We're getting old (OO medical complaints)

[dbt1949]

With my back it was backbones out of place.

[Scuzz]

I got my second shingles vaccination yesterday. Today I don’t feel terrible but I have general muscle aches. My arm feels pretty good though.

[Punisher]

Had recent blood work. A1C is down to 5.9. Doc wants me off insulin for a while. Yay!
Unfortunately kidneys are declining. Doc is taking me off water pills and blood pressure meds for a month.

[dbt1949]

Found out in my last hospital visit I'm no longer diabetic. We'll see how long it takes me to screw that up.

[Kraken]

I had an unremarkable annual physical yesterday. The only tangible result, apart from being told yet again to quit smoking, drink less, and make better diet choices, is that I'm switching blood pressure meds because I have occasional dizzy spells.

[Jeff V]

Found out in my last hospital visit I'm no longer diabetic. We'll see how long it takes me to screw that up.

I managed 7 years, then I had kids and it all went to shit.

Arm is still busted, and it's been especially painful the last few days although the surgeon said the xrays last week looked better than expected given how they looked in early April. Late June for the next update.

He said I could start using the arm but stop if it hurts. Lifting a 50# bag of fertilizer hurts.

[Punisher]

Found out in my last hospital visit I'm no longer diabetic. We'll see how long it takes me to screw that up.

I managed 7 years, then I had kids and it all went to shit.

I'm pretty sure having kids is supposed to raise you blood pressure not blood sugar...

[Scuzz]

Found out in my last hospital visit I'm no longer diabetic. We'll see how long it takes me to screw that up.

I managed 7 years, then I had kids and it all went to shit.

I'm pretty sure having kids is supposed to raise you blood pressure not blood sugar...

That was my experience.

[Jeff V]

Found out in my last hospital visit I'm no longer diabetic. We'll see how long it takes me to screw that up.

I managed 7 years, then I had kids and it all went to shit.

I'm pretty sure having kids is supposed to raise you blood pressure not blood sugar...

That was my experience.

It did that too and I've been on BP meds as well. The blood sugar rise is due to my lack of biking, once as much as 10,000 miles per year, down to approximately no miles per year in 2023 and so far 2024. The last race I ran was the Naperville Half Marathon in 2015, now I can scarcely run to the fridge for a beer.

[em2nought]

Found out in my last hospital visit I'm no longer diabetic. We'll see how long it takes me to screw that up.

I managed 7 years, then I had kids and it all went to shit.

I'm pretty sure having kids is supposed to raise you blood pressure not blood sugar...

That was my experience.

It did that too and I've been on BP meds as well. The blood sugar rise is due to my lack of biking, once as much as 10,000 miles per year, down to approximately no miles per year in 2023 and so far 2024. The last race I ran was the Naperville Half Marathon in 2015, now I can scarcely run to the fridge for a beer.

I'm so tied to my chairs I've considered one of these things, the powered version for "old" people that pedals for you.

[Jeff V]

I actually spend most of my day driving and that's a big factor. Mom goes home in 3 weeks, wife now works day shift so that will change, I'll have plenty of time to walk and maybe even bike.

[AWS260]

Congratulations to me, my doctor finally put me on a statin. I am attempting to use this as an excuse to start eating terribly again, but my better half is having none of it.

[Punisher]

Congratulations to me, my doctor finally put me on a statin. I am attempting to use this as an excuse to start eating terribly again, but my better half is having none of it.

I mean isn't that what drugs are for? Too correct our bad decisions...

[Blackhawk]

I mean isn't that what drugs are for? Too correct our bad decisions...

It certainly applies to antibiotics.

[Isgrimnur]

The cause of and solution to all modern medical problems.

[dbt1949]

There is some good news I can verify about olde age. Your testicles do NOT shrink.

[Scuzz]

Congratulations to me, my doctor finally put me on a statin. I am attempting to use this as an excuse to start eating terribly again, but my better half is having none of it.

Almost everyone of a certain age is on a statin. I once had a doctor who said someday they will put it in our water. I’m not sure he was joking.

[Kraken]

Congratulations to me, my doctor finally put me on a statin. I am attempting to use this as an excuse to start eating terribly again, but my better half is having none of it.

Almost everyone of a certain age is on a statin. I once had a doctor who said someday they will put it in our water. I’m not sure he was joking.

Same. My best friend is a doctor and he's made that half-joke many times. There are no real downsides to statins among people who qualify to drink water.

