July 22Jul 22 5 hours ago, tbone_ said: I’ll be a little more direct in my response. You can get dick hard pills at GoodRx all online and they are dirt cheap. Best of luck to your friend. Without a prescription?
July 22Jul 22 On 7/2/2025 at 5:11 PM, GhostOfTomJoad said: How long did my fellow old farts wait to address arthritis in your big toe(s]? My left one is pretty sore at the end of the day (I try walk a lot/stand as much as a white collar job allows; 12,000 steps a day is common). Flexing it upwards can result in a sharp pain. And when I get in bed at night sometimes the pressure of the covers causes it to flair up. It almost never bothers me during the day & I'm still one of the fastest walking SOBs you'll ever find (it's a running joke at work). I'm thinking it might be time to go see Kris Stockton like my wife did. He fileted her left big toe to remove a bone spur & clean up stuff, but she's definitely on the arthritis train. Our favorite moments are our daily walks & easy/moderate nature hikes. I shudder at the thought of losing that ability. I was a PA for a foot & ankle ortho surgeon for 5 years. It's been a minute, but I might still remember some stuff. If the arthritis is within the IP joint (joint within the toe), you can fuse that and immediately weightbear as tolerated in a post-op shoe. Generally, it's in the MTP joint, where the toe meets the foot, and is called hallux rigidus. Unless things have changed dramatically since 2018, you DO NOT want to do a joint replacement. It will likely fail and fusion becomes much more difficult. Fusion requires I believe 4 weeks entirely off the foot and an additional 4 weeks in a post-op shoe. It takes some adjustment, but I believe most people are able to return to most activities. Sometimes you can just shave off bone spurs, as your wife had done. Also, a carbon fiber insert can help limit motion, and thus pain, through the joint. Stiff-soled shoes will be your friend regardless of the route you choose. OTOH, pain with covers touching is a hallmark of gout, but if you have significantly limited dorsiflexion, along with pain, that's almost certainly arthritis. Edited July 22Jul 22 by hookem2010
July 22Jul 22 On 7/2/2025 at 7:15 PM, SurlyGator said: You sure it's not The Gout? But seriously, that sucks. I hope Kris Stockton is a foot & ankle specialist orthopedic surgeon and not a podiatrist. Please don't go see a podiatrist. Think chiropractors with scalpels. This is correct. The number of post-podiatry disasters we saw...
July 22Jul 22 On 5/29/2024 at 8:10 AM, nnm said: This is true, except for me it happened at 28. If you're old and can't tell what month of the year it is by the birds in your area, what are you even doing?
July 22Jul 22 20 minutes ago, hookem2010 said: This is true, except for me it happened at 28. If you're old and can't tell what month of the year it is by the birds in your area, what are you even doing? I’m actively trying to figure out how to house and feed birds right now. I’m scared.
July 22Jul 22 56 minutes ago, hookem2010 said: This is true, except for me it happened at 28. If you're old and can't tell what month of the year it is by the birds in your area, what are you even doing? LOL. I downloaded the Merlin bird identification app. It can identify birds by their call. Now I find myself pulling out my phone to record them so I can identify and log them. I didn't know a Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher existed until last week.
July 22Jul 22 I need to do better with my yard feeding stations. We have some screech owls that frequent the house sometimes. I need to take the little one to grandpa's house to make an owl box. Anyone who has visited the bird thread is probably aware of my obsession. Not that I have time to be bored with a 3 and 1 year-old, but when it's not 100 degrees outside, I always have something to go do outside, even in a suburban concrete jungle.
July 22Jul 22 1 minute ago, Crapinon said: LOL. I downloaded the Merlin bird identification app. It can identify birds by their call. Now I find myself pulling out my phone to record them so I can identify and log them. I didn't know a Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher existed until last week. Sign up for eBird if you really want to take it to the next level.
July 22Jul 22 2 minutes ago, hookem2010 said: Sign up for eBird if you really want to take it to the next level. Found it. Supported by the same people who do Merlin.
July 22Jul 22 A couple weeks ago, 5:30 AM, the first 3 calls on my Merlin were Northern Bobwhite, Ringneck Pheasant and Wild Turkey. Pretty cool start to the day. During the winter months we put out a 50# bag of bird seed every week. Kenn Kaufman was a childhood friend of mine. IYKYK Edited July 22Jul 22 by Shoxthemonkey I misspelled his name, dammit.
