Since I can't really find anything on the space news sites I visit regularly, I'm going to bore you with some stuff about ME. It might border on TMI, not really related to anything space-related - just stuff I've been going through. As I usually say, if that doesn't sound interesting, check back tomorrow or Monday.
About a month ago, I did a story about an upcoming surgery that was going to be the next day. The surgery was to repair an umbilical hernia - belly button area, not the "crotch busters" people associate with hernias that guys get. I see my next post was the 13th, so I only missed the day of surgery. A week later I thought I was completely done, although my post-surgical visit was set for the 25th. I had switched from prescription pain pills to over-the-counter Extra Strength Tylenol because it worked better and was taking less of it after that. By the end of the 8th day I was doubled over with a different thing: an insanely itchy area not pain.
I did a followup post full of the TMI about that on Sunday, June 22nd.
Thankfully that's almost completely gone. On my followup with one of the Surgeon's PAs, he recommended a couple of old, low-tech fixes: benadryl antihistamine pills every four hours, calamine/benadryl lotion topically. The important part was that he also told me I was discharged, go return to life as usual - carefully. Just start out with less than you used to do and build back to it. I've noticed the absence of pain I used to get if I accidentally tensed my stomach muscles too much, even yawning and stretching in the middle of the night. That used to hurt until almost noon on most days but sometimes would go hours longer.
The rash has been gone at least a full week, if not more. The surgery had microrobotic aspects, so they cut three holes in my abdomen to put those tools in, and the way they close those is stitches under the skin, but close the skin with glue. I still have one or two of those suddenly get itchy for a while, but it's also getting less intense when it happens and today has been an easy day.
It's hard to say what percent of "back to normal" I've made it to. Certain things are getting back to normal, others aren't. I haven't ridden my bike yet, but it's on the workstand so I can tweak the shifter because the rear derailleur feels "off center." At 60 to 90 minutes a few times a week, it's not a big time percentage, it just feels more important.
And for no particular reason:
For those who aren't familiar, Dr. Shawn Baker is an MD who has adopted and advocated for the carnivore diet. Very good videos on YouTube, usually under 10 minutes - or at least the ones I've watched. One of the things I couldn't help but notice in the inescapable long waiting periods in the hospital is how the vast majority of the staff are built more like this make believe toy than someone like Dr. Baker.
Glad to hear that you are doing better. Give it another month and you should be able to do things pain free without having to think about it first.
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I saw a nurse recently say that she knew about eating healthy, exercising, etc and why to do it - but didn't do it.
ReplyDeleteShe admitted that she couldn't be bothered to do it
Jonathan
My old allergist said 4 Benadryl every 4 hours for the mega-itchies from medications and surgeries was the way to go. But fair warning, 4 will knock the uninitiated out, as the mental not-prison by reason of insanity I worked at also used, legally, Benadryl to help 'slow' the residents who weren't criminals by reason of insanity.
ReplyDeleteWhat to look out for when taking antibiotics or pain killers is little red dots on your skin that are itchy, as that signifies you have some sensitivity or an outright allergy to one or more of the meds.
As to the shape of hospital staff, well, after the wife's last round of surgery, I noticed all the nurses in the surgical area were way above my likeness level and I like chunky women. Positively rotund a lot of them are. Almost meeting the 19th Century image of a sexy Ottoman harem girl, but usually without the mustache. (no, not kidding, fat and ugly with a 'stache' was the height of beauty from 16th to early 20th Century in the Ottoman Empire, not skinny belly-dancer type women like in 'Alladin'.)
I understood their preference was for goats instead!
Delete"What to look out for when taking antibiotics or pain killers is little red dots on your skin that are itchy, as that signifies you have some sensitivity or an outright allergy to one or more of the meds."
DeleteThe thousand little red dots thing is what I had but only in about the area where they scrubbed me with something before surgery, so it was the topical antibiotic or skin scrubber - something like that. The PA said what the chemical was, but right now that word is gone.
One of the PITAs of the hospital visits (6/2 and 6/12) was they had done some massive change of software they use to manage everything and Monday (6/2) was the first day. It turned the 2 minute check-in into an hour. 10 days later the place was much better, but the hour plus wait came from a mistake they made in my file on the first visit. Because of that I sat around in the lobby and saw dozens of people in their color coded uniforms go into the building for their shift. The handful of women I actually talked with weren't too inflated.
again I'd like to state the obvious: I'm not a physician.
ReplyDeleteas people (ahem!) mature, they may find themselves in need of more extensive and, unfortunately, more urgent medical care (ask me how I know).
it may be worth your while to request of your GP that he recommend a physician who would conduct a series of tests to determine your sensitivity to certain materials typically employed in urgent medical care situations.
OTOH, it probably was nothing more than "heat/sweat rash"
As I've been a patient of a handful of allergists from 1975 until a year ago, I'm familiar with the process and I'm sure I could go back to the allergist who said, "no need for these annual check-ins" with a quick phone call. The question is how exotic the stuff is and if they're set up to test it.
DeleteWhile it looked like a heat rash, we do keep the whole house air conditioner on, and the exact temperature I'm exposed to depends on the room. Over 80 inside the house is unusual. OTOH, I'm sure my skin is exposed to over 80 every time I'm outdoors - that's the overnight low this time of year. Being wrapped in an elastic pressure belt makes that skin hotter, but it was in a small area, maybe 10 inches on a side. Some of the pink is still visible on the skin that was under their clear plastic bandage over the umbilicus.
I never got the red bumps there. The rash was everywhere except under that clear plastic.
Let me edit that last sentence use of "everywhere" - not my entire body, just the "10 inches on a side" area that was originally under the elastic belt. Which I stopped using when the rash started.
DeleteI'm happy to hear you're well on-the-mend. I open your column before my morning kawphy is ready.
DeleteBTW: I'm one of those (at least in the past) who doesn't even respond to poison ivy; nor is my son, whereas others walking through the same patch come down cap-a-pie
Glad you are on the mend.
ReplyDeleteOn the positive space side, how about the 500th Falcon 9 flight? 500 per SpaceX, Wikipedia say just over 500 and I remember you have mentioned various milestones / anniversaries and maybe you already mentioned this one. SpaceX plans about 170 Falcon 9 flights in 2025. If they plan on doing anything Mars, they will have to up that count significantly given problems with Starship. https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1944290066328670264
In more mundane news, nasa is pondering if maybe the next Starliner mission should be cargo only. nasa has been pondering this for 9 months since the last mission. https://spacenews.com/nasa-considering-flying-only-cargo-on-next-starliner-mission/
Glad you are on the mend as well, SiG.
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