Health Problems: Who Has Had Serious Issues?

[tumor]

Sorry for being too inquistive ,but i was wondering who has or had any serious health problems?
I have epilepsy and must take everyday loads of pills,and my lower back is in terrible shape(can't bend).How about you guys?

 

[The_Professional]

What a depressing thread

 

[Moonbear]

It's discussions like this that keep me from wanting to spend Thanksgiving with my relatives! Their ailments are all they talk about.

 

[tumor]

OH! happy thanksgiving to all american friends! we in Canada had ours month ago.

 

[Evo]

Actually it's something that people shouldn't be afraid to discuss. Years ago I was active in video conferencing through Cornell University and met a great guy that had been born without limbs, he typed with a special stick he held in his teeth. He was afraid for awhile to let anyone know, but then realized he was accepted for who he was inside, not outside.

 

[Physics_wiz]

It's discussions like this that keep me from wanting to spend Thanksgiving with my relatives! Their ailments are all they talk about.

I know exactly how you feel.

OH! happy thanksgiving to all american friends! we in Canada had ours month ago.

Excuse my ignorance, but I thought that thanksgiving started when the pilgrems came to north america. Why does Canda have a thanksgiving? Why do you have it a month earlier?

 

[check]

I know exactly how you feel.



Excuse my ignorance, but I thought that thanksgiving started when the pilgrems came to north america. Why does Canda have a thanksgiving? Why do you have it a month earlier?

Last time I checked, Canada was part of North America.
And you don't think Canada has anything to be thankful for?
Anyway, it's a month earlier because we felt that having it in late November is too close to christmas. Or so is my understanding of why it's earlier.

 

[tumor]

We in Canada have our thanxgiving in october because we don't want to be too USA like.Maybe.

 

[Evo]

Last time I checked, Canada was part of North America.
And you don't think Canada has anything to be thankful for?
Anyway, it's a month earlier because we felt that having it in late November is too close to christmas. Or so is my understanding of why it's earlier.

I thought Canada was giving thanks for not being part of the US. (dodges rotten tomatoes from diehard US patriots)

I'M KIDDING, OK? Sheesh.

 

[Moonbear]

October makes more sense than November, to be honest, since it was a celebration of the first successful harvest of the settlers with the aid of the Native Americans...that was more likely to have happened in September or October than November as the only thing to harvest in November would be frozen vegetables!

 

[Physics_wiz]

Last time I checked, Canada was part of North America.

You know...it's very sad that this is not the first, or the second, or the third (maybe?) time I make that mistake

 

[check]

Okay, back to the topic at hand.
I'll go: I had open heart surgery as an infant so I got a nice neat scar. Chicks dig scars, right? Anyway, the condition hasn't given me any problems except I probably get tired more easily than most people doing physical activity. As for other med problems, I get panic attacks which really suck.
I have a check up in a couple of days so perhaps I'll have more to add to the list. (hope not!)

 

[Moonbear]

Okay, back to the topic at hand.
I'll go: I had open heart surgery as an infant so I got a nice neat scar. Chicks dig scars, right? Anyway, the condition hasn't given me any problems except I probably get tired more easily than most people doing physical activity. As for other med problems, I get panic attacks which really suck.
I have a check up in a couple of days so perhaps I'll have more to add to the list. (hope not!)

Yep, scars are very sexy. Hmm...remember when Holly did that fortune-telling thread? She told me I'd meet a man with a prominent scar...hmmm. But I thought he was supposed to be an older man, not younger...or maybe I'm remembering wrong. Ha ha.

 

[tumor]

Okay, back to the topic at hand.
I'll go: I had open heart surgery as an infant so I got a nice neat scar. Chicks dig scars, right?

You walk around without shirt and jacket

 

[check]

You walk around without shirt and jacket

At the beach I do.
Actually, sometimes I get naked durring physics class too. Less restrictive. Helps me concentrate.

 

[check]

Yep, scars are very sexy. Hmm...remember when Holly did that fortune-telling thread? She told me I'd meet a man with a prominent scar...hmmm. But I thought he was supposed to be an older man, not younger...or maybe I'm remembering wrong. Ha ha.

I miss Holly and her threads.

Hmm, an older woman... well, enigma might get mad at me since he did call you first. Perhaps he has some scars! LoL

 

[Evo]

October makes more sense than November, to be honest, since it was a celebration of the first successful harvest of the settlers with the aid of the Native Americans...that was more likely to have happened in September or October than November as the only thing to harvest in November would be frozen vegetables!

