How fucked was your day?

[allegate]

That's a possibility. he's a fast eater sometimes.

so far he's doing well. They called and said "you can come pick him up at 6:00" and they were still so busy that when my wife called at 6:30 and asked they said "oh yeah he's not ready yet, the vet needs to close out the report" and she waited for another hour.

He looks better, except for all the shaved fur. At least it'll grow back.

Going to look at pet insurance because they said it might be cat IBS in which case oh man.

[Archive_Reports]

That's a possibility. he's a fast eater sometimes.

so far he's doing well. They called and said "you can come pick him up at 6:00" and they were still so busy that when my wife called at 6:30 and asked they said "oh yeah he's not ready yet, the vet needs to close out the report" and she waited for another hour.

He looks better, except for all the shaved fur. At least it'll grow back.

Going to look at pet insurance because they said it might be cat IBS in which case oh man.

Our dog vomits / has diarrhea regularly if she eats the wrong thing and eventually got diagnosed with pancreatitis. We've had to be super-careful with making sure she doesn't get into any other animal waste or even people food.

[allegate]

we found out that the constant ear infections are probably from eating chicken so we had to get rid of a whole lot of cat food and promise to never give him chicken again.

[allegro]

Food allergy???

We had a cat with “possible cat IBS … or food allergies.”

We never did find out which one. She had some intestinal ultrasounds done that showed inflammation (thickening) and likely IBS but it didn’t rule out food allergies. Problem was, that meant we were SUPPOSED to give her “non traditional” foods like duck or venison. She hated it. So the cat was destined for diarrhea for the duration of her life.

[allegate]

yes, exactly that. "thickening that could be cancer or IBS or just the result of shitting and puking himself silly"

I may have editorialized a bit but that's the gist of the writeup.

[allegro]

Cancer, yes, that’s what we were constantly worried about; our vets told us there was no way to know if it was cancer without surgical biopsy, and we didn’t want to put our cat through that. But, untreated, IBS often leads to cancer. And they tell you that chemo to treat it isn’t really terrible as far as side effects, but they won’t give the cat chemo unless they know it’s cancer. And the biopsy is done via a colonoscopy, which involves starving the cat for like a few days and keeping her in a cage at the specialist clinic. The whole thing was gonna cost over 2 grand, but never mind that … just doing an ultrasound on her made her shit all over herself from fear and she had terrible anxiety for a few days after, and this was the sweetest and happiest cat around.

We opted to forego all that and just treat the cat holistically. She ultimately passed from chronic kidney disease, at 17, in 2018. We still miss her every day, a photo of her is the wallpaper on my iPad.

FWIW, this cat didn’t have a fully-formed stool for the 16 years that we had her. She constantly shit cow pies or had the runs. So we put her on higher fiber foods, also look for “sensitive stomach” and “limited ingredients.” Merrick is a good brand for this, if your cat likes it.

Vets sell IBS canned food but my cats HATED it.

Do you have a cat fountain? You can get one from Amazon, they require regular cleaning that’s not difficult, plus regular filter changes, but cats with IBS often get dehydrated, which might be why your guy was just lying there? Encouraging water consumption is primo.

Here’s the ones we use:

Cat Water Fountain Stainless... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SBXDMZQ...p_mob_ap_share

[allegate]

hmm...we do have a fountain but he also follows us into the bathroom and jumps up into the sink to paw at the faucet to get us to turn it on for him. And if there was standing water in the yard maybe he drank some and got a bug that way. hmm again.

Our first cat Rover died the same way in 2019 - also 17 - from kidney disease. Google likes to remind me of that every year with a "look back at this day" and it's a photo my wife took of me holding her on my lap while we're waiting for the vet to stop by to end her suffering. Thanks Google. Guaranteed tears every time.

[Jinsai]

Just booted up Facebook and found out a friend of mine has died. Hadn't seen him in a while, didn't know he was sick... fuck cancer.

[Erneuert]

Been having stomach pains for weeks and finally got a breath test done for Helicobacter pylori. Turned out a very strong positive result. Now on a very strong course of 3 types of antibiotics for it. Also need to check I don’t have any internal bleeding from it due to low iron levels.

On top of this I now have a massive head cold and feel like I’ve been hit in the head/throat with an anvil.

[ickyvicky]

Feel better @Erneuert !

