Health Thread

[Meddy]

Good on you Goldenboy for taking the time and effort to post all this info I for one appreciate it.
I just wanted to ask about or mention what I think is a major cause of a lot of illness in these modern times, Stress.
Life seems to be just flat out these days and people don't take time out to "smell the roses".
And conveniently this is a motorcycle forum and I believe a ride on a motorcycle down a country road with just your own thoughts as company is probably the best stress relief I know.
Just my 2 bobs worth anyway.
Mick.

 

[peanut]

Good on you Goldenboy for taking the time and effort to post all this info I for one appreciate it.
I just wanted to ask about or mention what I think is a major cause of a lot of illness in these modern times, Stress.
Life seems to be just flat out these days and people don't take time out to "smell the roses".
And conveniently this is a motorcycle forum and I believe a ride on a motorcycle down a country road with just your own thoughts as company is probably the best stress relief I know.
Just my 2 bobs worth anyway.
Mick.

you are so right Mick . We just don't make enough time for ourselves these days.

I found this out to my cost over the past 10 years or so. I always scoffed at those who took months off work due to so called stress because I was the person who invariably had to pick up their workload when they went off sick.

Years later I realised that I too had been suffering considerable stress myself over 2 decades when I began looking into the causes of stress.

Like many I had always assumed that stress was a mental or psychological issue, an emotional weakness , inability or willingness to apply oneself. ie 'Pull your socks up lad' I was genuinely surprised to learn that stress can have a number of different causes including chronic illness ,hormonal inbalance, medication and Toxicity ,

Even today if you search Google for 'causes of stress ' it comes back with the result stress is due to 'work – for example, unemployment, a high workload or retirement (see Beat stress at work) family – for example, divorce, relationship difficulties or being a carer. housing – for example, moving house or problems with neighbours.

No mention of chronic illness, medication or toxicity and that quote was from the UK National health Service ! ffs......

An approach that I have found very helpful is to set myself some goals for the coming year and plan in some dates for days spent enjoying myself so that life doesn't just pass by full of work .
I make a list of all the things that I want to achieve for the following year prioritize and then break it down into months and set target dates to complete.
It gives your life some direction and purpose and a means to keep a check on what you need and wish to achieve.

In addition to that i make a calendar list of all the events and shows etc that I can attend in the coming year, places I want to visit , days out , weekend breaks away etc where I can spend time doing things I enjoy .

 

[Ceed Klumper]

The three main factors responsible for the increases in life expectancy over the centuries have been hygiene, nutrition and health care. Individual factors these days that I think about affecting me are alcohol consumption (no more than 14 or so units a week) and fortunately I have never smoked much, and have not smoked at all since 2000. I used to think, I want to live it up and don't care whether I live a few years shorter as a result, until someone explained to me that, not only would I live shorter, the last 10 years would be more miserable. So now I try to live healthier, watch my weight (I still weigh the same as I did when I was 17) and exercise about 4 times a week.

 

[peanut]

I'm not sure that there are any real increases in life expectancy Cees ...Government and Industry statistics are skewed which ever way suits their purpose .
What there is,... is a huge increase in chronic diseases especially Coronary Heart Disease and T2 Diabetes.

There is rarely if any warning of an impending Heart Attack due to Coronary Thrombosis. One second you're fine the next you are dead.
The only way one can see for sure is by undergoing a CAC scan as goldenboy mentioned which will reveal immediately how much at risk one is.

latest scientific and Medical research shows that the major cause of Atherosclerosis is Insulin Resistance .....not smoking or drinking or fat consumption or being obese although they can be contributory factors

Decades of high sugar and carbohydrate intake leads to Insulin resistance which results in fatty deposits (plaque) build up in and around the organs and Arteries. Its not smoking or drinking or high fat consumption as the general Medical World have been warning for decades... they have it completely wrong.

Monitoring your Blood Glucose levels gives an indication of our general condition but it is not conclusive. Better by far is to test our Insulin resistivity and take a CAC scan and then we can plan an effective lifestyle change to reverse the condition and bring our stats back to safe and acceptable levels.