I actually happened to watch a documentary about Thanksgiving last night. The first Thanksgiving was late September/early October. The following year the harvest was bad and there was no Thanksgiving, not for many years actually.

Thanksgiving as we know it is due to the female editor of a popular magazine that felt that traditional family values were being destroyed by the industrial revolution. She wrote letters for 40 years until finally President Lincoln gave in and made it an official holiday.

:zzz: (sound of crickets chirping) :zzz: Hello? Oh, no one wanted to know that much.

Anyway, this thread isn't about Thanksgiving!

 

[Evo]

Okay, back to the topic at hand.
I'll go: I had open heart surgery as an infant so I got a nice neat scar. Chicks dig scars, right? Anyway, the condition hasn't given me any problems except I probably get tired more easily than most people doing physical activity. As for other med problems, I get panic attacks which really suck.
I have a check up in a couple of days so perhaps I'll have more to add to the list. (hope not!)

You were born with a hole in your heart?

 

[Moonbear]

I miss Holly and her threads.

Hmm, an older woman... well, enigma might get mad at me since he did call you first. Perhaps he has some scars! LoL

I think I'm available again. Enigma left me at the altar...refused to even buy me a small coffee ring.

 

[check]

You were born with a hole in your heart?

Nope. Transposition of the great vessels... or something to that effect.

 

[Evo]

I miss Holly and her threads.

Hmm, an older woman... well, enigma might get mad at me since he did call you first. Perhaps he has some scars! LoL

A lot of people were really mean to Holly, (but she was a bit of a holy roller), so she left.

I've been considering putting those threads in the "classics" sticky. How do you guys feel about that? Should I put them there so people can see them?

 

[check]

A lot of people were really mean to Holly, (but she was a bit of a holy roller), so she left.

I've been considering putting those threads in the "classics" sticky. How do you guys feel about that? Should I put them there so people can see them?

Yeah Evo, that would be swell. :)
aww... poor Holly.

 

[Evo]

I think I'm available again. Enigma left me at the altar...refused to even buy me a small coffee ring.

I had his e-child (unbeknownst to me) and I didn't get so much as a coffee ring either!

 

[check]

I think I'm available again. Enigma left me at the altar...refused to even buy me a small coffee ring.

what a jerk! did you get him back? Please say you did.

 

[Moonbear]

Thanksgiving as we know it is due to the female editor of a popular magazine that felt that traditional family values were being destroyed by the industrial revolution.

Good to learn all this fear about erosion of traditional family values is such a new problem.

Sorry, I don't have much to contribute to the thread other than my witty commentary. I had a bout with a hyperactive thyroid about 10 years ago, but it calmed down with medication (the alternative treatments sounded scary...either cutting out part of it or giving me a radioactive cocktail to drink ...then again, it settled down soon after I started working in a lab with radioactive iodine, so maybe I treated myself inadvertently). It has resulted in a lasting heart arrhythmia, but nothing severe, and it only becomes symptomatic if I start to be lazy, so I don't worry about it. I've been fortunate to stay out of hospitals and emergency rooms my whole life.

 

[tumor]

It is not exactly health problem( he can actually make some money from it ), but my friend has 3 kidneys.

 

[Moonbear]

A lot of people were really mean to Holly, (but she was a bit of a holy roller), so she left.

I've been considering putting those threads in the "classics" sticky. How do you guys feel about that? Should I put them there so people can see them?

Yeah, the fortune telling thread and the virtual dinner should go in the classic sticky. Those were hysterical!

I didn't think people were really all that mean to her, I think they just were persistent in their disagreement on some topics she was particularly sensitive about and couldn't really take it. Probably folks should have backed off a little when it became clear she was taking it all a bit too hard, but hindsight is 20/20.

 

[Evo]

Ok, holly's threads and a few other cute threads have been added to the classics sticky.

 

[Tsu]

I have Hashimoto's disease - a form of hypothyroidism - along with multiple nodules in the thyroid gland itself. I take thyroid meds but my thyroid hormone levels keep fluctuating and we have to adjust my meds accordingly. It's a pain in the ass. I get tired a lot and completely loose my appetite for weeks on end. Most people with hypothyroid gain weight and bloat up but not ME! (why do I always have to be different?) I lost 25 pounds and have trouble not loosing more. A lot of the time I have to force myself to eat whether I'm hungry or not (usually not). The weird thing is, I'm always EXTREMELY energetic at work (people often ask me where I get all my energy - my answer is COFFEE! ) and whenever I do anything, it's almost ALWAYS at a fast pace. I can really move out (for an old lady ) and usually put the younger kids at work to shame! They're dragging their butts at the end of the shift and I'm still ready for ACTION! I can work those young pups into the GROUND!

