Donstar

Yesterday, I arrived at the hospital at noon for a 2pm scheduled knee replacement. By 1 pm I was prepped and ready for surgery and in the waiting room for pre op patients. At about 2:30 a nurse came in to tell me she needs to send me home. The patient that my surgeon is currently with was experiencing complications. I had witnessed the same nurse giving similar news to another waiting patient about his surgery a few minutes earlier. I was very impressed, and surprised, by how understanding this man was when hearing the news. I copied his graciousness. I did ask the nurse what she did wrong to have to be the one delegated to pass on such news! There is a lot of prep and anxiety that happens prior to surgery and I'm sure not all patients respond well to be cancelled at the last moment. Stuff happens!

I do know a couple of seniors who declined the option of a joint replacement and subsequently regretted their decision. If your need for a replacement is from natural causes then chances are you have other joints that are future candidates for replacement. You can tough it out with one painful joint but when its twin gets mad at doing all the work, you have a problem. Osteoarthritis prevented my mother from walking for the last decade of her life. Some, like my mom, wait until the pain renders them immobile and discover surgery is no longer an option.

Thank you and congratulations to your mom!

This coming Monday I am having a left knee replacement. I went for pre-op X-rays yesterday and comparisons were made between my good knee and the one scheduled for replacement. I am not surprised to find out that they are both in similar condition! These older bodies certainly require maintenance! My right knee has done more than its share of the work over the past few years and I'm thankful it held out long enough for its twin to be refurbished!

Plus 1 for jeans and pullover shirts. My clothing choices have remained the same throughout my adult life. I keep a pair of black jeans for those special occasions! My work peers often wore shirts and ties but my weekday attire was about the same as what I wore on the weekends. My haberdashery is Costco!

Incredible! Scary times! My sincerest wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.

I just heard a news item about 2016 nostalgia. People talked about the difference in clothes, music technology etc. They showed people intentionally dressed in clothes of the period and played music of the day. I guess today, I'm going to dress in vintage clothes and drive around in my pre-2016 Sierra while listening to tunes of bygone days! Of course, I did the same thing yesterday but now I identify as "old fashioned"!

I have a bidet toilet seat in our main bathroom. My 82 year old visitor noticed it yesterday when using the facilities. She is thinking of having one installed in the future and had lots of questions. Money is not a concern for her and I recommended that she gets one for her home. Her response was she is managing fine now and will wait for the time when she isn't. This is the same friend who had a fall because she didn't want the neighbors to see her using a cane. More recently, one evening she called us to come help her because she was stuck on her couch and couldn't get up to use the bathroom. We had found her a walker a year ago for such occasions but she put it away out of sight in her garage. She claims that she hasn't got the "old lady look" and such equipment isn't necessary yet. I want to tell her that her mirror is deceiving her and that she (and those around her) would be happy to see her taking advantage of the tools designed to help in our senior years. I am happy to be getting old only because the alternative is much worse. I choose to be proactive in taking advantage to acquiring the tools to assist me as I age.

A lady gets on a bus with her baby, and the bus driver says "That is the ugliest baby I've ever seen" the lady is pissed and she goes to the back of the bus and sits down beside a fellow, and she is visibly pissed, and the fellow looks at her and says "What's wrong?" and the lady say the bus driver just insulted us, and the man says "If you want I will hold your monkey and you can go up there and tell him off".

My brother was prescribed CPAP therapy a few years ago and quit after his first night. He went back to his Doctor and was prescribed a custom mouth guard as an alternative to reduce his frequency of apnea events. The fact that I didn't know this until I told him about the results of my sleep study is a good example of the stigma around sleep issues. It is hard to imagine going to bed every night with a tube extending from a hideous looking mask to a machine beside your bed. The first nights are a struggle and you will need to make changes and adjustments to become comfortable with the therapy. Talk about your frustrations and you will find nothing but support, respect and encouragement. Being embarrassed or secretive have no benefit. Personally, I feel proud to be taking advantage of the very effective technology available to sleep safely.

Absolutely painless! The overnight sleep study is the "gold standard" for determining OSA and some report that it is the best night's sleep they've had in years! A CPAP machine and mask is not the only option for correcting night time breathing but you'll also hear the term "gold standard" when comparing CPAP to the other remedies.

