We're getting old (OO medical complaints)

[Unagi]

To this day I dont know how they stay moist when heated.

The beads in the heating pad passively absorb water from the air when it's not in use, and then use that water to create moist heat after being heated in the microwave.

[Isgrimnur]

I also got some Voltaren cream / gel from my doc.

Lion or vehicle?

[Daehawk]

I also got some Voltaren cream / gel from my doc.

Lion or vehicle?

Blazing sword.

[Punisher]

I also got some Voltaren cream / gel from my doc.

Lion or vehicle?

I know it's controversial but ive always been a fan of vehicle and i even have one from bandi

[rittchard]

I’ve had a pinched nerve (?) or something like that in my neck for something like 2-3 months now. It started just from sleeping on it weird, and I didn’t think much of it. I’ve had worse pain and/or more severe stiffness before, but it’s never lasted this long. It’s not too bad but it’s just really annoying and disturbing that it won’t go away. Basically if I sit too long it starts to ache, and if I turn my neck all the way to either side I can feel a “pinch” on the left side.

I’m debating going back to a chiropractor, but people keep telling me I shouldn’t. The other possible option is acupuncture, which I’ve never done before. Or just continue to wait it out…

Any thoughts?

I had a trigger point in my neck for quite a while. It's basically a permanent charlie horse -- a little muscle that contracts and won't relax. It causes a very sharp, very localized stabbing pain. If yours is an ache, that's probably not it. But it might be if it feels like a knife in your neck. Physical therapy, stretches, exercises, and especially traction, finally got rid of it.

I think mine might be similar, not sure. What do you mean by traction? How long did it take to get rid of it?

Also @Blackhawk, do you know what pillow you ended up with? I’ve tried so many pillows I think people would think I was insane. Currently I’m trying a Pillow Cube, I’m not sure if it’s helping or making things worse.

[coopasonic]

I think mine might be similar, not sure. What do you mean by traction? How long did it take to get rid of it?

Traction = device that stretches the neck vertically. It's been 40 years since I've seen one so they may differ now, but it had a neck strap that connected to a rope that went over a pulley with a weight on the other end. The neck strap basically pulled your head up, which stretched your neck.

[Kraken]

I think mine might be similar, not sure. What do you mean by traction? How long did it take to get rid of it?

Traction = device that stretches the neck vertically. It's been 40 years since I've seen one so they may differ now, but it had a neck strap that connected to a rope that went over a pulley with a weight on the other end. The neck strap basically pulled your head up, which stretched your neck.

In PT, it was done manually -- I lay on my back and the therapist cradled my head and pulled, gently but firmly. When PT ended I got a home traction machine from a friend who's a doctor and had one lying around. Lying on my back, I strapped my head into a vise-like contraption and it used a screw mechanism to pull.

I also got deep-tissue massages and did some stretches at home, so it's hard to say what helped and what didn't. The massages felt great but I think the traction was more effective. Keeping at all of that for 3-4 months finally made that little muscle relax and the pain went away.

Don't try traction without medical supervision. You can damage yourself if it's done excessively.

[Blackhawk]

Also @Blackhawk, do you know what pillow you ended up with? I’ve tried so many pillows I think people would think I was insane. Currently I’m trying a Pillow Cube, I’m not sure if it’s helping or making things worse.

Oh, you don't want to know! My sister gave me some cash for Christmas. Most went to bills. A little went for a few fun things. But the biggest chunk I spent on myself was for the pillow. I was getting to the point where I wasn't able to sleep through the night half of the time, and anything that kept me from being half asleep all day, every day was worth spending on (and if it hadn't worked wonders, I'd have returned it.)

I have the Purple Harmony pillow. MSRP $200, although I got mine from Amazon for $160. It's a freaking fortune that I'm almost ashamed to have spent, but getting rid of non-stop pain and fatigue that was interfering in every other activity? It's still less than a medical bill.

[Blackhawk]

I think mine might be similar, not sure. What do you mean by traction? How long did it take to get rid of it?

I'm also going to throw out a recommendation for Bob & Brad. Their videos have helped me with several problems over the last few years.

[Zarathud]

I love my Purple mattress, but my wife can’t do without it. I would expect a similar result for their pillows.

[LordMortis]

I think mine might be similar, not sure. What do you mean by traction? How long did it take to get rid of it?

Traction = device that stretches the neck vertically. It's been 40 years since I've seen one so they may differ now, but it had a neck strap that connected to a rope that went over a pulley with a weight on the other end. The neck strap basically pulled your head up, which stretched your neck.

