I've had a variety of major-ish health issues over the past few years. They mainly started 4 years ago when ....
* I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Cpap machine time!
* I was diagnosed with strep throat.
--> Strep became bronchitis
----> Bronchitis became double pneumonia
-----> Pneumonia became 1.5 collapsed lungs
-------> Collapsed lungs became 7 broken ribs
EDIT: they did a bone density scan after this. Diagnosed with osteopenia, which is being treated with drugs and diet.
---------> Broken ribs became an ulcer (from the pain meds)
I now have some nice scar tissue on my lungs (and had surgery to repair the ulcer). That means I have to tell the doctor, when he uses a stethoscope, that no, I don't have lung cancer. The rattle you hear is normal.
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At the beginning of last year, I was diagnosed with something called "cluster headaches". These are extremely intense headaches that last appx. 5 hours. The pain is allegedly worse than childbirth (according to Wikipedia, girls!) and are occasionally called "suicide headaches" -- i.e., "it hurts so bad, kill me now". So, I have four different drugs I can take, ranging from, "Acetominophen" to "heavy narcotic to knock you out".
I try to call boss-man and say I need to go home, NOW, if I have to take the heavy narcotic.
(BTB, I also found out that if the doctor says he wants to prescribe steroids to stop the cluster cycle -- "cluster headaches" are called that because they go on for awhile and then stop for awhile and then may or may not ever start again -- to say NO and run away. That treatment was NOT fun.)
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At the end of last year, I gave blood. The company that I donate through (United Blood Services; donate today, mmmkay?) just implemented cholesterol screening, but they don't contact you unless your cholesterol is abnormally high.
Mine is.
I went into my doctor for cholesterol-specific bloodwork. He got the results and asked me if, when I get cut, the blood oozes out of my arm like butter.
I went on a 1/3 normal fat content diet for two months. Then I got tested again.
My cholesterol level dropped ... one point. And my blood sugar level is also about 3x normal.
I have more drugs, I'm on a somewhat less restrictive diet (as the earlier one didn't do much) and will be retested in 6 weeks.
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During all this, I got two fun viral throat infections. My wife enjoyed the fact that I couldn't speak.
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Combining the above with some miscellaneous knee problems (don't ask me to stand for too long), my playing AND singing careers are effectively over. I'm not too heartbroken over the former, but a little disappointed in the latter. I was getting to be a fairly decent singer. *Deep sigh.*
However, if anyone wants to donate, say, a Selmer Mark VI baritone sax or an SML bass clarinet, I wouldn't terribly mind trying to make 'em work. Just to make y'all happy, of course.
* I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Cpap machine time!
* I was diagnosed with strep throat.
--> Strep became bronchitis
----> Bronchitis became double pneumonia
-----> Pneumonia became 1.5 collapsed lungs
-------> Collapsed lungs became 7 broken ribs
EDIT: they did a bone density scan after this. Diagnosed with osteopenia, which is being treated with drugs and diet.
---------> Broken ribs became an ulcer (from the pain meds)
I now have some nice scar tissue on my lungs (and had surgery to repair the ulcer). That means I have to tell the doctor, when he uses a stethoscope, that no, I don't have lung cancer. The rattle you hear is normal.
=========
At the beginning of last year, I was diagnosed with something called "cluster headaches". These are extremely intense headaches that last appx. 5 hours. The pain is allegedly worse than childbirth (according to Wikipedia, girls!) and are occasionally called "suicide headaches" -- i.e., "it hurts so bad, kill me now". So, I have four different drugs I can take, ranging from, "Acetominophen" to "heavy narcotic to knock you out".
I try to call boss-man and say I need to go home, NOW, if I have to take the heavy narcotic.
(BTB, I also found out that if the doctor says he wants to prescribe steroids to stop the cluster cycle -- "cluster headaches" are called that because they go on for awhile and then stop for awhile and then may or may not ever start again -- to say NO and run away. That treatment was NOT fun.)
-----------
At the end of last year, I gave blood. The company that I donate through (United Blood Services; donate today, mmmkay?) just implemented cholesterol screening, but they don't contact you unless your cholesterol is abnormally high.
Mine is.
I went into my doctor for cholesterol-specific bloodwork. He got the results and asked me if, when I get cut, the blood oozes out of my arm like butter.
I went on a 1/3 normal fat content diet for two months. Then I got tested again.
My cholesterol level dropped ... one point. And my blood sugar level is also about 3x normal.
I have more drugs, I'm on a somewhat less restrictive diet (as the earlier one didn't do much) and will be retested in 6 weeks.
---------
During all this, I got two fun viral throat infections. My wife enjoyed the fact that I couldn't speak.
========
Combining the above with some miscellaneous knee problems (don't ask me to stand for too long), my playing AND singing careers are effectively over. I'm not too heartbroken over the former, but a little disappointed in the latter. I was getting to be a fairly decent singer. *Deep sigh.*
However, if anyone wants to donate, say, a Selmer Mark VI baritone sax or an SML bass clarinet, I wouldn't terribly mind trying to make 'em work. Just to make y'all happy, of course.
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