OneFinger

3 hours ago, Luv2play said:

...I don't know where you contracted the disease and maybe you don't either but I hope you get the treatment you require. All the best.

A week ago Friday I spent 6 hours in the ER after falling & hitting my head. I suspect I contracted it from the ER. FYI, I had both shots in Oregon before moving to Utah. My current condition is bad enough. I can believe how much worse it could be without being vaccinated.

On 9/20/2021 at 9:15 PM, bigjoey said:

Moving into a senior facility is often not a matter of choice but physical necessity...

...There are good and bad facilities.  The good ones are great places to live with caring staff and can let people have a better quality of life than struggling in isolation in their own home.

My father lived in a continuum of care facility that ranged from independent living to assisted living to skilled nursing to “memory care.”  A resident got as much services as they wanted and needed...

I've rather absent from this site. That's because I was moving to an assisted in my home state (Utah). For me  it was difficult move both physically and emotionally. Have finally sold my Oregon condo and am  in Utah to stay.

This was a move of necessity. I found a great place where they provide all meals, housekeeping, laundry, etc. Last Monday I was diagnosed with Covid. My current condition is beyond the ability for me and my family to handle. Thank goodness I'm in a place like this.

@OneFinger I can’t across this thread again. How are you doing? Do you feel ok while flying?

@FreshFluff, thanks so much for checking in to see how things are going. Due to Covid-19 virus, my last trip was in early March. No problems at all went fine except shortness of breath. The next trip will be mid-September. I really don’t these medical problems are related to air travel.

For almost 2 years now I’ve been dealing with these symptoms. My PCP, neurologist, and oncologist can tell me what it is not but not what it is. So far, they have ruled out diabetes, MS, MD (my sister died of IBM which is in the MD family), scleroderma, and a host of other diseases.

A year ago, I was diagnosed with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM). This is a form of blood cancer that attacks the platelets. I found a FB group for people with SMM and it’s been a very helpful with a wealth of info. The format is very similar to this site.

About 6 months ago a woman in the Netherlands posted her problems with leg weakness / soreness, extreme fatigue, and loss of balance. She said her Dr told her it was unrelated to SMM (same response I got). I saw her message about 4 hours after her initial post. She had over 100 responses from all over the world during those 4 hours. All but about 6 people had similar symptoms.

The other interesting info was that the problems seem to come and go without warning. Mine has only improved by 25% and I’m currently in one of my worst bad periods. Very limited mobility and I get winded / sweating just taking out the garbage (less than 50 years away).

Thanks so much for this update. I was thinking of venturing out this weekend and your post is very helpful.

It's just a traffic issue or an occasional gesture. For me it's a life.

Those of us who are older remember when being gay was considered a mental disorder. It was a horrible time in the medical world when all types of doctors were telling us (and our families) that we could be "cured". According to the article:

Richard C. Friedman was a psychiatrist whose groundbreaking 1988 book, “Male Homosexuality: A Contemporary Psychoanalytic Perspective,” showed that homosexuality was largely biological, rather than a perversion that needed to be cured...

Friedman built his work on scientific study of LGBTQ people, using studies of identical twins to investigate sexual orientation as a biological phenomenon. His conclusion was supported by the American Psychiatric Association, which had stopped referring to homosexuality as a disorder more than a decade before Friedman’s study. But in everyday practice, many psychiatrists still held the Freudian view that homosexuality was a pathology. Friedman’s book changed the world for the LGBTQ community, leading to a sea change in the way psychiatrists worked with their LGBTQ patients.

https://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/richard-c-friedman-1941-2020-doctor-who-showed-homosexuality-was-biological/

RIP Dr. Friedman. Your research, analysis and writing has changed so many lives.

Is that his cock poking out from the bottom of his swim suit????

I was diagnosed last August with cancer and I do not yet qualify for treatment. The standard care for my type of cancer is to take blood test every 3 months until I do qualify for treatment. I "should" have had blood drawn in March. But, I didn't go to the lab for blood draw due to the "shelter in place" order where I live.

Got a call on Friday from my oncologist. He set up an appointment for me to go to his office for the blood draw. He emphasized that only me and lab tech would be in his office (no other patients). He also said that all rooms used are thoroughly sanitized after each patient.

We then set up a phone visit (2 days after the blood draw) to review the results. I think this is a perfect way to deal with this cancer issue. Also have a telecon with my PCC the same day for Rx renewals.

Saw him perform in person in La Cage... in San Diego. At the end of the first act he dropped his pants exposing his sweet & very bare ass. That's was one of high lights of my life and I couldn't believe how great he looked in his '40s.

Unless she said 'Corona' or 'COVID' specifically, I remain unimpressed.

I certainly don't disagree with you. Just found it an interesting tidbit that may or may not be true. Have seen

Slivia Browne in person multiple times thru the years. Not really impressed or trust her. But, it is an entertaining evening.