[allegate]

My right leg has been bothering me for about two weeks. Just about the same way my left was when they found that blood clot that almost killed me. I shrugged it off for a little because A) I'm a guy b) I'm American and healthcare...yeesh. I finally call my doctor and he said that instead of going to see someone I should go straight to the ER because if the ultrasound is bad that's where I'm going to end up anyway.

So I go up there yesterday morning - no way was I going to spend my evening in the ER - and we eventually find out that it's another clot. at least it's not as big as the other one though? So I'm back on blood thinners. FML I guess.

At least I got a fun experience out of the whole thing. They called me back and the nurse took me to a small room. While waiting for it to be cleaned, we had some small talk and I got a good look at the room. It was very sparse, only had a bed and a bathroom and the bed was bolted to the floor. It looked like a plinth, almost? very strange. and then there was the TV: it was in a box and behind a glass/plastic shield so you couldn't touch it. No call buttons, nothing. The nurse's instruction to me was "here (hands me greens and socks) take everything off - even your underwear - and put it in this bag. we'll take that and your other bag and lock it all up for you." Which I was like...for an ultrasound this sounds extreme but OK.

I get changed and he comes back in with his computer to check me in. He decided the TV was too loud and had to go get the remote to turn it off. (side note, he went through three of them before I left the room) While he's doing that a doctor comes in with his own nurse and computer and says the usual hi how're you doing etc. Then he gets down to brass tacks and says to me, "So I hear you're depressed" and a whole lot of things suddenly made sense. I laughed at him and said, "no, I'm sorry but you're in the wrong room." He asked me if I was firstnamehere and I said yes. He asked if I was firstname lastname and I said no, that's not me. so they looked and then he got a little upset at the first nurse because he didn't bother to make sure he grabbed the right person.

Long story short - literally, because he told me as much - because of this I made it through the ER a lot faster than I would have otherwise. That doc decided to take over and ordered the test and everything for me.

And another thing: the person who did the ultrasound turned out to be a kook who told me I should start hoarding medicine because it was going to get more and more expensive and that Russia was where it was at. But then also proceeded to talk bad about the Russian medicine system? I don't know, I was doing a lot of smiling and nodding during the long as hell walk back to the waiting room.

When the doctor told me the results he also told me about how he keeps his legs from cramping on bike rides by carrying a single-serve packet of grey poupon in his jersey and he will suck on that when his legs get tired. (Side note: when the nurse called me back for this I asked "which one" and she didn't know, had to check the computer. WTF?)

I honestly just wanted to talk to one person in the hospital who actually practiced medicine, that would have been great.

But I do have this to think about, imagining that doctor in the middle of nowhere:

[shade]

Haha sounds like an entertaining day while being a fucked one at least. Good thing they didn't lock you up in psych ward.
Feel better!

Good you went. Funny how we end up talking blood clots. I had one too last year, left leg. But female, so they at least considered it. Same shit, also took them forever to figure it out, also got send from GP to hospital ER incapable doc #1 to incapable doc #2, and if it makes you feel any better, this was European and not American healthcare.

With you scoring twice now, have you thought about genetic testing? Sounds a lot like you have factor v mutation or something similar. Idk about the US, but with a history like yours you'd probably get tested for free here.

[Erneuert]

@allegate That’s at the very least worthy of turning into a short story for the local paper. Especially that kook talking about Russian meds. In any case, glad you caught it early.

[allegate]

thanks. it's much smaller this time so the drugs should help my body take care of it shortly.

Haha sounds like an entertaining day while being a fucked one at least. Good thing they didn't lock you up in psych ward.
Feel better!

Good you went. Funny how we end up talking blood clots. I had one too last year, left leg. But female, so they at least considered it. Same shit, also took them forever to figure it out, also got send from GP to hospital ER incapable doc #1 to incapable doc #2, and if it makes you feel any better, this was European and not American healthcare.

With you scoring twice now, have you thought about genetic testing? Sounds a lot like you have factor v mutation or something similar. Idk about the US, but with a history like yours you'd probably get tested for free here.

At the time of the first one the clot had been in my leg for ~17 years and was so big - my entire leg - that parts of it were breaking off and giving me a saddle pulmonary embolisms. That's to say they caught that one, the others I thought were pneumonia because of the coughing and the dark spots under x-ray. It wasn't until my leg actually swelled up that my GP said "let's see what's going on there" and I got the scan. I wasn't even finished wiping the goop off my leg from the ultrasound when they held the phone up to my ear and he said "you need to get to the ER."