This is true and a great reason to ask your Doctor to be referred for a sleep study. If you snore, get tested to hopefully eliminate worry! My friend is using the argument that snoring doesn't always mean apnea to minimize the importance of telling his Doctor. I did the same until I had a stroke while sleeping. I was surprised my sleep study revealed severe apnea. It was ignorant of me to put myself at such easily avoidable risk and to be so inconsiderate to the woman who sleeps with me every night. CPAP therapy is highly effective in keeping apnea at safe levels and providing a healthy nights sleep for you and anyone sharing the room!

Does/will CPAP therapy reduce incidents of holding your breath because of PTSD? I know it won't change the horrific dreams but may at least keep your oxygen levels normal.

Excellent! It is evident you have current first- hand familiarity with sleep issues! The sleep clinic I went to is in a nearby strip mall. I didn't know it existed but apparently it's been there for years. They average 6-8 overnight sleep study patients per night, 7 nights a week. Each attendee has a clean, comfortable, private room and the clinic has a waitlist! Initially, I was hesitant but would do it again tonight if asked!

^^^^ Exactly! I was bad in this regard so I'm going to man-up and talk to him on his own. Personally, I wasted a lot of time and money on over the counter snoring remedies but it took me having a stroke before I seriously spoke to my Doctor about my wife's concerns. If someone complains about your nighttime noise, or you are having any sleep concerns, tell your Doctor. If he refers you to a sleep study, jump at the opportunity. Your only regret will be that you didn't do it sooner. If you end up being prescribed CPAP therapy, the benefits far exceed the hassle. If you've been prescribed CPAP equipment and quit, you're doing it wrong. There are an overwhelming number of CPAP users, like me, who will help you succeed.

I mentioned to a couple 70+ year old couple we were visiting yesterday that my wife just bought me a travel CPAP machine for an early birthday present. This prompted the wife of this couple we were visiting to tell her husband that he should have his snoring checked out. He snapped back that he will get it checked if a professional tells him to get it checked! Obviously the CPAP topic struck a nerve and I did my best to ease the tension. I told him you don't need a professional to tell you that you snore or have breathing issues while sleeping. Be glad that someone cares enough to tell you!

"Why would I want a smartphone?", is a question that does prompt a chuckle. It is unimaginable why anyone would choose to be without one. The cartoon in the post above depicts many of the basic tasks a modern "phone" does cheaper and more conveniently than previous technology. The part I find funny is why we call it a phone. I seldom use it to speak to anyone but I use this device frequently. I still own a landline, a dedicated digital camera, a laptop, a desk calendar. a portable radio a library card and look forward to our weekly newspaper! Oh, and I lick my finger to check wind direction. (Some may need to use their phone to find out why! )

One of my phone apps quit working and I was told my old Android phone would need replacing if I wanted to continue using this particular app. I was quite happy with my old Motorola from Costco so yesterday I drove to Costco and bought a new Motorola! I didn't buy the cheapest phone Costco offers, but close!

"Use it or lose it". I also strive for 10k steps per day. I periodically clip a pedometer to my belt and verify. I'm not fanatical about the 10k number but strive to average close to this number. Currently, I'm waiting for a knee replacement and I know I'm walking well below this number of steps. It can be painful to stand and start walking. I'm ok once I start walking but I lose a lot of the incidental steps we typically do in a day when it hurts to initiate movement.

I also go to watch and will be at the mall in about an hour. Funny to see families still visiting Santa!

About thirty years ago, I found myself Christmas shopping for my wife on the morning of Dec. 24. Walmart was open 24hrs so I went there first. It looked like a men's only club. I commented to a sales clerk about this observation and she said it happens every year. Men have a greater tendency to leave their Christmas shopping to the last minute. Since then, I've learned my lesson. I had my Christmas shopping completed by 5 pm Dec.23 this year!

Everyone celebrating Christmas and reading this thread have many, many memories of this special day. Some recollections are so outstanding we may shed a tear or two at the dinner table tomorrow! In an instant we've graduated from the kid's table to special accommodations at the grownups' table! I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas full of laughter and happy tears!