A book titled End of Days: Predictions and Prophecies about the End of the World, written by Sylvia Browne – YES – THAT Sylvia Browne, the TV psychic, apparently predicted the global outbreak of coronavirus. The book was first published in 2008!

https://omg.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/coronavirus_prediction_in_book-770x433-1.jpeg

Glad this was finally resolved. IMHO, he got exactly what he deserved.

https://www.towleroad.com/2020/01/atlanta-stripper-gets-life-for-murdering-secret-boyfriend-stuffing-body-in-closet/

Fortunately, the knee is fine other than some issue that appeared to be old. I’m relieved. When my knee hit the ground, I thought it might be fractured.

 

Thanks for the kind thoughts, everyone

So glad it wasn't worse. It's a b***h when you start to get old - and I suspect you're younger than me. I'm an old fart.

Glad you spoke to your doctor, @OneFinger. Was this a GP or specialist? In any case, keep us posted.

This was a specialist.

...If this happens again, especially after a flight, I would get this evaluated very promptly, at the very least with a D-dimer... Did you ask him if you'd be tested for genetic problems such as the ones I mentioned previously, by the way?

Have not heard of D-dimer before. Will check into this. My Dr did test for genetic problems and there were none.

One thing I would add to all this if this is a full pressurized cabin then the data here is accurate and as little as an hour is enough time to develop a clot in the leg if you do not get up and move. If you are on a plane that is not maximally pressurized, the risk is even greater, I did not see if you are flying commercial or if you are flying in a private non jet but the SOB and the history of PE strongly suggests taking every precaution every time you fly...

Always fly commercial now. Last private jet flights ended in 1998. My first PE were after a commercial flight of 90 minutes. So, I'm a

always cautious when flying - wear compression socks and often get up to walk the aisle.

I'm glad you had no trouble this time. It's probably safest to assume, however, that you did have PE's those other times. Your symptoms are classic, and you have a history of documented PE's. If you went on a longer flight without proper protection, it could be a big problem. I just want to make sure that I have my story straight, in that all of the times you had the thigh and chest pain with difficulty breathing, you were on Xarelto, and you never had any problems when you had an INR of over 2 on warfarin...

Went my Dr today. He felt the chest pain was NOT PE since it is not ong-going. Told me to keep track of chest pain / traveling. Since I'm already on blood thinners, he felt PE was not likely. But, I'm going to keep track and followup if it continues near flight times.

I'm glad you had no trouble this time. It's probably safest to assume, however, that you did have PE's those other times. Your symptoms are classic, and you have a history of documented PE's. If you went on a longer flight without proper protection, it could be a big problem. I just want to make sure that I have my story straight, in that all of the times you had the thigh and chest pain with difficulty breathing, you were on Xarelto, and you never had any problems when you had an INR of over 2 on warfarin...

Went my Dr today. He felt the chest pain was NOT PE since it is not ong-going. Told me to keep track of chest pain / traveling. Since I'm already on blood thinners, he felt PE was not likely. But, I'm going to keep track and followup if it continues near flight times.

Flew back to Portland without any problem or muscle pain. Have appointments in January with my multiple doctors. Will discuss with them my pains / weakness after flying. Very curious that I didn't have those problems on my last flights.

Well, that certainly causes additional warning bells. Most certainly, I would not let the fact that the duration of the pain or location of the pain was different from your prior episode lead you to believe that these are not new DVT's/PE's. The duration of the pain would depend on the size and number of clots thrown, and the location would depend on where in your lungs the clots were thrown. You don't mention what blood thinner you're on, but if it's not warfarin and you haven't been tested for genetic causes of increased clotting, the blood thinner probably won't protect you if your problem is from a genetic excessive clotting disorder (thrombophilia). You also didn't mention if there was a cause of your prior PE's...

You need to see your PCP and probable a hematologist. I agree with Unicorn: you probably ought to be on warfarin (coumadin) and possible a platelet inhibitor: aspirin or plavix

My previous PEs occurred when I flew to PDX from work in San Diego. Didn't know it happened but I felt pain in my back and shortness of breath as I walked home from the light rail station to home (about 1-1/2 miles which I had done several times before). But that Friday night I could barely make it up the hill to my condo and actually passed out at my front door. When I regained consciousnesses I crawled into bed and awoke with lots of aches and pains.

Didn't realize the seriousness of the situation and didn't seek medical care in PDX. Flew back to San Diego on Sunday. When I went to work on Monday, co-workers said I looked like shit and encouraged me to call the 24-hour nurse with our insurance company. I gave her the symptoms and flight data and asked if I should go to my Dr. She said, "No, don't go to your doctor and you should NOT go to an instacare facility. Go immediately to the ER because I think you've got blood clots in your lungs."

Went to ER and she was right. Was in hospital almost a week on heparin and then sent home with warfarin. But, we had trouble regulating warfarin. I did weekly tests and levels would stay between 2-3 for a couple of weeks. Without change in meds or diet, it would jump up to 7+. So off the meds until it dropped and the cycle started again.

