The Damn I'm Old Thread - Putting Up With Being a Geezer

[Duncan Glenday]

Write, not wright.

Feel free to hit the "Edit" button to change typos in a post

[Vic2012]

I'm still trying to find a reliable form of the devil's lettuce that works for me.

I don't think it belongs to the devil....lol.

It's not for everyone. It works for me. I smoke "flower." That's what the kids today call it. And man do I sound old.....

[Lopez]

I don't think it belongs to the devil....lol.

It's not for everyone. It works for me. I smoke "flower." That's what the kids today call it. And man do I sound old.....

I still call it "dope" as we did in college. Heck, my grandparents called it that - I guess that really makes me sound old and unhip. By the way, I prefer gummies; less irritation on the throat.

[moecurlythanu]

I did more reading and investigating on inflammation and pain relief. As I suspected, those topical ointments, sprays, and patches MASK the pain. They take away the pain and allow me to use whatever is hurting, but the underlying issue isn't really addressed. Inflammation can only be reduced by ingesting something like aspirin, Tylenol, or Ibuprofen, hot/cold treatment like ice packs, heating pads, or even just soaking in a tub or hot shower. A round of steroids can do it as well, though there are side effects to that I would rather avoid. So I'm going to take a hot bath tonight in a mix of Epsom crystals. Heating pad and ice packs are standing by. The PA I see for general health said being I have no stomach issues with Ibuprofen I could probably take 8 a day without worrying about internal damage. Getting old is a literal pain.

Turmeric is supposed to be effective combating inflammation, but it's probably better at prevention than treatment. As is often the case with supplements.

[spellbound]

The PA I see for general health said being I have no stomach issues with Ibuprofen I could probably take 8 a day without worrying about internal damage.

Careful with those. Internal damage isn't the only possibility. I had them overprescribed to me once, and now I can't take NSAIDs at all without a reaction. Tylenol has never done anything for me at all.

I can relate to wanting to cure the problem rather than masking the pain. At this point, I'd even settle for masking the pain. As no one will prescribe opioids anymore, even to responsible people, I just have to live with pain.

Good luck. Let me know if anything works.

[SteveSly]

I don't think it belongs to the devil....lol.

It's not for everyone. It works for me. I smoke "flower." That's what the kids today call it. And man do I sound old.....

Since it became legal in Michigan my wife uses gummies for when she has problems sleeping and it really works for her. I am more of an alcohol guy myself as I have had some bad experiences with pot, but it works for a lot of people.

[SteveSly]

Careful with those. Internal damage isn't the only possibility. I had them overprescribed to me once, and now I can't take NSAIDs at all without a reaction. Tylenol has never done anything for me at all.

I can relate to wanting to cure the problem rather than masking the pain. At this point, I'd even settle for masking the pain. As no one will prescribe opioids anymore, even to responsible people, I just have to live with pain.

Good luck. Let me know if anything works.

I have always found Tylenol to be pretty worthless unless taking it with an opioid which is what makes Percocet / Norco work so well as it is a mix of both drugs. With my knee surgeries over the past 4 years the doctor prescribed 5ML Oxycodone with 1000 ML Tylenol and it does work pretty well.

Regarding opioids, yes doctors are very stingy on them these days which sucks for people who have surgeries or real pain problems. If you ever get the chance to go to Mexico you can buy Norco & Tramadol over the counter and they are the higher doses. I stocked up when I was on Cruise To The Edge earlier this year.

[ronmac]

I still indulge and it helps me with my work, too.

[Vic2012]

Since it became legal in Michigan my wife uses gummies for when she has problems sleeping and it really works for her. I am more of an alcohol guy myself as I have had some bad experiences with pot, but it works for a lot of people.

There is a proposition on the ballot in Fla to legalize recreational use. Not sure I care either way. There are pros and cons, but we'll see. And that's enough politics. Carry on......

[Trane]

I still call it "dope" as we did in college. Heck, my grandparents called it that - I guess that really makes me sound old and unhip. By the way, I prefer gummies; less irritation on the throat.

I grew pout of it +/- 15 years ago, five years after I came to the NL, where it's been "legal" for decades

some of the local stuff puts me to sleep right, so quick that I can't enjoy the buzz. I preferred the exotic stuff (thai, jam, col, etc...), but it doesn't help sleep

Since it became legal in Michigan my wife uses gummies for when she has problems sleeping and it really works for her. I am more of an alcohol guy myself as I have had some bad experiences with pot, but it works for a lot of people.

has she tried melatonine?
It's a natural sleep hormone (no addiction) and aircrew use it all the time for jet lags

prescription free in Europe, however, if you're in a hurry in the morning, it might be hard to make it out of the fuzz (says my bro)

Never tried anything for sleep, because it comes quite easy for me (unless thinking of upsetting things before dozing off).
Sometimes, I don't even have time to push the book away after hitting the light.
More problems to go back to sleep after a toilet pit stop, though.

[rdclark]

A question regarding pain and inflammation. I've got areas with arthritis and tendinitis that pain and/or restrict me. A few, like the tendinitis in the back of my hands or the arthritis on my bad ankle or my left elbow, I am trying to treat with topical things like Tidl spray or the Biofreeze roll on. Does this stuff actually relieve the pain or just mask it, thus resulting in overtaxing those areas when I think I'm pain free?