 

[Goldenboy]

Good on you Goldenboy for taking the time and effort to post all this info I for one appreciate it.
I just wanted to ask about or mention what I think is a major cause of a lot of illness in these modern times, Stress.
Life seems to be just flat out these days and people don't take time out to "smell the roses".
And conveniently this is a motorcycle forum and I believe a ride on a motorcycle down a country road with just your own thoughts as company is probably the best stress relief I know.
Just my 2 bobs worth anyway.
Mick.

Thank you, Mick. From what little I know about the subject, studies linked stress with hormonal production of adrenaline used in the fight/ flight response.This constant level of adrenaline is supposedly a cause of arterial inflamation, which in turn allows plaques to build in arteries, and, also compromises the immune system. That's supposedly why bankers get heart attacks. My brother is a corporate loans officer with Key Bank Income Properties Group. His office is in Rockefeller Center in NYC. His job entails keying formulas with data to verify a corporation would be able to still repay a multi million dollar loan after 10 years, considering the projected economic climate that far in the future and the business model of the particular company. The responsibility and pressure are enormous. He believes this is the reason he developed psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, which is an agressive form of arthrititis linked to psoriasis which he takes biologics for. His meds are $22,000 a year, paid for by insurance. Every night, no matter what, he goes to the gym. He belongs to a forum of business people, and once a week they have a conference call. And once or twice a month, he drives to Cape Cod, a 600 mile round trip. He tells me that drive is very relaxing for him. When he gets there, he walks across a rocky breakwater over Provincetown Harbor to a light house, or across the dunes to the ocean. Everyone should have a mechanism to relieve stress. 10 years ago a biologist reported about possums living on a Carribean island similar to ones in the U.S. They had no natural enemies and little contact with humans and their automobiles. Their life span was 3x longer than their U.S. counterparts. I saw the article in National Geographic. I believe, like you do, that whatever I can do to relieve stress is a good thing.

 

[Goldenboy]

you are so right Mick . We just don't make enough time for ourselves these days.

I found this out to my cost over the past 10 years or so. I always scoffed at those who took months off work due to so called stress because I was the person who invariably had to pick up their workload when they went off sick.

Years later I realised that I too had been suffering considerable stress myself over 2 decades when I began looking into the causes of stress.

Like many I had always assumed that stress was a mental or psychological issue, an emotional weakness , inability or willingness to apply oneself. ie 'Pull your socks up lad' I was genuinely surprised to learn that stress can have a number of different causes including chronic illness ,hormonal inbalance, medication and Toxicity ,

Even today if you search Google for 'causes of stress ' it comes back with the result stress is due to 'work – for example, unemployment, a high workload or retirement (see Beat stress at work) family – for example, divorce, relationship difficulties or being a carer. housing – for example, moving house or problems with neighbours.

No mention of chronic illness, medication or toxicity and that quote was from the UK National health Service ! ffs......

An approach that I have found very helpful is to set myself some goals for the coming year and plan in some dates for days spent enjoying myself so that life doesn't just pass by full of work .
I make a list of all the things that I want to achieve for the following year prioritize and then break it down into months and set target dates to complete.
It gives your life some direction and purpose and a means to keep a check on what you need and wish to achieve.

In addition to that i make a calendar list of all the events and shows etc that I can attend in the coming year, places I want to visit , days out , weekend breaks away etc where I can spend time doing things I enjoy .

For me, just thinking about places I like to visit, or activities I enjoy relieves stress.

 

[peanut]

For me, just thinking about places I like to visit, or activities I enjoy relieves stress.

basically meditation....best stress buster there is
I don't count sheep at night I count XS650 s

 

[Goldenboy]

The three main factors responsible for the increases in life expectancy over the centuries have been hygiene, nutrition and health care. Individual factors these days that I think about affecting me are alcohol consumption (no more than 14 or so units a week) and fortunately I have never smoked much, and have not smoked at all since 2000. I used to think, I want to live it up and don't care whether I live a few years shorter as a result, until someone explained to me that, not only would I live shorter, the last 10 years would be more miserable. So now I try to live healthier, watch my weight (I still weigh the same as I did when I was 17) and exercise about 4 times a week.

