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

[Poisoned Youth]

There will be some quarantining of people in this thread if you can’t help yourselves. Please be respectful of others.

[Zeuhlmate]

Should we make a separate covid-19 thread?

An american in Bergamo sent this to one of my friends.

A bit 'alarmistic', but my government in Denmark is thinking along the same lines.
I have been ordered to stay home now, and not go to work.


Share the following from a resident from Italy. I am writing to you from Bergamo, Italy, at the heart of the coronavirus crisis. The news media in the US has not captured the severity of what is happening here. I am writing this post because each of you, today, not the government, not the school district, not the mayor, each individual citizen has the chance, today to take actions that will deter the Italian situation from becoming your own country’s reality. The only way to stop this virus is to limit contagion. And the only way to limit contagion is for millions of people to change their behavior today. If you are in Europe or the US you are weeks away from where we are today in Italy. I can hear you now. “It’s just a flu. It only affects old people with preconditions” There are 2 reasons why Coronavirus has brought Italy to it’s knees. First it is a flu is devastating when people get really sick they need weeks of ICU – and, second, because of how fast and effectively it spreads. There is 2 week incubation period and many who have it never show symptoms. When Prime Minister Conte announced last night that the entire country, 60 million people, would go on lock down, the line that struck me most was “there is no more time.” Because to be clear, this national lock down, is a hail mary. What he means is that if the numbers of contagion do not start to go down, the system, Italy, will collapse. Why? Today the ICUs in Lombardy are at capacity – more than capacity. They have begun to put ICU units in the hallways. If the numbers do not go down, the growth rate of contagion tells us that there will be thousands of people who in a matter of a week? two weeks? who will need care. What will happen when there are 100, or a 1000 people who need the hospital and only a few ICU places left? On Monday a doctor wrote in the paper that they have begun to have to decide who lives and who dies when the patients show up in the emergency room, like what is done in war. This will only get worse. There are a finite number of drs, nurses, medical staff and they are getting the virus. They have also been working non-stop, non-stop for days and days. What happens when the drs, nurses and medical staff are simply not able to care for the patients, when they are not there? And finally for those who say that this is just something that happens to old people, starting yesterday the hospitals are reporting that younger and younger patients – 40, 45, 18, are coming in for treatment. You have a chance to make a difference and stop the spread in your country. Push for the entire office to work at home today, cancel birthday parties, and other gatherings, stay home as much as you can. If you have a fever, any fever, stay home. Push for school closures, now. Anything you can do to stop the spread, because it is spreading in your communities – there is a two week incubation period – and if you do these things now you can buy your medical system time. And for those who say it is not possible to close the schools, and do all these other things, locking down Italy was beyond anyone’s imagination a week ago. Soon you will not have a choice, so do what you can now. Please share

[Poisoned Youth]

I will start one since it is on everyone’s mind. It might be better to consolidate discussion.

[Firth]

https://talbotspy.org/letter-from-to...-on-corvid-19/

[Jerjo]

Jerol, I can give you a lot of info on that.

I exercise hard, regularly, and usually wear a heart rate monitor during the whole workout. E.g. when cycling, my computer provides me 9 different metrics - including speed, distance, power output, pedal RPMs (aka cadence), and ... heart rate - and a few others. I.e. I monitor it closely all the time.

There's a MYTH that your maximum heart rate ts 220 minus your age. I exceed that 3 or 4 times a week. That formula is okay as a very crude starting point, but you can't rely on it.

Your personal max is a function of your condition, whether your body is used to pushing hard, temperature, tiredness, recent nutrition, genetics, and several other factors. In other words, there's no simple formula that calculates it, and it will change.

So the fact that your heart rate fluctuates and may sometimes spike high is not necessarily a problem. If you feel excessively bad while it's happening - stop. If you're just feeling tired and worn out from it, good - that's the point of exercise!

My general thoughts on heart rate are:
- You'll only improve your condition if you constantly push yourself beyond your comfort zone.
- Don't over-do it, because that causes more harm than good
- Don't under-do it, because that will not yield improvements
- So start slow, set yourself a gradually increasing target heart rate, and stick to the program - BUT be cautious of trying for a number if (e.g.) you're sick, it's excessively hot, etc.
- Over time, you'll learn where your personal limit is - and you need to work to (or close to) that limit to maintain condition.
- You absolutely CAN achieve a high level of strength and fitness over 60. You just have to be careful. The main 2 differences for us geezers is that we need a bit more recovery time between tough workouts, and we lose condition faster if we take time off.

This is all a huge over-simplification, of course. And (excuse the cliche, but) ask your doctor

Let me know if you'd like to discuss details.