But you mention the testing. Considering the size of the one they sent me to an oncologist who did the blood work (I have not had 18 vials of blood taken in one go before and I do not recommend it) and I am not prone to them. That said, I do have another one so, huh. The first one at least I knew what happened: I had a 3rd degree sprain of my ankle and the ER I went to just gave me a splint and my leg swelled up from it. This one? No idea.

[Erneuert]

The more I live, the more I relate to this video. I am also the kinda guy that just needs to be in a fuckin coma.

[ickyvicky]

Interesting story - but glad you made it out okay!

How the hell does grey poupon help muscle cramps though? lmao

[Erneuert]

Interesting story - but glad you made it out okay!

How the hell does grey poupon help muscle cramps though? lmao

This is the first time I’ve ever heard of it. Why is it called grey when it isn’t grey?

[ickyvicky]

Okay, ya'll got me Googlin' now, lol

"It turns out that Grey Poupon Dijon mustard is derived from the founders of the mustard empire. Grey provided the recipe, and Poupon financed the venture."

"The body uses acetic acid to produce acetylcholine, which is essential for leg muscle contractions. This is why mustard is effective for leg cramp relief. Mustard contains acetic acid. Yellow Mustard is the only kind of mustard documented to relieve nighttime leg cramps."

[sweeterthan]

Okay, ya'll got me Googlin' now, lol

"It turns out that Grey Poupon Dijon mustard is derived from the founders of the mustard empire. Grey provided the recipe, and Poupon financed the venture."

"The body uses acetic acid to produce acetylcholine, which is essential for leg muscle contractions. This is why mustard is effective for leg cramp relief. Mustard contains acetic acid. Yellow Mustard is the only kind of mustard documented to relieve nighttime leg cramps."

ya learn something new everyday! usually i just drink more water if i get a leg cramp.

allegate, i hope you feel better asap


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[allegate]

Okay, ya'll got me Googlin' now, lol

"It turns out that Grey Poupon Dijon mustard is derived from the founders of the mustard empire. Grey provided the recipe, and Poupon financed the venture."

"The body uses acetic acid to produce acetylcholine, which is essential for leg muscle contractions. This is why mustard is effective for leg cramp relief. Mustard contains acetic acid. Yellow Mustard is the only kind of mustard documented to relieve nighttime leg cramps."

I'll be damned, he was right. He even said "I don't know why it works" but now I do. I didn't even think to Google it because what the hell, right?

Thanks!

@sweeterthan I actually do feel better, and as I told my boss today if I had waited a couple more days I wouldn't have bothered because my leg stopped hurting. And if your leg doesn't hurt you don't go in for a $35 copay visit for someone to say "I don't know why your leg was hurting".

bonus: he said "what if they didn't believe you that you weren't the mental patient and held you there" and thanks Dan now I have something else to worry about.

ya learn something new everyday! usually i just drink more water if i get a leg cramp.

one of the medical reports I read about cramping said that not only is water not effective, neither are bananas or supplements that you always hear about like potassium and...I forget the other. That thing really took me for a loop because finding out nothing that you've been told for 40-odd years is true? wow.

[ickyvicky]

I would always get charley horses, so I try to eat a banana everyday. I'll try mustard now! Thanks, Doc! lol

[Magnetic]

Fascinating. When I got leg cramps I reached for sugar-free sports drink that had potassium, which seemed to help. When I was running in my 20s, I developed a tolerance for yogurt - normally I can't stomach the flavor to choke it down. Now that I'm not running anymore....can't deal with yogurt.

[shade]

I think with today's diet we're all lacking one or another thing. Especially when not eating fairly healthy.
Bananas and mustard seem to be a wiser choice compared to the uncontrolled supplements market that has had a big comeback. It's crazy what people throw down their throats on a daily basis with almost zero regulation.
I have leg cramps almost daily and take potassium, it got a bit better. But I also hydrate way too little and work out a lot, so I'm not really surprised my muscles are whining all the time.