In PT, it was done manually -- I lay on my back and the therapist cradled my head and pulled, gently but firmly. When PT ended I got a home traction machine from a friend who's a doctor and had one lying around. Lying on my back, I strapped my head into a vise-like contraption and it used a screw mechanism to pull.

I also got deep-tissue massages and did some stretches at home, so it's hard to say what helped and what didn't. The massages felt great but I think the traction was more effective. Keeping at all of that for 3-4 months finally made that little muscle relax and the pain went away.

Don't try traction without medical supervision. You can damage yourself if it's done excessively.

I had bad neck problems that a chiropractor fixed within two sessions. Only I saw them for back problems, not neck problems, back problems that they never helped even a little after 16 sessions and I finally gave up. 15 years later and my neck is still better from from those two visits.

[Daehawk]

I need to find a new chiropractor. One who does something..less one who has a pen the=at taps you lightly and is a trigger point.

[Blackhawk]

I need to find a new chiropractor. One who does something..less one who has a pen the=at taps you lightly and is a trigger point.

Easy. Look under 'physical therapist.'

[hepcat]

The life of a peanut smuggler is rough on the back, I’ve heard.

[LordMortis]

I need to find a new chiropractor. One who does something..less one who has a pen the=at taps you lightly and is a trigger point.

Easy. Look under 'physical therapist.'

PT helped my back tremendously as long as I was seeing them. When I stopped, it regressed pretty bad. But who had 4.5 hours a week to do PT when they were working? And only 10 visits a year were covered. I'd go do back PT 3 times a week now, now that I'm not working if I could see someone as good as I saw then. Dude who worked on my back was amazing.

[Jaddison]

If you haven't gotten your shingles vaccination get it ASAP. I got shingles right before Christmas and it has been two weeks of living in a pain cave. Finally start to recover this week.

Shingles = sucks biggly

[dbt1949]

My attention space is getting smaller and smaller and my wit is down to half.

[Daehawk]

Ive never heard it called a space before. Usually its a span .

[Punisher]

Ive never heard it called a space before. Usually its a span .

Maybe it was a span and is now down to a space?

[Blackhawk]

A span is a good eight or nine inches. A space - well, here's one: | |. Even on a big monitor, that's not much.

[dbt1949]

I couldn't remember.

[em2nought]

If you haven't gotten your shingles vaccination get it ASAP. I got shingles right before Christmas and it has been two weeks of living in a pain cave. Finally start to recover this week.

Shingles = sucks biggly

Noted thanks, my sister has been urging me to do that too.

[Brian]

As noted in the Weird Science thread, I will be getting knee surgery next week (1.25.24).
I'm getting total knee replacements, left and right.

Next week is the left knee and the right will be replaced in June.
Unfortunately, I was denied on my Short Term Disability claim due to not having enough hours working for the company.
I've actually been here for two years but the first year and half was as a contractor. I got full-timed in July but since then have only accumulated 950 hours and you need 1250 to qualify for the short term disability.

I could reschedule but that will screw up a lot of down calendar events including a trip to Mexico in May that is already paid for (including flights and airport transfers) and I'm not changing that now.

So, I'll use a couple days of PTO to fill in the last two days next week and then will just take the hit for the two weeks I'll be out.

The plan is to take two weeks for recovery and physical therapy, then work from home for another two weeks.
If at the end of those four weeks I feel up to it, I will then return to the office.
Then I get to do it all over again in June but I will be able to claim short term by then.

So, I'm going to use these two weeks to wrap up Baldur's Gate, catch up on movies/TV, and maybe dive into Star Citizen since I've been a backer almost from day one but have never really played the game beyond loading it up and walking around a bit.

[stessier]

My mother just had knee replacement on one knee. Your timeline is...aggressive. Hope it goes well!

[Default]

My mother just had knee replacement on one knee. Your
for me, and I'm coming up on two years timeline is...aggressive. Hope it goes well!

As long as your job doesn't entail walking ten miles a day, it should be doable. Once you have both knees done, forget about bending for a while. Kneeling is still uncomfortable and I'm coming up on two years. I was out for two months and then went to Puerto Rico for ten days. I was using a cane, but was still in a significant amount of pain. Sleeping was difficult.

[Brian]

So I am currently sitting/laying in recovery having just undergone a complete knee replacement on my left knee.

Pain management has, so far, had negligible effect.
Hopefully they give me something stronger than Tramadol soon.

Best part is I get to do this all over again in June for the right knee.

[Brian]

Been out of surgery for a while now.

Physical therapist just ran me through the paces.
Pharmacy drooped off my meds
So, I should be going home soon

[Punisher]

[stessier]

Been out of surgery for a while now.