 

[Tsu]

I miss Holly, too.

 

[the number 42]

I'm clinically dead. There, I've said it. Have been for years, most of my life in fact.

 

[Kerrie]

No major health problems for me, but I was told I have a heart murmur that needs to be checked thoroughly. I get tired a little more easily and cannot smoke. Haven't made it yet to the doc to have the electrocardiogram, but I am a little nervous about it to be honest.

Although health is so important, one of my pet peeves is those who constantly complain about little health annoyances...allergies, aches/pains, etc. I try to be sympathathetic to those who are experiencing real problems, but there are people who focus so much on the little things that it's as if their mind truly rules their health.

Tumor, do you like Blind Melon by chance?

 

[The Bob]

I have lower back problems, my hands twitch for no reason and make me uncomfortable and I have very tense shoulder and neck muscles. I must say I am not as bad as some people but they seem like bad problems to me because suddenly I can't feel my legs or I can't bend down or I also fall over or I can't write or type or conduct. If I didn't do the stuff I do I most likely would not have noticed it.

The Bob (2004 ©)

 

[tumor]

As i mentioned in the beginning I have same problem with my back as you do BOB.
There is posibillity to fix your back with surgery,they are now replacing worn out disks with artifficial one or fusing verterbraes.I'm going to go for surgery soon.

 

[The Bob]

As i mentioned in the beginning I have same problem with my back as you do BOB.
There is posibillity to fix your back with surgery,they are now replacing worn out disks with artifficial one or fusing verterbraes.I'm going to go for surgery soon.

I believe my back problem is to do with my height and my muscles are not strong enough yet but my neck I believe is because the cartalige has been worn down.

The Bob (2004 ©)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Born 100% pigeon toed, at age 1 my legs were purposely broken and set straight. From there, flat feet, bad knees, bad back, chronically stiff neck, carpel tunnel, diabetes problems, psoriasis, two tumors removed, one pilonidal cyst the size of a softball removed[500 stitches], chronic ear infections that have damaged my hearing, severe grass allergies which are swell here in the grass capitol of the US. I have a double deviated septum which always leaves me slightly plugged up and prone to nose bleeds, though they have stopped in recent years. The icing on the cake is the chronic reflux esophagitis which goes well with my lifelong problem with insomnia. I have also hit the ground at speeds in excess of sixty miles an hour a few times [dirt bikes] but always walked away; torn and tattered but functional. In short, a whole bunch of nuisance stuff but nothing really serious. The one tumor in my chest was deemed pre-malignant but thanks to Tsu it went no further. Funny thing is, I hardly ever see the doctor and I generally feel pretty good. I can also outwork the best of them; not physical tasks but I can still work back to back 36 hour shifts. Weird huh. I sound a lot more broken down than I feel.

 

[Tsu]

Yeah. Ivan's kind of a train wreck! But he's MY train wreck! :!) :!)

 

[BoulderHead]

May his caboose never derail…

 

[BobG]

I've never had many serious health problems. The only two I can think of is I had to have a basal cell carcinoma removed. Not only does Colorado have great skiing, hiking, and river running, it's thin atmosphere makes it the skin cancer capital of the US. And, I've spent a lot of time outdoors, between running cross country and working construction in my younger years and, more recently, mountain sports and refereeing soccer.

I also think I suffered nerve damage in my right index finger. I stuck my hand into a lawn mower and split my fingertip to the bone as a teenager. It seemed to heal up pretty well (much better than if my finger had been perpendicular to the blade), but, more and more often, my fingertip develops a kind of numbness after moving boxes and furniture.

 

[Janus]

4 1/2 years ago I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. It is a genetic, degenerative condition that eventually shuts down kidney function. Concurrently, it was discovered that my right kidney contained a large tumor that turned out to be malignant, which necessitated the removal of the kidney .

Depending on how fast the PKD progresses,(It varies from individual to individual), I may be needing a kidney transplant in the future.

At present, my remaining kidney is holding in there, and hopefully will remain to to do so for some time.

 

[tumor]

Janus..My friend has 3 kidneys(serious), I'm going to ask him if he could spare one.

PS.I wonder what doctors would find in me if I were getting totall checkup(MRI and stuff) .how much does it cost to have one?

 

[Evo]

4 1/2 years ago I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. It is a genetic, degenerative condition that eventually shuts down kidney function. Concurrently, it was discovered that my right kidney contained a large tumor that turned out to be malignant, which necessitated the removal of the kidney .