ON 60 Minutes,they once did a segment on centegenarians, those who survived to 100 years old, or more. They all seemed to have good cholesterol numbers and had a very good outlook on dealing with loss of loved ones. By that age, everyone your know is gone. My brother calls that the"boobie prize" for taking care of yourself...

 

[Ceed Klumper]

I'm not sure that there are any real increases in life expectancy Cees ...Government and Industry statistics are skewed which ever way suits their purpose .

I was referring to over the past couple of centuries. Average life expectancy not all that long ago was in the mid-thirties across Europe (As an example, Alexander the Great died at age 32, after having accomplished everything we know him for). In my native Holland, in 1900 the average life expectancy for men was 48, now it is around 80.

 

[Goldenboy]

I was referring to over the past couple of centuries. Average life expectancy not all that long ago was in the mid-thirties across Europe (As an example, Alexander the Great died at age 32, after having accomplished everything we know him for). In my native Holland, in 1900 the average life expectancy for men was 48, now it is around 80.

And by the same token, a news article said , " There are more people over 90, now, than in the history of the world.

 

[Ceed Klumper]

Wow. When I was an external auditor for a large pension fund, the CEO once said the thing they were most concerned about was 'the little pill' that would halt or even reverse the ageing process, and people would live hundreds of years. Not good for a pension fund. Who knows.

 

[Ceed Klumper]

My stress relief is working with my hands, such as doing the maintenance and repairs on the XS650 (or, like yesterday, spending all day to disconnect and remove the water heater from our liveaboard boat, as it started leaking) since I typically sit in an office all day, working with my head. I'm sure stress is a major factor in physical health. I believe the medical term is 'psycho-somatic' health issues.

 

[Goldenboy]

My stress relief is working with my hands, such as doing the maintenance and repairs on the XS650 (or, like yesterday, spending all day to disconnect and remove the water heater from our liveaboard boat, as it started leaking) since I typically sit in an office all day, working with my head. I'm sure stress is a major factor in physical health. I believe the medical term is 'psyc.ho-somatic' health issues.

Psycosomatic illness is a a real disease brought on by mental issues. Yes, I believe that classifies. And, whatever floats your boat! There is also sympathetic illness where you can get symptoms of another's problem. My Dad had a heart attack, and, all of a sudden I got chest pains. This is very common.

 

[fredintoon]

My stress relief is working with my hands, such as doing the maintenance and repairs on the XS650 (or, like yesterday, spending all day to disconnect and remove the water heater from our liveaboard boat, as it started leaking) since I typically sit in an office all day, working with my head. I'm sure stress is a major factor in physical health. I believe the medical term is 'psycho-somatic' health issues.

Hi Cees,
you can edit your avatar to spell your name right anytime you care to.
And from my point of view nature has done the ageing process all wrong.
It shouldn't be a long steady decline starting in one's 50s.
I'd prefer a steady state at mid-40s until going out like a lightbulb a (long) time later.

 

[Goldenboy]

Wow. When I was an external auditor for a large pension fund, the CEO once said the thing they were most concerned about was 'the little pill' that would halt or even reverse the ageing process, and people would live hundreds of years. Not good for a pension fund. Who knows.

I would like a case of those, CK.

 

[Goldenboy]

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!

"There's no such thing as aging gracefully. It's a horrible, degenerative process." - John Wayne
Geriatrics is the study of diseases of the aged.
Gerontology is the multifaceted study of the process of aging.
Doctors who practice geriatrics are versed in the various old age diseases and believe the aging person's diseases should be treated in a similar manner as those patients of any age in an attempt to cure the patient.
Doctors who practice gerontology believe many problems incurred in the aging patient are part of the aging process. And those problems should be treated less aggressively, in order to maintain a better quality of life and better outcome for their aging patients. You may ask a doctor what he believes, or see what he has after his name and determine how you would like to be treated.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

... the thing they were most concerned about was 'the little pill' that would halt or even reverse the ageing process, and people would live hundreds of years. Not good for a pension fund...

True, but disturbing.

My paranoia sez that some nefarious types are or have been cooking-up methods (our food and pharmaceuticals) to combat this longevity.

Ever heard of the mysterious "euthanasia nurse" events that clear-out hospitals of lingering patients?