My doctor gave me prescription Diclofenac Sodium gel (2%) several years ago for a knee inflammation. It helped a lot. It's a topical NSAID, FDA-approved, and the 2% strength is prescription only.

There is also an over-the-counter version with 1% concentration. It's widely available both in brand-name (Voltaren) and generic versions. I use this now when the knee acts up, together with ice, and have also used it on a couple of arthritic finger joints. It actually can reduce the inflammation that causes the pain, without inducing the sorts of gastric or other internal symptoms that oral NSAIDS do. (I am not allowed to take oral NSAIDS because of interactions with my other medications, but this topical one is OK.)

[SteveSly]

There is a proposition on the ballot in Fla to legalize recreational use. Not sure I care either way. There are pros and cons, but we'll see. And that's enough politics. Carry on......

It passed here in Michigan a few years ago. Today there are at least a dozen dispensaries within 10 minutes of where I live. They are literally everywhere. You can just walk in and buy whatever you want.

[SteveSly]

I grew pout of it +/- 15 years ago, five years after I came to the NL, where it's been "legal" for decades

some of the local stuff puts me to sleep right, so quick that I can't enjoy the buzz. I preferred the exotic stuff (thai, jam, col, etc...), but it doesn't help sleep



has she tried melatonine?
It's a natural sleep hormone (no addiction) and aircrew use it all the time for jet lags

prescription free in Europe, however, if you're in a hurry in the morning, it might be hard to make it out of the fuzz (says my bro)

Never tried anything for sleep, because it comes quite easy for me (unless thinking of upsetting things before dozing off).
Sometimes, I don't even have time to push the book away after hitting the light.
More problems to go back to sleep after a toilet pit stop, though.

My wife can usually sleep like a log, but when she does occasionally have problems gummies work well for her. Not sure if she ever tried Melatonin.

Me, on the other hand, have had problems sleeping for years. I worked a lot of weird shifts in my life. I worked 3rd shift (overnights) for 8 years and worked 2nd shift towards the end of my career. Often I had to be back in to work for meetings at 7AM after getting home after midnight, so getting into a normal sleep pattern was impossible. I did try melatonin and it did nothing for me. I tried over the counter sleep aids too. They would help me sleep, but I always felt groggy the next day. Back when I was working 3rd shift my doctor gave me a prescription for Ambien and it has been a miracle drug for me. Even today now that I am retired I still take at least a half one in order to fall asleep at night, so I guess I am probably addicted, but it still helps. I tried the gummies that my wife uses and they did nothing to help me sleep like it does for her.

[Vic2012]

My wife can usually sleep like a log, but when she does occasionally have problems gummies work well for her. Not sure if she ever tried Melatonin.

I've been taking Melatonin for years now. It works for me. I take a 5mg pill every night.

[progmatist]

I'm fortunate to have a high threshold for pain. After my hip replacement in 2013, the nurses were amazed at how seldom I pushed the button on the Morphine pump. When I broke my wrist a few of months ago, I didn't even bother picking up the pain killer script the ER sent to the pharmacy.

[bigbassdrum]

The funnest part, for me, came between the two surgeries. That's when you realize that you didn't just have compromised vision, but that the cataracts also changed the color of everything you saw, shifting everything towards the yellow. Now, by switching A/B between your fixed and not-fixed eye, you can actually see the degree of shift. For me, it was a profound difference, a deep yellow cast through one eye and a bright new white sheen through the other. Your brain will average them out with both eyes open, of course, but after your second eye is done the world willl look decidedly different, better, and not just because the "gauze" is gone.

Yes are 100% correct on this!!

[Digital_Man]

My foot surgery on the 22nd went ok. I now will spend the next two months or so in my mother's basement with my two cats (although they often have access to the upstairs unlike me). I use a scooter for now.

[markwoll]

I have been clunking around in a boot for the last couple of weeks. My left ankle has been giving me grief due to a combination of foot cramps and daily 3-5 mile walking with my dog.
Some tendon that deals with lateral stability is really mad at me. I can't seem to rest it enough to use it. Grrrr. On Wednesday I find out what the next steps ( no pun intended ) are.

[Digital_Man]

I get to wear my boot in 4-5 weeks.

[NogbadTheBad]

Had my 2nd colonoscopy yesterday after turning 60. Seems to have been ok.

[rdclark]

Three of the six screws holding the plate to my lumbar spine are "loose." There's space around them, meaning the "fusion" for which the surgery was done has not taken place after a year and a half. I've had X-rays and a CT scan, but the neurosurgeon now also wants an MRI before making a recommendation. ::sigh:: At least there's an explanation for all this continued back pain.

They also ordered an X-ray and CT for the similar hardware holding my cervical spine together (similar to what Gary had, I believe) since 2018. These look OK, although of course there's evidence of ongoing deterioration, discs bulging, new bone spurs, etc. The skeleton of a 73-year old wreck.

[Duncan Glenday]

Had my 2nd colonoscopy yesterday after turning 60. Seems to have been ok.

Mine is booked for next week. Oh, joy!

(First one in 15+ years.)

[Jerjo]

Mine is booked for next week. Oh, joy!

(First one in 15+ years.)

I hope everything comes out alright

[Duncan Glenday]

I hope everything comes out alright

LOL

[Garyhead]

Just got word. Nephew just diagnosed with colon cancer…. He’s only 49! Get tested boys!