I have noticed that I now need a day of recovery from the treadmill and other exercises I do. It used to be I could hit the thing five days a week but not anymore. I am working on pushing the envelope and going longer, faster. But the heart rate thing spooked me a bit. So thanks for that clarification. Today is a day of rest and tomorrow it's back to work.

[markwoll]

I would be interested to continue to hear how she does. My first surgery is not until July, so it will be a while for me. I actually have a walker that was my parents before they passed away.

So, a three weeks post surgery update.
She has been walking without a walker for over a week.
She bought a "Hurrycane" which has come in handy when we are out and about.
Activities wear her out, but she recovers pretty fast.
She has 'graduated' to outpatient PT.
Today we will see how driving a car goes.
I'm sure she can do it for a while, but I am skeerd that in the middle of things using the right leg becomes too painful, or does not allow for a change in position that would be easy in any other situation.
(update)
She drove to lunch, it went ok. I drove home at her request.
She said it was going to be another week before she tries that again.

[SteveSly]

So, a three weeks post surgery update.
She has been walking without a walker for over a week.
She bought a "Hurrycane" which has come in handy when we are out and about.
Activities wear her out, but she recovers pretty fast.
She has 'graduated' to outpatient PT.
Today we will see how driving a car goes.
I'm sure she can do it for a while, but I am skeerd that in the middle of things using the right leg becomes too painful, or does not allow for a change in position that would be easy in any other situation.
(update)
She drove to lunch, it went ok. I drove home at her request.
She said it was going to be another week before she tries that again.

Cool, thanks for keeping me updated. Not sure what a "Hurrycane" is?

[jake]

With the world economy in a hell of a state it seems that not only have we geezers got to look to avert medical disaster, but we also have to avoid financial disaster too - and we have fewer years than our younger buddies to make back the losses of the past few weeks. I had moved a big chunk f my investments to more conservative in the last year - but even that pile is getting hit - I would say my average risk to aggressive investments are down around 18-20% and the conservative side is down about 7%. It’s not a pretty picture but I am kind of an eternal optimist - I think it will come back in the next couple of years - but I may need to put off retirement by 1-2 years because of this.
Anyone else reconsidering the next few years? BTW I turn 60 on Tuesday - St Patrick’s Day.

[markwoll]

Cool, thanks for keeping me updated. Not sure what a "Hurrycane" is?

Also, she has used more Tylenol than Oxy for pain. She's been through a lot so her pain tolerance is high.

[SteveSly]

Also, she has used more Tylenol than Oxy for pain. She's been through a lot so her pain tolerance is high.

Cool, thanks!

[progmatist]

Also, she has used more Tylenol than Oxy for pain. She's been through a lot so her pain tolerance is high.

I too have a high tolerance for pain. Right after my hip replacement, the doctors and nurses were amazed how seldom I pressed the button for a Morphine shot.

[markwoll]

I have an allergic reaction to opiates. Itch like crazy right after they start to work.
Dr. says that's normal for some folks. I avoid them. Some of the lower level synthetics, Ultram worked ok when my back was wack.
Exercise worked the best in the long run.

[Dave (in MA)]

There will be some quarantining of people in this thread if you can’t help yourselves. Please be respectful of others.

You must be new.

[Dave (in MA)]

I have an allergic reaction to opiates. Itch like crazy right after they start to work.

Me too.

[progmatist]

I have an allergic reaction to opiates. Itch like crazy right after they start to work.
Dr. says that's normal for some folks. I avoid them. Some of the lower level synthetics, Ultram worked ok when my back was wack.
Exercise worked the best in the long run.

Opiates constipate me like nobodies business. No shit, to borrow an rcarlberg joke.

[Jerjo]

When I had my hernia surgery I was given an opiate which I immediately handed off to my wife and switched to ibuprofen. Opiates and me are not a good match, they did a number on me when I broke my ankle. Never again. My wife used one a day to take the edge off her clinical depression. SSRis only do so much for her. It'd be nice if the next president would legalize weed because she would do well with a daily edible.

[rcarlberg]

No shit, to borrow an rcarlberg joke.

Really???