Physical therapist just ran me through the paces.
Pharmacy drooped off my meds
So, I should be going home soon

Good luck and speedy recovery!

[Holman]

COLONOSCOPY TOMORROW!

That is all. And I'm already cranky with hunger. (The day before the procedure is liquids-only.)

This is my second colonoscopy. Last time they gave me pictures, so I'll be sure to share the latest with you all.

[Brian]

Back home now and ready for a nap.
I kept dozing off during the check out lecture.
Fortunately, the wife, who is infinitely smarter than I am, was paying attention.

[dbt1949]

I was supposed to get a CT scan tomorrow to see how my cancer was doing. They canceled it. Better to keep me guessing.

[The Meal]

Hope you're pain free soon, Brian! And hope you're walking in circle for a few months until they can get the other side caught up.

Have fun, Holman.

[coopasonic]

COLONOSCOPY TOMORROW!

That is all. And I'm already cranky with hunger. (The day before the procedure is liquids-only.)

This is my second colonoscopy. Last time they gave me pictures, so I'll be sure to share the latest with you all.

Every week I get an email that it's time to schedule my colonoscopy. I think it has been 7 years since my first one... maybe a couple more years. I think maybe colon cancer is preferably to colonoscopy prep.

[Holman]

COLONOSCOPY TOMORROW!

That is all. And I'm already cranky with hunger. (The day before the procedure is liquids-only.)

This is my second colonoscopy. Last time they gave me pictures, so I'll be sure to share the latest with you all.

Every week I get an email that it's time to schedule my colonoscopy. I think it has been 7 years since my first one... maybe a couple more years. I think maybe colon cancer is preferably to colonoscopy prep.

Honestly, colonoscopy prep is less bad than I've been told to expect. I felt this way last time, too.

A day with no solid food kind of sucks, but drinking all the clear broth and apple juice I can hold actually does manage the hunger pangs.

The medical prep (Miralax powder mixed into more juice) doesn't taste all that bad.

The only real problem I had last time was that, after I went under anesthesia, one of my eyelids opened slightly and stayed that way for an hour. No one noticed, so part of the surface of one eye dried out. It hurt like hell for a few days.

[Kraken]

COLONOSCOPY TOMORROW!

That is all. And I'm already cranky with hunger. (The day before the procedure is liquids-only.)

This is my second colonoscopy. Last time they gave me pictures, so I'll be sure to share the latest with you all.

Every week I get an email that it's time to schedule my colonoscopy. I think it has been 7 years since my first one... maybe a couple more years. I think maybe colon cancer is preferably to colonoscopy prep.

Honestly, colonoscopy prep is less bad than I've been told to expect. I felt this way last time, too.

A day with no solid food kind of sucks, but drinking all the clear broth and apple juice I can hold actually does manage the hunger pangs.

The medical prep (Miralax powder mixed into more juice) doesn't taste all that bad.

The only real problem I had last time was that, after I went under anesthesia, one of my eyelids opened slightly and stayed that way for an hour. No one noticed, so part of the surface of one eye dried out. It hurt like hell for a few days.

Yeah, being hungry is unpleasant, but your first meal tomorrow will taste splendid. I always schedule the scope for first thing in the morning so I can have breakfast afterward, and so that I don't have to function without coffee that morning. The saline-citrus laxative stuff is pretty nasty but it sounds like you don't have to use that. Being awake most of the night with diarrhea is the worst of it.

Still, it's one unpleasant day every few years to avoid a preventable and often-fatal cancer. I think I've had four now.

[Brian]

I recently had a colonoscopy (my second) and the prep was not really terrible.
Yes, the prep tastes awful and you do get hungry on the final day but, the most difficult part for me was the sheer volume of drink I had to intake.
The big jug of prep and the multiple bottles of Gatorade (or similar) drink they wanted me to take left me so bloated that it was a struggle to get that last little bit down. I very nearly barfed it all back up but didn't want to relive "Worst Day Ever" so managed to keep it down.

As for the colonoscopy itself, I only remember the before and after. Propofol, (AKA: Milk of Amnesia) took care of the rest.

[ImLawBoy]

Having experienced both colonoscopy prep and colon cancer . . . .

Trust me. The colon cancer is way worse.

[coopasonic]

Having experienced both colonoscopy prep and colon cancer . . . .

Trust me. The colon cancer is way worse.

See now there's an opinion I feel like I can trust. I guess I'll call the damn office.

[Blackhawk]

My probing is scheduled for almost a year from now (that's apparently how long it takes to get in around here.) I'm not too worried about the prep. I went months on a liquid diet during my cancer treatment, with more than my fair share of disgusting flavors and puking along the way. I can handle a few days.