July 22Jul 22 Those are great birds, but an even more impressive birder. That's legitimately awesome. I still need to read Kingbird Highway.
July 22Jul 22 4 hours ago, Crapinon said: I didn't know a Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher existed until last week. State bird of Oklahoma. To keep it relevant. OU and Gout sucks!
July 22Jul 22 1 hour ago, hookem2010 said: Those are great birds, but an even more impressive birder. That's legitimately awesome. I still need to read Kingbird Highway. He is the most singularly focused person I have ever met. Even as a 4th grader, he knew what he wanted to do and pursued it. He was a very odd duck (pun intended) but extremely smart. He never finished High School as far as I know. I haven't seen him or spoken to him since he quit school and took off to see the world. Edited July 22Jul 22 by Shoxthemonkey
July 22Jul 22 On 7/21/2025 at 5:14 AM, Dnaguy said: Asking for a friend. He has a female primary care doc and a female broken brain doc. Getting older + broken brain pills can cause issues…. With let’s say… to a rigid schedule. Wellbutrin helped a lot according to him. But completing the task at full attention can still be an issue unless his wife is super into it and committed. Due to the length of his marriage, he’s lucky if a shooting star passes by and he even gets half assed ‘ok fine’ fun. But due to said issue, she’s even less likely bc now the not finishing himself is causing her self esteem issues. (He assures me that she is taken care of first so it’s not like she’s being left high and dry, but he can’t doesn’t get finale himself.) Lots of backstory. But does said friend just straight up ask for wonky dong pills from his younger women providers? I mean, he has told them multiple times the issues and they’ve changed to different meds that have helped to a degree, but they’ve never once suggested them. Is it because they’re female? He takes blood pressure meds so maybe it’s that? They’re younger so it’s weird already. This friend is kind of out of ‘let’s try a different kind of antidepressant/ anxiety pill’ and other point of ‘let’s fix the acute issue’ phase. I mean, how many years left does he even have where the wife will even acquiesce to half hearted ‘sure fine’ sex before the well just dries up completely? Please tell me I didn’t just say all this into a Wendy’s drive through…… He could ask them to test his testosterone levels. If he gets two low tests, insurance should cover it. Helps with what he's currently dealing with and, in my experience, helps with depression caused by low testosterone levels. Edited July 22Jul 22 by dcbc
July 22Jul 22 5 hours ago, Shoxthemonkey said: A couple weeks ago, 5:30 AM, the first 3 calls on my Merlin were Northern Bobwhite, Ringneck Pheasant and Wild Turkey. Pretty cool start to the day. During the winter months we put out a 50# bag of bird seed every week. Kenn Kaufman was a childhood friend of mine. IYKYK wait, there's someone older than army brat on here? mind blown.
July 22Jul 22 Had a “blowout” at work today made quite the mess on myself. Ran home and showered up and made it back to finish the day.
July 23Jul 23 2 hours ago, troph said: wait, there's someone older than army brat on here? mind blown. @Armybrat has me beat by a couple of years but, yeah, I’m old.
July 23Jul 23 My dermatologist peeled some hide off me to send out for biopsy today. She’s pretty nice.
July 23Jul 23 37 minutes ago, Shoxthemonkey said: @Armybrat has me beat by a couple of years but, yeah, I’m old. I was trying to joke didn’t realize it was that close to true. Does confirm the bird thing though and gives me plenty to be scared of.
July 23Jul 23 Had a “blowout” at work today made quite the mess on myself. Ran home and showered up and made it back to finish the day.
July 23Jul 23 1 hour ago, Armybrat said: My dermatologist peeled some hide off me to send out for biopsy today. She’s pretty nice. You’re not doing so bad your self there fella
July 23Jul 23 Had my first bit of cancerous skin cut off when I was - estimating here - 30, which would be 1973. Since then, I've long since lost count, but I'd guess probably 40 or so times. Mostly forehead, top of head, neck... although couple on face, one elbow, one back of hand. Almost all basal cell, few squamous cell. Last two or three semiannual trips to Dermo, been clean. So far, so good.
July 23Jul 23 16 hours ago, Underdog said: Had a “blowout” at work today made quite the mess on myself. Ran home and showered up and made it back to finish the day. If I ever have a "blowout" at work that requires me to have to go home and take a shower, I will not be returning that day. Probably not the next day either. Matter of fact, I'm probably taking the rest of the week off.