[Jeff V]

I had a customer today who is (was) a professional roadie. He's supposed to be working an upcoming Beach Boys concert. He had surgery on his back...now his dominant hand his completely useless. He told me the best show he ever worked was Roger Waters Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking tour with Eric Clapton. I was at that show, and it's probably the best I've ever seen.

[jztemple2]

I had a customer today who is (was) a professional roadie. He's supposed to be working an upcoming Beach Boys concert. He had surgery on his back...now his dominant hand his completely useless. He told me the best show he ever worked was Roger Waters Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking tour with Eric Clapton. I was at that show, and it's probably the best I've ever seen.

The mention of the Beach Boys concert reminded me that back in 2012 I took my wife to see the Beach Boys on their 50th anniversary concert tour. In the theme of "We're getting old" she was on a walker due to knee issues, but then we did sit down next to a lady with an oxygen tank

A brief clip from the concert. Sorry for the poor quality, but I was using an iPod Touch

[dbt1949]

My doctor just upped my pain medicine to 10mg of oxycodone. Now THIS is pain medicine!

[Scuzz]

Congratulations to me, my doctor finally put me on a statin. I am attempting to use this as an excuse to start eating terribly again, but my better half is having none of it.

Almost everyone of a certain age is on a statin. I once had a doctor who said someday they will put it in our water. I’m not sure he was joking.

Same. My best friend is a doctor and he's made that half-joke many times. There are no real downsides to statins among people who qualify to drink water.

I do know people who have been unable to take Lipitor but have been able to take Crestor because of muscle and joint discomfort. Neither bother me.

[Daehawk]

Doesn't seem that long ago the beach boys were young surfer dudes singing that surf8ng music. I really discovered them in the 80s as a teen. I thought them and their music were oldies then because they were out of the 60s.

[YellowKing]

My back has returned to about 100%. I still get some slight twinginess when I lay flat in the bed, but other than that I feel pretty much back to normal. Going to give it another week before I start back rowing and running again.

Now I just live the rest of my life knowing that at any moment, it can betray me without warning, leaving me in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.

[Jaymann]

Tomorrow I have an appointment with an ear, nose and throat specialist to check out a strange condition I have had for several years. If drink (or some food) hits a specific spot on the back of my throat, it triggers a coughing spasm that can last from a few seconds to a few minutes, sometimes violently so. My general practitioner had no clue so gave me the referral.

Until now I have managed it by very careful swallowing, but it never goes away. Will be interesting to see if they can do anything about it.

[Blackhawk]

What you're describing is very similar to the effects of the tongue surgery/chemo on me. It seems that (for me) the texture at the back of my throat has changed, which causes it to 'catch' food. Combine that with the back of my tongue missing (leading me to aspirate saliva for a nice coughing fit from time to time), and... yeah.

[Skinypupy]

Spent my morning at the gynological oncologist, which is never someplace you want to be. In an MRI for an unrelated GI issue, Mrs Skinypupy found out she has a softball sized cyst in her abdomen.

They don't think it's cancerous at this point (markers on all the blood tests came back negative), but they won't really know for sure until they open her up and take it out. Which can't be done laparoscopically because the damn thing is so big. The way the doctor put it this morning, it's like trying to remove a water ballon from inside your midsection without popping it.

The surgery could be anything from simply removing the cyst to a complete hysterectomy, depending on what they see when they get in there. So that's fun.

[Jaymann]

Almost any sentence containing "softball sized" is chilling. Best of luck.

[Jeff V]

The mention of the Beach Boys concert reminded me that back in 2012 I took my wife to see the Beach Boys on their 50th anniversary concert tour. In the theme of "We're getting old" she was on a walker due to knee issues, but then we did sit down next to a lady with an oxygen tank

I told the dude I saw The Beach Boys at the last Chicago Fest, when Mayor Washington turned it into a cluster fuck by moving it to Soldier Field, subsequently canceling the extremely popular music fest. But with 60,000 attending the main stage, the Beach Boys apparently put on a hell of a show. I, on the other hand, was a little distracted.

Spoiler:

A coworker that I had a thing for came with us, and she got a wee bit drunk before the show. Somewhere around Barbara Ann she decided to give me a BJ in the middle of the stadium. Anyone within line-of-site was cheering us on...as if I would interrupt such a moment. Later that evening she sobered up some and didn't speak to me for 3 months.

[Jeff V]

The surgery could be anything from simply removing the cyst to a complete hysterectomy, depending on what they see when they get in there. So that's fun.

Best of luck to her, but being benign is good news at least.

[Scuzz]

My back has returned to about 100%. I still get some slight twinginess when I lay flat in the bed, but other than that I feel pretty much back to normal. Going to give it another week before I start back rowing and running again.

