I hate getting old, and it worries me if SHTF that I won't be up to it

[Gaucho Gringo]

I have every variety of arthritis known to man except rheumatoid arthritis. If SHTF I will just stay behind and be the sacrificial rear guard hopefully allowing my family time to escape.

 

[DeanMk]

Screwed up my back again today and my knee started acting up.

I was unloading firewood, splitting and stacking it.

Just got to give my back some rest now - but it is hard to get things done (much less try to get in shape) when this happens.

Like I told ya' before, lay on the floor, man.

 

[Colts4me]

Like I told ya' before, lay on the floor, man.

And practice shooting prone

 

[Pandaz3]

Like I told ya' before, lay on the floor, man.

If one does that, how do they get back up?

 

[Mistman]

Old guys get old man's but-t, you lose weight in your backside and it's a fight to just keep your pants up much less taking on the apocalypse.

Yup, Hank Hill called it DGS, Diminished Gluteus Syndrome, runs in my family too. Some of the weight I've lost over the years has definitely come from my posterior, so far belts are working fine. I'm wearing the same size pants that I did when I was 18, I weigh the same too, 6' 3" almost 190 lbs or a little over depending on the day and number of ice cream cartons in the freezer.

 

[The Heretic]

Wound up in the ER yesterday.

Had weird stuff going on in my left eye and had a headache.

The weird stuff was I could not read text in some or much of my eye. It was kind of like a migraine aura that I get sometimes, but this was more like looking thru frosted glass than looking thru a kaleidoscope (had that before, not the frost glass). I also have PVD in my left eye.

This happened more often when I stood up after sitting for a while, and also a number of times all of my vision seemed to darken just a little (maybe imagined that).

So I took off from work early to go home and figured I would stop at an 'immediate care' clinic on my way home to get checked out.

Long story short, they sent me to the ER to be safe.

Spent several hours in ER getting checked out to make sure it wasn't a stroke or some other thing I couldn't pronounce much less spell.

Apparently it was just a new variation on migraine auras.

Getting old sucks.

Now I got my copay for the ER to look forward to.

 

[Pandaz3]

My co-pay was going up "a little" from $12 to $28. Not as much as many for the end amount, but still a 133% increase'

 

[Medic!]

There are many people alive today that would be dead 20-30 years ago.
The more medical science advances. The less we need to follow the basic rules on eating and exercise.

Isn't it comforting to know were dyeing longer.

 

[Mistman]

Re: Chronic Headaches

A few weeks ago my 30's something daughter in law had a stroke. We were at a birthday party, she was suffering from a headache which have been plaguing her of late but she put on a good face for the family. Later that night our son took her to the ER. She was treated for a migraine and released. A couple days later she had a stoke at home. Apparently an artery had a tear in it at the top of her spine (headaches) and finally let go. She lost some mobility in her left side, has blurred/double vision and is a bit addled but is recovering relatively quickly. She's an OT and is currently on disability, they have 4 and 6 yo girls. Prognoses is good for full recovery but will take some time.

Anecdotally my mother has a stroke at 60, 12 years ago (since passed), she was rushed to the ER, administered tPA and the next day returned home w/no lasting affects of the stroke. tPA must be administered within a couple hours of the stroke in order to work. She had weak vessels and had previously had a shunt put in her brain to eliminate an aneurysm. What was odd was about 2 weeks later her and her husband (step-father) were watching TV and she noticed his face was slumping on one side and he wasn't acting right. She called an ambulance, same deal as with her, ER, tPA and home the next day good as he ever was.

Somehow Channel 2 news got a hold of the story and interviewed them at their home a couple weeks after his stroke to emphasize the importance of getting treated immediately if experiencing stroke symptoms. If not treated with tPA within hours of the stroke the affects will most likely be permanent. I can't imagine how it would have been had neither of them gotten treated. My godfather had a stroke late in life and basically slowly died after that, never could walk or talk right again.

 

[CoastRange57]

Wound up in the ER yesterday.

Had weird stuff going on in my left eye and had a headache.

The weird stuff was I could not read text in some or much of my eye. It was kind of like a migraine aura that I get sometimes, but this was more like looking thru frosted glass than looking thru a kaleidoscope (had that before, not the frost glass). I also have PVD in my left eye.

This happened more often when I stood up after sitting for a while, and also a number of times all of my vision seemed to darken just a little (maybe imagined that).

So I took off from work early to go home and figured I would stop at an 'immediate care' clinic on my way home to get checked out.

Long story short, they sent me to the ER to be safe.

Spent several hours in ER getting checked out to make sure it wasn't a stroke or some other thing I couldn't pronounce much less spell.

Apparently it was just a new variation on migraine auras.

Getting old sucks.

Now I got my copay for the ER to look forward to.

Ocular migraines. More of a vision thing than a headache. I get them weekly this time of the year. The kalidiscope effect, slight pain on the opposite side of the ocular defects. Usually passes in about 20 minutes. the Dr's told me that dehydration is a cause,and I have noticed that certain times of the year due to the angle of the sun, I get reflections into my eye this time if the year and in the fall. Generally don't get them in the dead of winter or in the summer.

Scary but not a huge thing. I make sure I wear sun glasses in the sun. Try to avoid certain types of lights that seem to trigger it as well.

