also told me I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, but we agreed not to deal with it until it starts bothering me.

So pain, more pain, and a totally new medical issue I didn't know I had, yay! And they had a fire alarm go off while I was wearing a hospital gown, but when we started to evacuate the building somebody shut it down. Growing old is very exciting!

[Cyrus Breckenridge]

A piquant, not to say wise, observation!