July 23Jul 23 1 hour ago, Sandman said: If I ever have a "blowout" at work that requires me to have to go home and take a shower, I will not be returning that day. Probably not the next day either. Matter of fact, I'm probably taking the rest of the week off. Would we be correct in assuming "blowout" in this context is roughly equivalent to something like "super-shart"?
July 23Jul 23 2 hours ago, Sandman said: If I ever have a "blowout" at work that requires me to have to go home and take a shower, I will not be returning that day. Probably not the next day either. Matter of fact, I'm probably taking the rest of the week I’m rather an important person at work, you see, I’m the Assistant to the Assistant Mgr. 19 minutes ago, Tex Long said: Would we be correct in assuming "blowout" in this context is roughly equivalent to something like "super-shart"? Yep.
July 24Jul 24 On 7/22/2025 at 4:47 PM, Litig8r said: Headed to Birmingham to the ENT for mouth cancer follow up. I think I'm good though. All good. No further treatment or cutting at this time!
July 24Jul 24 reminds me of that kiddo song, you know back when it was marginally acceptable to lose control of your butthole... when you feel something ooze and you know it's coming loose, diarrhea...
July 24Jul 24 1 hour ago, Jerry Callo said: Some people think its funny, but its really green and runny . . . Running down the gutter with a piece of bread and butter Diarrhea
July 24Jul 24 I got a freaking calf cramp while sleeping last night that took good minute to work out. My leg is still sore. Not a great way to wake up, btw.
July 24Jul 24 I started lifting weights and have continued to do so, since the 70's. Now it's catching up with my joints. So I started looking for old man exercises that are easier on the joints. I keep seeing ads for Tai Chi so I looked a few exercises up. When I did them, my neck and shoulders sounded like the Red Army marching on a gravel road.
July 24Jul 24 On 7/20/2025 at 3:51 PM, nnm said: Freaking umbilical hernia. Meaning a small hernia near my belly button. That’s going to be a pain (and expensive) to get fixed, not least because I have a complicating blood condition that makes any surgery complex. 2X2 cm fat-containing (thanks, ultrasound lady) periumbilical hernia. No emergency surgery but it won’t go away by itself. Ugh.
July 25Jul 25 8 hours ago, nnm said: 2X2 cm fat-containing (thanks, ultrasound lady) periumbilical hernia. No emergency surgery but it won’t go away by itself. Ugh. Surgery a week from tomorrow using the DaVinci robot. Videos of the surgery are pretty interesting. I hope it's as easy as the doctors say.
July 25Jul 25 11 hours ago, Crapinon said: Surgery a week from tomorrow using the DaVinci robot. Videos of the surgery are pretty interesting. I hope it's as easy as the doctors say. It's more expensive than the Picasso robot and damn well worth it.
July 26Jul 26 reminds me of that kiddo song, you know back when it was marginally acceptable to lose control of your butthole... when you feel something ooze and you know it's coming loose, diarrhea... This one was always good for a laugh on my youth baseball team in the late 70’s.. When you’re sliding into home and you start to feel the foam….
July 27Jul 27 This whole line of posts hits way too close to home. While on a run in Ute Valley Park I had to leave a deposit in some bushes off the trail about 2 miles in. I was not prepared and it was not nice.
July 28Jul 28 https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/28/health/alzheimers-disease-walking-exercise-wellness I'm sure all these studies are good and absolutely movement is important. My own Father is starting to exhibit sure signs of sundowner's and random lost moments. At other times sharp as a tack, just talks slower. He's 81. He always took care of his cardio. Was random with his weight lifting. Slim build. Due to various reasons we've never been super close. I called him on Father's Day and we had a 20 minute conversation. Everything was fine and then around minute 15 he couldn't follow me at all. Shook me (and I didn't think it would). I had heard about him having random falls here and there. I'm going to visit him in August because I know once this stuff starts it never gets better. I guess I'm saying obviously we should do the best we can regarding exercise, diet, e.t.c but there are no guarantees other than death one day. I know duh, that's no revelation. My Dad is the youngest of four brothers all still alive. Some have had cancer battles, one has a pace maker, all 3 drink. two of them heavily. Dad is a teetotaller. Yet Dad is the one developing quite obvious dementia symptoms. For all I know the exercise kept him from developing them earlier. I resemble him physically more than any of my other siblings. So it spooks me that I'm looking at a similar fate at some point regardless of whether I exercise, take care of my diet, whatever.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.