 

[Goldenboy]

True, but disturbing.

My paranoia sez that some nefarious types are or have been cooking-up methods (our food and pharmaceuticals) to combat this longevity.

Ever heard of the mysterious "euthanasia nurse" events that clear-out hospitals of lingering patients?

I went to a seminar on death and dying at the local hospital. The doctor giving the lecture said he believed the doctors should be able to decide who lives and dies based on the patient's condition. When you become unable to make decisions for yourself, things happen. At this crisis point, family member's emotions, religious beliefs or squabbling cause decisions on preserving a person's life, not in the best interests of the person lying in bed, causing suffering and agony, not just for the patient, but the loved ones. And unnecessary physical and financial burdens on the hospital, taking undue care of a patient who's treatment is futile and taking nursing care from others who really need it. And there is also the unethical reason to preserve a patient's life, to collect their social security and pension checks. I've seen that, family members coming in just once a month with their arms folded to make sure everything is being done to preserve the life of their "cash cow". There is a "widely known secret" which is implemented in most areas concerning this. Both my parents left this world in that manner. A morphine drip is used to end suffering in patients who are at a point where preservation of life is futile. Morphine relieves pain, and also suppresses the urge to breath. Basically, you are put to sleep. My Mom was in declining health and her visits to the hospital were increasing in frequency. She was getting panic attacks from shortness of breath and was ashen colored. She had just turned 87. A chest x-ray revealed a mass in her lung the size of her heart. The pulmonologist came to see her in her hospital bed. He said, "You have a large tumor in your lung and there is nothing we can do for you. You don't want us to hurt you, do you?" My Mom was brave, and shook her head. He said, "OK, we will do everything we can to make you comfortable." They moved her to another room and started the "drip". My Dad, brother and I stayed with her all night in the room, and she was able to say her goodbyes as she became more relaxed, no longer feeling the effects of her lack of oxygen from her condition. Then, the nurse came back at 7:00 AM as her breathing became irregular and said, " It won't be long." The nurse then gave "the final push", a larger dose and in a few minutes, she was gone, avoiding seeing her with "death rattles". We suffered with her, and it was a relief when it was over. Long before my Mom passed and not being aware of this euthanasia procedure, seeing so many suffering for so long in the hospital where I worked I used to say, "If they can do this for animals, then why not people?'

 

[Goldenboy]

"There's no such thing as aging gracefully. It's a horrible, degenerative process." - John Wayne
Geriatrics is the study of diseases of the aged.
Gerontology is the multifaceted study of the process of aging.
Doctors who practice geriatrics are versed in the various old age diseases and believe the aging person's diseases should be treated in a similar manner as those patients of any age in an attempt to cure the patient.
Doctors who practice gerontology believe many problems incurred in the aging patient are part of the aging process. And those problems should be treated less aggressively, in order to maintain a better quality of life and better outcome for their aging patients. You may ask a doctor what he believes, or see what he has after his name and determine how you would like to be treated.

Finding the best doctor and getting the best outcome from a procedure:
When my Dad flew down the stairs, swiping at a moth, he broke his hip. X-rays showed a fracture and the ER doctor asked me if I had an orthopedic surgeon. Luckily, I knew what to ask, "Who is the chief of orthopedic surgery?" That is the best orthopedic surgeon in the hospital. And, if you can't get him because he is in such demand, you will get another surgeon from his group, still better than the rest.
If you go for an out patient office visit to a specialist and require scheduling for a procedure, say a colonoscopy, cystoscopy, or even a pain management procedure, the doctor will automatically schedule it at his outpatient surgery center. Why? He wants the "facilities charges" That is a big chunk of the bill. Tell the doctor, immediately that you would prefer to have your procedure done in the hospital. It won't cost you a penny more. Here's why you don't want that. . If something goes wrong, the staff is not as well trained as the hospital staff is in emergency code procedures. The hospital requires code teams to rehearse their duties once a month. The personnel in the hospital are of a higher caliber. Also, if someone goes "bad" during a procedure and under anesthesia they are minutes from the ICU. There are also better sanitary standards in hospitals. The greatest complication from surgery is infection. Pick your doctors if they are affiliated with the hospital you use. They should all accept the same insurance and their hospital information systems are linked, so everyone has immediate access to your medical records,in order to avoid duplication of services.

