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Chronic Illness

Messages
10,560
Location
My mother's basement
My father too, and a grandfather, a grandmother…

I smoked about 30 years and joined the full cancer harbor boat tour, just pinching my butt was missing…

But even at healthiest possible behavior you’ll though die one sunny day, just at healthiest possible condition…and having caused way higher costs to the social system developing all those wonderful geriatric diseases a smoker, drinker…usually doesn’t grow old enough for.

I once jokingly made the same argument myself, in defense of smoking and drinking and all those other unhealthy habits that would have me and my fellow carousers dead before we grew old and became a strain on the healthcare system.

But I gave all that up when the deadly consequences became a more personally concrete matter than something that might happen to some other people someday.

Bad things are what happen only to other people, until they happen to you.

Over the past decade and a half I have made much greater use of the healthcare system than I can ever hope to repay, and for as long as I remain alive I will continue to be a burden on my society, at least in this regard.

I’ve known too many people who lived much more healthily than I did, only to suffer massive heart attacks in their 40s or 50s or to have contracted HIV before effective therapies came around or who met with some other premature end. There’s no dismissing the role of luck, or lack thereof.
 
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Turnip

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,248
Location
Europe
Going to get my third vaccination shot tomorrow morning. Just living a little safer, just a little easier access to medical facilities.
 
Messages
10,342
Location
vancouver, canada
I once jokingly made the same argument myself, in defense of smoking and drinking and all those other unhealthy habits that would have me and my fellow carousers dead before we grew old and became a strain on the healthcare system.

But I gave all that up when the deadly consequences became a more personally concrete matter than something that might happen to some other people someday.

Bad things are what happen only to other people, until they happen to you.

Over the past decade and a half I have made much greater use of the healthcare system than I can ever hope to repay, and for as long as I remain alive I will continue to be a burden on my society, at least in this regard.

I’ve known too many people who lived much more healthily than I did, only to suffer massive heart attacks in their 40s or 50s or to have contracted HIV before effective therapies came around or who met with some other premature end. There’s no dismissing the role of luck, or lack thereof.

Yes, that old genetic lottery. My mom lived to 95 while my dad passed at 45. At my age I am hoping that having reached this point I have more of my mother's genetic makeup than my father's. She didn't take any great care of her health but the one thing she did was not abuse it. Not much of a drinker, non smoker, kept her weight low, regular sleep patterns her entire life and lived a life of moderation. My best friend, a runner/fit, not an ounce of fat on him, all blood work in normal range had a myocardial infarction (sp?). Doctors are baffled....no reason whatsoever for it to have happened. When he checked into the post attack clinic at the hospital the first thing they asked is "why the hell are YOU here?" Takes what you gets and do your best to enjoy the journey from A to B for however long it lasts.
 

Turnip

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,248
Location
Europe
Preventive eye checkup as part of my diabetes screening program completed without findings.
An adjuvant chemo program I had to run some time ago „tickled“ that out but it’s currently kind of sleeping. If the diagnosis would not have been confirmed years ago my last years‘ blood parameters would not have given a hint meanwhile.
 
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Turnip

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,248
Location
Europe
My tinnitus cure is about three years ago next year, if I remember right, so I should gain another claim next spring. Not sure at this point whether I’ll take that chance or not.
 

AmateisGal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,126
Location
Nebraska
Forgot to update my health status!

So. Contrary to what I was told for YEARS, I do NOT have rheumatoid arthritis. I finally went to the Mayo Clinic last year at this time and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. My health has progressively gotten worse since I wrote this post in 2017. I now work from home full-time and do not expect that to ever change. There's really no cure for what I have - just have to deal with it. I walk every day (unless my body simply can't do it) and I think that's helped. I've tried a few different meds and because I metabolize meds so different to others, they simply don't work. So I'm trying to manage it as best as I can through gentle exercise, rest, and keeping my stress levels low.

I was a little upset when I found out I didn't have RA and they'd been giving me drugs to treat me for it when I DIDN'T HAVE IT. It really does suck to be a medical mystery. But I'm very thankful that I was able to go to the Mayo Clinic and get properly diagnosed.
 