[sweeterthan]

i’ve been dealing with eye lid problems for a few years now and i agree that modern medicine is lacking. yes, at some point i was taking too many supplements, trying anything that might work. i’ve only had one doctor suggest diet changes. she was filling in for my doctor and suggested i try going gluten free. from there it was a bit of journey. now i’m gluten and dairy free which fucking blows to be honest but it’s helped a ton. i had a lot of hair loss and it started growing back after these diet changes. i found a dermatologist podcast and that guy suggested adding more veggies into your diet. i’m not anti veggie but he said to eat 6-7 a day and make sure they’re green. i’m having really good results as long as i don’t cheat with sugar. some days are better than others. i tell myself that not eating things like cheese and candy is helping my body and it’s worth fighting those cravings.

this a long tmi post to say yes, so many of our problems can be treated with diet. i’ve seen a bunch of doctors and only one of them suggested diet changes. it doesn’t happen over night either, it’s gotta be lasting change in order to help.

[shade]

It's my mantra.
There's a pill or supplement for everything today. Got high blood pressure? Take a pill. Got type 2 diabetes? Here's a pill. Got chronic back pain? Here's a pill. Got arthritis? Here's a pill. Depressed? Here's your pill.
Oh, and here's your side effects. Take them all together? Here's your interactions. Have fun.

I'm not some homeopathic-go-vegan-shaman-ritual-medicine-anti-vax-naturopath-oil-sniffing-lunatic. I pay my bills by the above.

But from personal experience, and friends that went the same way, I can say: exercise, nutrition and generally taking good care of yourself goes a long way and for many conditions works better than modern medicine - take mental health and lifestyle diseases.

[fillow]

Had an accident while cycling today... Was exploring some path I never rode before and caught a thick branch with a handle. Thankfully no body part is broken as I landed on my side. Bike suffered a broken front reflector. Elbow hurts. First fall in two or three years.
Also stumbled onto some roadwork on the way back and had to take huge detour.

[shade]

Mountainbiking?
Ouch, feel better. You'll probably feel it full force tomorrow.

[Jinsai]

just a random observation, but it's really weird how a decent mustard brand has become this famously avoided thing, because of an advertising campaign in the 80s where it became ubiquitous with being a piece of shit snob.

Because Grey Poupon is good, and it's not like it's even expensive or fancy really. Worst advertising campaign of all time.

[allegro]

this a long tmi post to say yes, so many of our problems can be treated with diet. i’ve seen a bunch of doctors and only one of them suggested diet changes. it doesn’t happen over night either, it’s gotta be lasting change in order to help.

Totally. Although, if I had to totally give up cheese, I’d want to kill myself.

It’s amazing how docs don’t promote proper nutrition via diet (vs. supplements). Also, nearly all of us don’t get enough vitamin D.

My uncle used to drink tonic water for leg cramps because of quinine.

This says that doesn’t work, but drink water.


Meanwhile, this is day two of being pretty dizzy. Like, lightheaded. Like, I feel if I move too quickly I’ll fall on my ass and get hurt. This has never happened to me. I don’t know WTF is going on. I had to drive to Mom’s yesterday to supervise an electrician while G was at our place supervising construction, and driving was kind of scary. I had to go up to the supermarket for my Mom, and it was pretty difficult. I took a Dramamine today and it helped some, but not totally. I guess I will have too see my doc if this isn’t improved by tomorrow.

Last week, I had to see my eye doctor. I got a bunch of abrasions on my left cornea, evidently because I was in the construction area in my house, dust debris was flying around, some must have gone into my eye, then I RUBBED MY EYE. Steroid / antibiotic drops for two weeks.

[allegate]

@allegro, I saw some stuff about that quinine and almost all of it was a forcible "NO". I'm still drinking a lot of water and Gatorade and taking magnesium and potassium supplements. I even take Soma once I get home from work and again before bed for the muscle relaxant. I still get cramps but it's once or twice a week instead of 3-4 times a night.

I need to eat a lot more veggies. I get my daily recommended of course but I really want to try to get further into it. When my son was younger we would have a 'finger food night' where we'd cut up a lot of veggies and eat that and watch a movie or something so he loves veggies - except for peas but he likes snap peas(?!?) - but still. It would be nice to have even more veggies.

dizzy sucks, especially while driving. Hope you figure that out.

also RE eye balls: I was listening to this podcast and the guy said he got a sunburn on his eyeballs because of the sun reflecting off the water. weird stuff.