After 2 years of the warfarin yo-yo, Dr put me on Pradaxa. I remained on that until about 6 months ago. Insurance raised my co-pay for 3-month supply from $125 to $600. Dr then switched me to Xarelto which remained at $125.

It just occurred to me, have you been tested for Factor 5 Leiden?

Not sure I've had testing for that. Will definately bring that up to the Dr. But in the past year there have been some genetic tests, MRIs, CTs, muscle biopsy and bone marrow biopsy.

Thanks again for your responses.

Groin to knee is likely related to the gracilis which can easily get hyper extended or painful if it remains tense (for instance, from poor car seat placement while driving). For me, the upper body issues are usually due to an arm rest hog or oversized seat mate...so, I generally fly first class to avoid that risk.

Looking into gracilis potential. Never heard of that before. But I did have a psoas abscess about 3 years ago that extended into my upper legs. However, that pain didn't involve arms or chest. As for airline seats, I've been flying 1st class exclusively for the past year.

Could just be a compressed nerve. I'd get into the habit of doing some stretches(cat-cow and the like) to decompress the spine a bit before/after flying.

I was thinking this too, particularly if it happens after you wake up. On or after the flight, you could be sleeping in a position that irritates the disc(s). Your doctor knows your history best, but you might want to ask for a lumbar and/or cervical MRI if you haven't had one recently.

Hadn't considered pinched nerve or disk issues. I did have a cervical / lumbar MRI in July and a PET scan in August. But, this could be disk or nerve-related. I'm confused that it only happens after a flight.

...But if your physician recommends PT and you can affortd it, I'd give it a try.

A year ago I started having weakness in my legs, loss of balance and was falling 2-3 times per week. In April my right foot became paralyzed and I now have a leg brace. Dr. recommended starting PT after the holidays.

Yikes. Kind of a short flight for that to happen, but you're describing what could easily be a pulmonary embolus (a blood clot which breaks off from one of the veins in your thigh and lands in your lungs)...

A short flight like that shouldn't cause those kinds of issues. I hope you aren't prone to blood clots. See what your doctor says.

Re the blood clots, I agree. Please get it checked out. Deep vein thrombosis is more common than you think.

About 7 years ago I got bilateral PEs from a DVT I didn't know I had. Have been on blood thinners since then. I immediately thought PE but pain in chest subsides in a couple of days. And, the pain from 7 years ago was in the back (shoulder-to-shoulder). Flying back to Portland on Friday. If this happens again, I definitely going to ER immediately.

I also bought a pulmonary oximeter to measure my oxygen levels during flight. If it drops, that could account for the symptoms, too.

Thanks so much for the swift and caring responses. I'm concerned with my health and you guys provided some thoughts and insights that are helpful.

I have a question for frequent fliers about post-flight medical issues. Every 3-6 weeks I fly between my home in Portland and my home in Utah. For the past 6 flights I've noticed that the next morning I wake up with leg pain (groin to knees), arms (elbow to shoulder), chest / back. I also have significant muscle weakness for several days. My most recent flight to Utah (19 Dec) resulted in chest / back / rib pain that made it difficult to take a deep breath.

I found Google searches that talk about leg-related pain after flying due to pressure changes during flight. Another site suggested it may be due to oxygen issues. Has anyone else experienced muscle pain or weakness after flying? Plan to talk with my Dr. when I return to PDX. I realize this may be a stretch but I can't identify any other cause for the pain / weakness.

Doggy... Style... ?

Woof, woof. And here I am at a sporting event without a harness, collar and leash for him.

After I told my parents I was gay, the relationship became very "cold". But things warmed up and stayed that way for the rest of their lives. Never had a problem with aunts, uncles or cousins.

Had a wonderful experience this June at Utah Pride. It happened I was in Utah that week and mentioned to my straight niece I was going. (She and her 2 boys share my Utah house with me.) Her immediate response was to ask if her family could go with me. So, we loaded up the car and headed down to Salt Lake City for the parade and festivities.

I was so excited to go to Pride with 3 generations of my family. FYI, my niece's oldest son (15 this month) told us in August he is bisexual. Not sure if Pride gave him the courage to come out to us. But I think that could have been a factor. He also told us he had his first boyfriend last school year and school staff / classmates knew. No one in the family blinked and for us, it's no big dealing. That's also the attitude / way it's handled in the school.

I've been on several Atlantis cruises. I think your assumption is correct that they may not be as welcoming as other cruises. Really more of a party cruise.

I've also gone on RSVP cruises. They cater to an older crowd but there also been some very cute younger guys onboard. I found the RSVP guys to be much more friendly and accepting than the Atlantis crowd. I'm really thinking of an RSVP cruise in 2020.

Patty Duke (when she was married to John Astin)

John Astin (my mother's cousin)

Sean Astin

FYI, Sean is going to be reviving his role as Rudy. He'll then morph into Colonel Sanders and become the new KFC spokesman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGP_nXJaLA0

I take a prescription blood thinner ...

Same situation as me. I think your actions are totally appropriate and confirms your concern for safe sex.