Turnip

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,248
Location
Europe
Just learned yesterday that my neighbor / my girlie‘s brother-in-law has recently been diagnosed with esophagus cancer and it doesn’t look overly well at this point.
Neo adjuvant chemo, main surgery and follow up chemo plus cure… He’ll be at least a year off the field, if everything goes best possible…:confused:
 

Nacht Segler

New in Town
Messages
6
Location
Eastern-ish PA
Forgot to update my health status!

So. Contrary to what I was told for YEARS, I do NOT have rheumatoid arthritis. I finally went to the Mayo Clinic last year at this time and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. My health has progressively gotten worse since I wrote this post in 2017. I now work from home full-time and do not expect that to ever change. There's really no cure for what I have - just have to deal with it. I walk every day (unless my body simply can't do it) and I think that's helped. I've tried a few different meds and because I metabolize meds so different to others, they simply don't work. So I'm trying to manage it as best as I can through gentle exercise, rest, and keeping my stress levels low.

I was a little upset when I found out I didn't have RA and they'd been giving me drugs to treat me for it when I DIDN'T HAVE IT. It really does suck to be a medical mystery. But I'm very thankful that I was able to go to the Mayo Clinic and get properly diagnosed.

Hi, you may remember me as Old Mariner (I posted before in your thread). I am glad to hear you *finally* got a diagnosis. I dealt with both FM (fibromyalgia) and ME/CFS (chronic fatigue) - I just deal with the latter now. There is a website I learned of that may be of help called Science4ME. I used to be at their forum, but since I live alone and isolated due to location (aside from circumstances) I could not offer much.

No there is no cure for ME/CFS. I learned that a few months back while on Twitter, as I followed a number of ME/CFS people and organizations. All one can really do is make adjustments to one's life and find what works for them as far as diet and supplements, which is what I managed to accomplish through trial and error.

I put myself on my own anti-inflammatory diet that I came up with (I was already mostly there anyway, just needed to make a few tweaks). I started that in May and 5 days in I felt a major difference. Kept up with it and while my weight stayed the same, my waist went from a 36 to 33. So, I wound up buying pants again in October. I also fully stopped drinking that month as well since there was no buzz anymore and just pain. (ME/CFS is a neuro-inflammatory condition from what I have lerned.)

It does suck living with something for which there is no cure. I was hoping that I would be able to heal myself fully, but knowing that I am just going to do what I can. I got tattoos in August & Sept., and plan to get more, as a way of enjoying my 'broken' body.

I hope that you're able to find a method that helps you 'push back' the symptoms enough that you can enjoy life a bit more.
 

Ingramite

One of the Regulars
Messages
107
Location
The Texas Hill Country
Forgot to update my health status!

So. Contrary to what I was told for YEARS, I do NOT have rheumatoid arthritis. I finally went to the Mayo Clinic last year at this time and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. My health has progressively gotten worse since I wrote this post in 2017. I now work from home full-time and do not expect that to ever change. There's really no cure for what I have - just have to deal with it. I walk every day (unless my body simply can't do it) and I think that's helped. I've tried a few different meds and because I metabolize meds so different to others, they simply don't work. So I'm trying to manage it as best as I can through gentle exercise, rest, and keeping my stress levels low.

I was a little upset when I found out I didn't have RA and they'd been giving me drugs to treat me for it when I DIDN'T HAVE IT. It really does suck to be a medical mystery. But I'm very thankful that I was able to go to the Mayo Clinic and get properly diagnosed.
Finally knowing brings some peace of mind. It also allows for a more precise and effective treatment plan.

Crazy how an old thread pops up to the surface huh?

I'm 25 radiation treatments into what will be a 39 treatment plan for prostate cancer.

I found it early through yearly screening when my PSA level shot up. I've heard that every man who lives long enough will have prostate problems.

I'm confident that I'm going to beat this thing.
I caught it early and treating it aggressively. Nothing to it but to do it.

Hang tuff AmateisGal.
 

AmateisGal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,126
Location
Nebraska
Finally knowing brings some peace of mind. It also allows for a more precise and effective treatment plan.

Crazy how an old thread pops up to the surface huh?

I'm 25 radiation treatments into what will be a 39 treatment plan for prostate cancer.

I found it early through yearly screening when my PSA level shot up. I've heard that every man who lives long enough will have prostate problems.