Depending on how fast the PKD progresses,(It varies from individual to individual), I may be needing a kidney transplant in the future.

At present, my remaining kidney is holding in there, and hopefully will remain to to do so for some time.

Janus, I can't imagine what you're going through. That's got to be a really tough situation to deal with.

 

[Moonbear]

4 1/2 years ago I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. It is a genetic, degenerative condition that eventually shuts down kidney function. Concurrently, it was discovered that my right kidney contained a large tumor that turned out to be malignant, which necessitated the removal of the kidney .

Depending on how fast the PKD progresses,(It varies from individual to individual), I may be needing a kidney transplant in the future.

At present, my remaining kidney is holding in there, and hopefully will remain to to do so for some time.

Isn't that the same thing Kojo (or however you spell that...the wacky guy from People Magazine who does guest spots on the Today Show about celebrities and fashion) has? He was just interviewed this week saying he's going in for a kidney transplant. Apparently he's still asymptomatic. So, do just celebrities get kidney transplants if they are still asymptomatic, or can the disease advance pretty far before you develop symptoms?

 

[Janus]

Janus..My friend has 3 kidneys(serious), I'm going to ask him if he could spare one.

PS.I wonder what doctors would find in me if I were getting totall checkup(MRI and stuff) .how much does it cost to have one?

From my understanding, between $1000 - $1500. I've had 2, but both luckily were fully covered by insurance.

As for the kidney, there's no rush. As I said, my present kidney seems to be doing the job for now, and it could continue to do so for years. I do appreciate the thought however.

 

[Tsu]

BoulderHead - Too late.

Janus - I'd offer you one of mine but I have cysts in both of my kidneys too (I forgot about that one... ) - but nothing like PCK. Are you of Hispanic descent? I know this is more prevelant in their population, as I have a friend of Hispanic descent with PCK.

tumor - Of your entire body? First let me ask you how much you'd be willing to spend. Then let me say "It'll probably cost WAY more than that!" Then, please take a look at this:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/iyh/medical/mri.html
Especially the section heading "Health Risks Associated with Whole Body Screening".

Just in case you weren't joking, please do not seriously consider this.

Also, more than likely, your friends third kidney is considerably smaller than the other two. Unless he's willing to part with one of his fully developed kidneys, go through a lot of rigorous testing, be out of commission for 6-8 weeks following surgery with about a years worth of follow up with his doctors... How good a friend IS he??

 

[Evo]

Isn't that the same thing Kojo (or however you spell that...the wacky guy from People Magazine who does guest spots on the Today Show about celebrities and fashion) has?

Ewwwww, I can't stand that guy, he is SO CREEPY.

 

[Janus]

Isn't that the same thing Kojo (or however you spell that...the wacky guy from People Magazine who does guest spots on the Today Show about celebrities and fashion) has? He was just interviewed this week saying he's going in for a kidney transplant. Apparently he's still asymptomatic. So, do just celebrities get kidney transplants if they are still asymptomatic, or can the disease advance pretty far before you develop symptoms?

Yes, it is the same thing.

I think it is more a matter of having the money to pay for a transplant out of pocket, compared to those of us who rely on medical insurance or HMO's.

As far as symtoms go, it can vary from person to person. Some people can suffer with them for years, and some can have few symtoms up until the kidneys fail. My dad fell in the latter group, we had no knowledge of the fact that he even had PKD, All we knew was that he died of renal failure. It wasn't until after I was diagnosed with it and was told that it was genetic did I, in hindsight, realize that he must of had it too.

 

[Moonbear]

Ewwwww, I can't stand that guy, he is SO CREEPY.

He definitely has a bizarre appearance. I've been noticing he's been looking completely emaciated lately, skin almost hanging off of bones. I was thinking he's probably anorexic, with the way his whole career revolves around appearances, but when he announced his disease, I thought maybe it's related to that. But what really bugs me about him is the way he's all mouth! It's one thing for someone to show a lot of teeth when they smile, but not molars! Reminds me of the cartoon character Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.

 

[Janus]

BoulderHead - Too late.

Janus - I'd offer you one of mine but I have cysts in both of my kidneys too (I forgot about that one... ) - but nothing like PCK. Are you of Hispanic descent? I know this is more prevelant in their population, as I have a friend of Hispanic descent with PCK.

Actually, I'm of Finnish descent.

 

[Tsu]

I KNEW there was something I liked about you! Ivan is part Finnish! You Finns are sweeties!