Health Thread

kshansen said:

Interesting repair, as for the `wing I have one word for you Sidecar!
There is at least one outfit in Kentucky that I'm betting could fix you up:
http://www.hannigantrikes.com/product-type/sidecars/

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Goldenboy said:

This is dedicated to robinc, we shared a common thread...

I was fortunate to share a moment in robinc's life, Friday, before he passed. His son relayed to Pete it was from a heart attack. On July 15,2007 I, also suffered a heart attack' while pedaling hard, downhill on my bicycle. There are some scary terms for this; "a sudden onset major catastrophic event". In my case, it involved the "left anterior descending coronary artery", "LAD", nicknamed "The Widow Maker", as this is the most common vessel associated with a sudden spike in blood pressure. This is a "silent killer". This is the one they speak of when someone dies from shoveling snow. A collection of plaque (blood platelets) form a bulge in an artery, which can burst, sending a clot to the narrowest part of the LAD. This vessel sits on the front of the heart. If not treated quickly, it is fatal, as the LAD supplies oxygenated blood to the heart muscle, itself, and due to it's close proximity to the heart, it maintains a normally high pressure. In my case, I was in denial and took a wait and see approach; I had experienced a sudden sensation in my breast bone as if someone flicked a finger against it, and a sudden, mild indigestion and dull pain radiating down my left arm. I was hoping it would subside, and was only a gas pain. After all, 3 months ago I had a stress test, and passed with flying colors and was in good shape. We didn't have a cell phone, and we were alone, so I biked another 5 miles to a park. By that time, I had shortness of breath,, a cold sweat in 85 degree heat, and felt as though someone was pressing the points of two fingers, hard against my breastbone to brace themselves as they pressed a hot clothes iron, hard against my back. My wife had someone call 911 and within 12 minutes an ambulance arrived as I lye on a picnic table, unable to bear the pain, unable to reposition myself to ease the pain, Within one hour, an noncoated beryllium stent was placed in the LAD through the femoral artery. The blockage was 98 percent. This was my first morning back, home from vacation in Cape Cod. We biked 200 miles while there. We were staying 60 miles from Hyannis, the nearest hospital, and the ambulance would have to get me first. Luck has a lot to do with me telling you this...
There are two diagnostic tests which I would like to tell you about which can save your life:
1) CT Calcium Scoring Test- this cat scan test will designate a numerical value to the calcium deposits in coronary arteries surrounding your heart. This number tells the cardiologist what percentage of your arteries are blocked. The American Medical Assn. sets guidelines as per what remedy is needed according to the numbers. Not everyone needs a by-pass, or a bunch of stents. Your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol medicine, or nothing at all.
2) Duplex Ultrasound To Rule Out An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm- Lucille Ball died from an AAA. In the U.S., every Medicare recipient is entitled to a once in a lifetime screening for this. An aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of a pressurized artery, which may burst in an, otherwise, healthy person's abdominal aorta, the largest vessel in the body. It is uncommon, but if found, can be fixed with an umbrella catheter inserted by small incision through the femoral, or brachial artery.
At your next check-up, please speak with your doctor and ask him to write you a couple of scripts for these tests. It may give you peace of mind and a few more miles to ride. I will continue to relay items in this thread, so please take a look. Thank you!

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Paul Sutton said:

Three nights ago I awoke and there where aliens coming to get me. I could not move, the room was glowing red and I felt like a very heavy liquid atmosphere was pressing down on me. I struggled to move my arm but managed to switch the light on and then jumped out of bed. Guess what, no aliens in the room at all. I think this experience was the result of too much X-Files combined with those Kirkland sleeping pills I use as a neck muscle relaxant. In the past it was always giant spiders in the room from these relaxants. I think it is time to find a substitute, if only beer and chocolate worked. Caffiene seems promising if taken early enough.

Bring back those 30 Year Old's dreams, but without peeing the bed!

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kshansen said:

Well my health news today is that while I was tossing some shrub trimmings in the old quarry pit behind my house I got a bad pain in ring finger on right hand. Right now I can hardly get past a 90º bend in both the ring and pinky finger on the right hand. The other two finger are also a bit stiff but might be just from the pain on the other two.

Went to the local Immediate Care place and they sent me down stairs to the X-ray lab. Took four pictures of hand and nothing broken that they could see.

I had a tendon operation on this same hand last fall where they tied the to offending fingers together. So I'm wondering if I broke something in those tendons or just popped something out of place. Problem is I can't get in to see that Doctor till Thursday afternoon! Lucky the weather is not good for riding the rest of the week. Just hope she can figure out a fast and easy fix. But I'm not putting much hope in that one!

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TwoManyXS1Bs said:

Alzheimers test

The following analysis from French Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière - Paris Hospitals / addresses the subject in a rather reassuring way:

"For some time now, I have been stuck and I do not know what we were I talking about … Before, I was afraid it was the beginning of Alzheimer's ... but today, after reading this article, I am reassured."

"If anyone is aware of his memory problems, he does not have Alzheimer's."

1. I forget the names of families …

2. I do not remember where I put some things …

It often happens in people 60 years and older that they complain they lack memory.

"The information is always in the brain, it is the "processor" that is lacking."

This is known as "Anosognosia" or temporary forgetfulness.

Over half of people 60 and older have some symptoms that are due to age rather than disease.

The most common cases are: - forgetting the name of a person; - going to a room in the house and not remembering why we were going there; - a blank memory for a movie title or actor, an actress, etc.; - wasting time searching where we left our glasses or keys.

After 60 years most people may experience such a difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years. Many people are concerned about these oversights hence the importance of the following statement:

"Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem of memory. Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer's, are not aware of what is happening."

Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of IMMA, reassures the majority of people concerned about their oversights:

"The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness."


~ Now for a little neurological test: Only use your eyes!


#1. Find the C in the table below!



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



#2. If you have already found the C, then find the 6 in the table below.



99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999



99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999



99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999



69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999



99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999



99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999



#3. Now find the N in the table below.



Attention, this one is a little more difficult!



MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM



MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM



MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM



MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM



MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM



If you passed these three tests without problem:

- you can cancel your annual visit to the Neurologist;
- your brain is in perfect health!
- you are far removed from having any relationship with Alzheimer's

So, share this with your “over-60 friends”, it can reassure them!

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Mailman said:

Well man o man Steve! That was the best thing I’ve read in a while. I breezed through that test so quickly I’m thinking of taking up drinking again! If I could only remember where I put that bottle opener........

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kshansen said:

Well my health news today is that while I was tossing some shrub trimmings in the old quarry pit behind my house I got a bad pain in ring finger on right hand. Right now I can hardly get past a 90º bend in both the ring and pinky finger on the right hand. The other two finger are also a bit stiff but might be just from the pain on the other two.

Went to the local Immediate Care place and they sent me down stairs to the X-ray lab. Took four pictures of hand and nothing broken that they could see.

I had a tendon operation on this same hand last fall where they tied the to offending fingers together. So I'm wondering if I broke something in those tendons or just popped something out of place. Problem is I can't get in to see that Doctor till Thursday afternoon! Lucky the weather is not good for riding the rest of the week. Just hope she can figure out a fast and easy fix. But I'm not putting much hope in that one!

Click to expand...