[spellbound]

I have had to learn pain tolerance. Once a doctor overprescribed ibuprofen for me. Now I can't take that or any NSAID without swelling. Doctors have that down as an allergy. I'm allergic to the safer alternative to opiates. Thanks, Doc. Now, pretty much the only thing that works for me for pain is opiates, but doctors are hesitant to prescribe them because of the opioid crisis. This, despite the fact that I have never become addicted to them or to anything else. Their prescription plan is one size fits all. Low dose over a short length of time. So I, a big and tall guy, get the same dose as a wee waif. If I have pain pills, I take them as seldom as possible. Mostly only to get to sleep at night. I just tolerate the pain during the day, if I can. Once a young ER doctor told me to take the pain pills as often as allowed by the prescription instructions, as my method was wrong. I ignored her, and thus remain unaddicted, for whatever that's worth. It only hurts me when I breathe or move. I'm not in pain at present, knock on laminated formica.

[Jerjo]

Here's another one for Duncan or anyone else in the know regarding training: I'm above a half hour in my treadmill workout BUT, should I pay more attention to the time I spend working out or the distance?

[Duncan Glenday]

Jerol,

Nice work!

IMHO - the answer is both. I.e:

Having made half an hour, now push the distance a little (say 5% to 10%).

When you've achieved that, stay at that level for a while, until you're comfortable with it - and it becomes your "new normal".

THEN - ease up just a few %, and push the time to a longer span - say 40 minutes.

Then ... back to step 1, where you push your distance up a little.

You obviously can't do these incremental increases indefinitely, so as they say, "listen to your body".



That doesn't work for me, though. When I'm working out and listen to my body, my body says "I wanna go home and sit on the couch and watch TV" LOL

(Kidding)

[SteveSly]

I have had to learn pain tolerance. Once a doctor overprescribed ibuprofen for me. Now I can't take that or any NSAID without swelling. Doctors have that down as an allergy. I'm allergic to the safer alternative to opiates. Thanks, Doc. Now, pretty much the only thing that works for me for pain is opiates, but doctors are hesitant to prescribe them because of the opioid crisis. This, despite the fact that I have never become addicted to them or to anything else. Their prescription plan is one size fits all. Low dose over a short length of time. So I, a big and tall guy, get the same dose as a wee waif. If I have pain pills, I take them as seldom as possible. Mostly only to get to sleep at night. I just tolerate the pain during the day, if I can. Once a young ER doctor told me to take the pain pills as often as allowed by the prescription instructions, as my method was wrong. I ignored her, and thus remain unaddicted, for whatever that's worth. It only hurts me when I breathe or move. I'm not in pain at present, knock on laminated formica.

I have had several dental implants over the past decade or so due to bad genetics and broken teeth. The implant procedure requires two oral surgeries about 4 months apart. In the past the oral surgeon always gave me a script for 20 10mg Norco (generic Vicodin) with one refill available. When I had my most recent implant last year the script was basically cut in half with 20 5mg Norco with no refills. This for the exact same surgical procedure, so basically, I had to take two of the 5mg to get the same pain relief as the 10mg. I am just hoping that medicine is there when I have my knee surgery if I need it. Of course, that is assuming that with the C-Void situation the surgery does not get pushed out.

[progmatist]

Really???

My bad...it was adap2it, not you. Credit where credit is due.

[spellbound]

When I had my most recent implant last year the script was basically cut in half with 20 5mg Norco with no refills. This for the exact same surgical procedure, so basically, I had to take two of the 5mg to get the same pain relief as the 10mg.

That's happened to me. And then the doctor tries to make me feel bad for doubling my dose to get even the tiniest amount of pain relief, or running out of pills too soon, as if I had a choice. I always try the medicine at the prescribed dosage initially, but it's just a waste of money if there is no pain relief at that dosage. Too low a dose is like taking nothing, only the nothing is bad for your liver and kidneys. I can understand doctors not wanting patients getting addicted to the pain relievers they prescribe, but medicine is not one size fits all. Dosages are meant to be calculated on body weight. And not everyone has the same susceptibility to habit or addiction, though I admit it would be difficult to test for that during a typical 5-10 minute doctor's appointment (gotta see more patients per hour to make more money; this is America, we don't do health here). And there is some pain that you can't will yourself to tolerate. Gout is one such.

[Lou]

Here's another one for Duncan or anyone else in the know regarding training: I'm above a half hour in my treadmill workout BUT, should I pay more attention to the time I spend working out or the distance?

You can increase the intensity in one of three ways. You can go longer at the same pace. You could quicken the pace slightly, and go for the same time. Or you can increase the angle of the treadmill
and go the same time. Increasing distance, pace, or incline will each up the intensity of the walk. Not all three at the same time. One at a time is perfectly fine.

[TheLoony]

Frikkin' virus. I can't get my scrips refilled. I've been waiting on simple b12 for a week now and all the scrips I got yesterday are not even registering on the Walmart app. I had to let them all run out so I could get them fixed, dosage wise and what not. Didn't expect the world to end, dammit.