Now I just live the rest of my life knowing that at any moment, it can betray me without warning, leaving me in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.

That is the thing with backs, they can turn on you in a moments notice. I had back troubles for years until I joined a gym and got into “better” shape. But as I have aged that hasn’t helped as much.

[Scuzz]

Spent my morning at the gynological oncologist, which is never someplace you want to be. In an MRI for an unrelated GI issue, Mrs Skinypupy found out she has a softball sized cyst in her abdomen.

They don't think it's cancerous at this point (markers on all the blood tests came back negative), but they won't really know for sure until they open her up and take it out. Which can't be done laparoscopically because the damn thing is so big. The way the doctor put it this morning, it's like trying to remove a water ballon from inside your midsection without popping it.

The surgery could be anything from simply removing the cyst to a complete hysterectomy, depending on what they see when they get in there. So that's fun.

My wife had that problem at about 45? She ended up having a complete hysterectomy as we were done having kids and it was the easiest solution.

[Kraken]

Wife had her hysterectomy at 23 thanks to endometriosis. Neither of us ever wanted kids so that worked out fine.

I tweaked my back a few weeks ago and it still hasn't un-tweaked itself. I had thought it was just muscle pain that would pass in a few days, but I'm beginning to wonder if my arthritis has found an accommodating new place to live. It does seem to be getting better very gradually, but it's taking its sweet time.

[dbt1949]

I have arthritis of the back, especially the lower back. That's one of the reasons I get an opiate from the VA.

My mom had a hysterectomy in her late 20s and she still wanted more kids. Followed a year later by a mastectomy. It hit her pretty bad.

[Blackhawk]

Michelle had hers at about 45 after decades of endometriosis treatments.

And, having received a diagnosis of spinal arthritis last year, I'm reading with dread.

[Skinypupy]

She's not overly concerned about having a hysterectomy, if it goes that way.

It's more that if that ends up being required, it means her cyst is more than just a typical cyst and has actively spread (or is at the risk of spreading) as something more nefarious. That's pretty scary.

[Smoove_B]

I know it's hard to focus on what you know and not spiral into what you don't, but here's hoping you get good news and it happens quickly.

[YellowKing]

Best wishes Skinypupy, keep us posted. My wife has suffered from endometriosis for most of her life, and we've had several bouts of ruptured cysts over the years. Always a scary thing.

[A nonny mouse]

Spent my morning at the gynological oncologist, which is never someplace you want to be. In an MRI for an unrelated GI issue, Mrs Skinypupy found out she has a softball sized cyst in her abdomen.

They don't think it's cancerous at this point (markers on all the blood tests came back negative), but they won't really know for sure until they open her up and take it out. Which can't be done laparoscopically because the damn thing is so big. The way the doctor put it this morning, it's like trying to remove a water ballon from inside your midsection without popping it.

The surgery could be anything from simply removing the cyst to a complete hysterectomy, depending on what they see when they get in there. So that's fun.

My wife just last week had to have a radical hysterectomy. Her right ovary developed a dermoid cyst - look it up but pretty gross.

It was causing urinary retention and at one point we wound up in the ER- where she had to get a catheter .

It was the size of a grapefruit - about 10 cm by 10 cm. Larger than a softball. It consisted of sebaceous glands and fluid, a lot of hair and one large deformed tooth. Hair teeth and skin/ brain cells are standard for dermoid cysts.

She had it done laproscopically so it can be done with larger growths. And the doc took it out whole. She is now up and getting around after 9 days. But still not going full bore. Her doctor has done like 2600 of these surgeries withthe robot, so we lucked out he is one of the best in the field.

If it is dermoid - they had to do a CT scan to determine the nature and not just a fatty growth- get the surgery as soon as you can! Hers doubled in size in one month, so luckily they could rearrange the schedule and got her in pretty quickly.

Just be aware that abdominal surgeries ( non laproscopic) will lay her up for 4-6 weeks. If she has to have a hysterectomy.

I truly feel for you, brother. If i could have been in place of my wife i would have done it. I hated seeing her in pain and the recovery afterward. Godspeed and hope all goes well.

[Jeff V]

Today I was in Menards, pushing a laden shopping cart when I had the odd sensation that the handle of the cart was moving back and forth. Except it wasn't. My broken arm, however, was channeling this sensation and visibly was spasming back and forth. As a control, my left arm was not doing that. Random pain seems to have been subsiding, so this is something disturbingly new. Yesterday I felt a bump along the scar, so maybe the plate is popping a screw?