 

[Goldenboy]

Finding the best doctor and getting the best outcome from a procedure:
When my Dad flew down the stairs, swiping at a moth, he broke his hip. X-rays showed a fracture and the ER doctor asked me if I had an orthopedic surgeon. Luckily, I knew what to ask, "Who is the chief of orthopedic surgery?" That is the best orthopedic surgeon in the hospital. And, if you can't get him because he is in such demand, you will get another surgeon from his group, still better than the rest.
If you go for an out patient office visit to a specialist and require scheduling for a procedure, say a colonoscopy, cystoscopy, or even a pain management procedure, the doctor will automatically schedule it at his outpatient surgery center. Why? He wants the "facilities charges" That is a big chunk of the bill. Tell the doctor, immediately that you would prefer to have your procedure done in the hospital. It won't cost you a penny more. Here's why you don't want that. . If something goes wrong, the staff is not as well trained as the hospital staff is in emergency code procedures. The hospital requires code teams to rehearse their duties once a month. The personnel in the hospital are of a higher caliber. Also, if someone goes "bad" during a procedure and under anesthesia they are minutes from the ICU. There are also better sanitary standards in hospitals. The greatest complication from surgery is infection. Pick your doctors if they are affiliated with the hospital you use. They should all accept the same insurance and their hospital information systems are linked, so everyone has immediate access to your medical records,in order to avoid duplication of services.

Easier done than said; I woke one morning to look deep into my mortality. A shaft of light spread across the bedroom floor and onto my feet. As the light caused a translucent, clear view of them, I noticed I was developing toenail fungus, and said to myself, "Now, it's official. I'm an old scumbag, and will be for the rest of my life.." .At my next check-up I spoke to the doctor, "Doc, I noticed I have toenail fungus. Can you prescribe something for me?" "No", he said.," You have to go to a dermatologist, to get tissue samples taken to determine what medicine you need."
I was due for my annual check-up with the derm. and went a few weeks later. She took nail clippings and some skin under the nail for analysis. She said that when the lab results come back, she would call me and tell me what prescription, focused fungiside I would need to take, then shook her head and said," These are powerful oral meds which can damage your liver, so you will be required to take blood tests, periodically to determine that,. and it may come back again, anyway." I said to myself, "Is my vanity really that important?" I went home and tried to find another solution. I googled "toenail fungus" Low and behold, the Mayo Clinic Website in Rochester, Minn. popped up first with, "How to Cure Toenail Fungus".
It said, simply," Apply Vicks Vapo Rub!" Put it on twice a day or every time you change your socks. Use you finger nail to push it under and around the nail of each toe. You will notice a slight discoloration of the nail in a day or two as it becomes more supple and translucent." They attributed the success of this treatment to the "aromatics" and properties of eucalyptus and peppermint oils in the salve which displaces the fungus and eliminates the white, brittle clam shell appearance of the nail. Expect to treat your nails for 8 to 10 months.
I read it over and over in disbelief. I know these people give sound medical advice. This is too simple, no side effects from strong meds. What did I have to lose? So, I went to the supermarket and found the Vicks. Six bucks! They must think they're the Harley Davidson of chest rubs! Right next to it was the store brand. I compared the active and inactive ingredients which were identiclal. Two bucks.
I started treatment when I got home and, in two days, the great toe nails changed from clam shell white to an amber yellow translucence with an oily sheen and stayed that way for a while, before my left great toenail began to lift away from the nail bed. "What have I done to myself?" I exclaimed. Next time I cut my nails, I freaked as this thick nail completely lifted off down to the cuticle. I had no choice, but to cut it off completely and it looked like I had completely lost the nail. But then I noticed there was a brand new nail which grew underneath the old one on the nail bed and was very thin and clear and healthy looking. It worked! It's been ten months, and, although the right great toe nail did not lift off, it also looks healthy again. It wasn't as bad in the first place.. I will continue to apply the salve as it really makes all my nails look a lot better. And, by changing the suppleness of your nails, it will prevent an ingrown nail.