 

[The Heretic]

Ocular migraines. More of a vision thing than a headache. I get them weekly this time of the year. The kalidiscope effect, slight pain on the opposite side of the ocular defects. Usually passes in about 20 minutes. the Dr's told me that dehydration is a cause,and I have noticed that certain times of the year due to the angle of the sun, I get reflections into my eye this time if the year and in the fall. Generally don't get them in the dead of winter or in the summer.

Scary but not a huge thing. I make sure I wear sun glasses in the sun. Try to avoid certain types of lights that seem to trigger it as well.

Now there is an interesting clue.

First, I suffer from SAD. I need blue skies to feel "up". This isn't a big issue, but I am noticeably low energy in the winter in the PNW and I also feel 'down'.

Second, I am light sensitive in a number of ways; the SAD issue, and I need to wear sunglasses in bright light. I also get very sleepy when the sun goes down and when the sun comes up I am ready to go - very much a morning person. I love the long sunny days of summer. I also have problems sleeping in the winter.

So, I think it was someone here who suggested I get a Phillips blue light to help with SAD and sleeping.

At first I followed the directions that said if I was a morning person to use the blue light in the afternoon, but I found that threw off my sleep patterns and I was still low energy in the afternoon.

Then I read that a person is more receptive to the blue light in the morning, so when I got into work every morning I turn it on, brightest setting for about 30 minutes.

Friday I had left it on for about 90 minutes - not on purpose - but it wasn't too long after that that I noticed my eye problems.

So, apparently there is some thought that blue light, especially too much of it, can make migraines worse - not sure if it can actually bring on a migraine or not.

Maybe I will get a timer for the light.

 

[CoastRange57]

I have had issues with SAD as well. This fall and winter I had my sunlight lamp on in my office when I go out there about 8 am. I turn it on, it is behind me, aim it up towards the ceiling. I was very regular with that this year, I am working on a project that keeps me at the work station 6 hours a day. I usually have the light on all that time. The right wave lengths do the trick.

I felt better this winter than I have in a long time. I am not a fan of our dark winters at all. The gloom of winter in Western Oregon does not help either. I have been going to our property in Central Oregon at least once a month since last year and I enjoy the sunshine there. We are going twice a month for the next foreseeable future. Our new house will be facing east, on the top of a nice hill and will catch the morning sun and is isolated enough I will not have to pull the drapes.

My work in the golf and construction business had me leaving the house or hotel at 4:30 or 5 am every day, sometimes earlier. Not bad in the spring and summer but winter blew big time. I am still an early riser and my best hours of work are in the morning. My brain is not every efficient after about 2:30 pm so I usually am out in the shop or in good weather outside after that. Exception to that is in hot weather when I flip that schedule, get my outside work done by heat time and the in the AC office after that.

My experiences with the ocular migraine shows me they are triggered by reflected light mostly, a flash off a car or other shiny object, some times annoying repetitive patterns on wall paper have done it, sometimes some the new LED lights on vehicles has done it to. When the sun gets higher in the sky, the angle seems to change and it does not bother me too much. Still pretty weird.

 

[IOM]

 

[CoastRange57]

If one does that, how do they get back up?

Has to be an electric one with the switch close by.

 

[The Heretic]

I had another wake up call.

Opthamologist now says it wasn't a migraine. That my high BP has caused damage to my eye. Not sure if it is permanent or not yet, but it can be if I don't so something about the high BP.

Seeing a doc Monday for treatment/etc.

 

[Gator Monroe]

I did two miles over uneven terrain in uniform with side arm , Rifle , ammo for both , LBE gear and assault pack with MREs and water for 2 days + in under 30 mins 5 years ago at 53 ( Qualifying Infantry ) I don't think I could do it today at 58 , but if our training ramped up to full time in two weeks I could do it for sure .( Not with my level 4 Body armor like the younger guys though

 

[Colts4me]

I had another wake up call.

Opthamologist now says it wasn't a migraine. That my high BP has caused damage to my eye. Not sure if it is permanent or not yet, but it can be if I don't so something about the high BP.

Seeing a doc Monday for treatment/etc.

I am not a doctor that knows anything about high blood pressure but by reading your post I am sure it's all Trumps fault. With all your physical problems I suggest you quit worrying about staying alive and spend more time having fun. This constant doom and gloom is building stress that kills.

 

[Colts4me]

I did two miles over uneven terrain in uniform with side arm , Rifle , ammo for both , LBE gear and assault pack with MREs and water for 2 days + in under 30 mins 5 years ago at 53 ( Qualifying Infantry ) I don't think I could do it today at 58 , but if our training ramped up to full time in two weeks I could do it for sure .( Not with my level 4 Body armor like the younger guys though

When youth leaves may wisdom take over.

 

[The Heretic]

I am not a doctor that knows anything about high blood pressure but by reading your post I am sure it's all Trumps fault. With all your physical problems I suggest you quit worrying about staying alive and spend more time having fun. This constant doom and gloom is building stress that kills.

But being a cynic is fun!

 

[Colts4me]

But being a cynic is fun!

Ya but that high blood pressure is going to make you give up so much in life. Going for a 2 mile dog walk now, time to give the pooch some exercise.