I'm confident that I'm going to beat this thing.
I caught it early and treating it aggressively. Nothing to it but to do it.

Hang tuff AmateisGal.
You got this!!! Sending you strength!!!
 

AmateisGal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,126
Location
Nebraska
Hi, you may remember me as Old Mariner (I posted before in your thread). I am glad to hear you *finally* got a diagnosis. I dealt with both FM (fibromyalgia) and ME/CFS (chronic fatigue) - I just deal with the latter now. There is a website I learned of that may be of help called Science4ME. I used to be at their forum, but since I live alone and isolated due to location (aside from circumstances) I could not offer much.

No there is no cure for ME/CFS. I learned that a few months back while on Twitter, as I followed a number of ME/CFS people and organizations. All one can really do is make adjustments to one's life and find what works for them as far as diet and supplements, which is what I managed to accomplish through trial and error.

I put myself on my own anti-inflammatory diet that I came up with (I was already mostly there anyway, just needed to make a few tweaks). I started that in May and 5 days in I felt a major difference. Kept up with it and while my weight stayed the same, my waist went from a 36 to 33. So, I wound up buying pants again in October. I also fully stopped drinking that month as well since there was no buzz anymore and just pain. (ME/CFS is a neuro-inflammatory condition from what I have lerned.)

It does suck living with something for which there is no cure. I was hoping that I would be able to heal myself fully, but knowing that I am just going to do what I can. I got tattoos in August & Sept., and plan to get more, as a way of enjoying my 'broken' body.

I hope that you're able to find a method that helps you 'push back' the symptoms enough that you can enjoy life a bit more.
I'm so glad you found some relief! I'm on a new forum now for those with ME/CFS, and last night I just read a new study put out by Mayo. Oddly enough, though I absolutely hate that long Covid exists, it has led to people developing ME/CFS and that might mean that more money is put into researching it. Money talks, unfortunately, and with a significant portion of people now affected with this, I'm sure pharmaceutical companies will see dollar signs.
 

Nacht Segler

New in Town
Messages
6
Location
Eastern-ish PA
I'm so glad you found some relief! I'm on a new forum now for those with ME/CFS, and last night I just read a new study put out by Mayo. Oddly enough, though I absolutely hate that long Covid exists, it has led to people developing ME/CFS and that might mean that more money is put into researching it. Money talks, unfortunately, and with a significant portion of people now affected with this, I'm sure pharmaceutical companies will see dollar signs.
That's what I found out when I was on Twitter and followed a lot of ME/CFS folks and organizations. Incidentally, in mid-August, I got the Moderna booster (my original Covid shots were J&J). After enduring extreme pain for a period of time, once those effects wore off, I wound up feeling better than I did *before* I had the shot. I asked my dr. about it and he mentioned about it being of possible help to those who had Covid, and it helping with residual virus left in the body. Since this happened, I plan to get another booster when the time comes.

I also learned of 2 other supplements to help myself: Nattokinase and Glutathione. If I recall right, it was someone who had Long Covid that mentioned these. I thought they may be of help, so I tried them, and got (more) relief - and therefore, added them to my mix.

Best wishes to you on this journey.
 
Messages
12,422
Location
Germany
Yesterday, it finally got me in my lumbar vertrebra area, while making bed. Damn!
Actually I'm waiting, if the pain will fade out.
I promptly started doing fine exercises from youtube and that really helped at first. I'm happy, that I still can walk, sit on my desk and so on. But I'm carefully on moving.

It's not surprising me much. You know, I was a hobby photographer since 2007 and I walked so much in these fifteen years. Of course, that some points of wear would make trouble, some day.

But I really feel better than yesterday. And thankfully, I already postponed not so important appointments for the next days. That brightened my mood very. :)

Maybe, that will be the beginning of a not that pleasant yourney. Or maybe, it could be just a blocked vertrebra. We will see...
 
Messages
12,422
Location
Germany
Beeing okay.
Had to install new mixing battery in my kitchen, surely not the best thing to do at lumbar problems, but it had to be done and I can do it myself.
The good fact is, that the pain isn't emanating in the extremities.

And the exercises def. work well! :) I'm doing the first two.

 

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