Health and Wellness Chit-Chat: Your Primary Care Topic

[Browncoat]

13 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Woke up with a small sore throat.

Keep an eye on that, but if your weather is anything like it is here, the air is bone dry.  My throat has been a little scratchy in the mornings just because the humidity is so low.  The mirror in my bathroom doesn't even steam up after my shower, it's so dry!

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Keep an eye on that, but if your weather is anything like it is here, the air is bone dry.  My throat has been a little scratchy in the mornings just because the humidity is so low. 

Throat is still not quite right. 
I'm pretty sure I'm fighting off RSV with the help of the vaccine. 
But, wow,

3 hours ago, Browncoat said:

The mirror in my bathroom doesn't even steam up after my shower, it's so dry!

that is even drier than my place, and I have to put eyedrops in every few hours this time of year.

We should get humidifiers.

[BooksRule]

I had a regular appointment with my ophthalmologist this morning.  I have glaucoma, so I go three times a year.  I was worried that my eye pressure had gone up (last visit it wasn't too bad, but the time before it was near my upper 'baseline'), but I was pleasantly surprised that it had actually gone down a bit.  I know that I had skipped a dose of my eyedrops once or twice in the last several months, but I guess it wasn't enough to cause any problems (I'm usually fairly strict with myself about my drops).  So that was good news.  And it was one of those visits where I didn't get 'the works', so once I got called in from the outer waiting room, it took less than an hour for me to get back out (so I was only about 20 minutes late to meet some people for an early lunch).  I don't usually keep track of what is done at each appointment, but once a year I have to get photos taken, read the chart, take the Visual Field Test where you click the button when you see the little lights (I call it the 'asteroid test'), get my eyes dilated, get more photos of a different sort taken, and -- finally -- you get to see the doctor where he does the usual exam plus a check for retina problems.  Whew! 

So good news about that visit. 

[Anela]

On 11/29/2023 at 10:31 AM, Browncoat said:

Keep an eye on that, but if your weather is anything like it is here, the air is bone dry.  My throat has been a little scratchy in the mornings just because the humidity is so low.  The mirror in my bathroom doesn't even steam up after my shower, it's so dry!

I hope this is why I got sick. I don't think I've had a fever, but last week, I started waking up feeling not quite right . It wasn't there for long, but I felt that way every day. Thursday, it was a bit stronger, and so was Saturday morning. Sunday, same, and I was sneezing. Throat slightly scratchy. Monday, I woke up and it was definitely sore, leading to the top of my throat. 

I thought it was going away on Tuesday, so I went to the store to get a few things. I always wear my mask, and I got some Theraflu, just in case. It's gross. Yesterday, I felt worse, and today, it's in my throat. Dad brought home some Airborne, which I looked at on Tuesday, and should have got instead of Theraflu.

Covid test was negative on Monday, and I haven't done another one yet. I don't go anywhere, anyway, but it's bugging me that I managed to get sick, when I've avoided anything fun (also can't afford much, so that's a part of it). My bedroom gets really cold, and I've been back up there since April, so I've been on the couch since Sunday. I sleep in front of a fan, and my skin has become really dry, so maybe I just got too cold, and dry. I've been drinking Liquid IV, every day, but it hasn't been enough. I'm wary of running the humidifier for myself, because I don't do well in high humidity, either. 

[Yeah No]

It's scary how you can do next to nothing around people and still get sick.  I didn't wear a mask anywhere on my trip to Florida and didn't get anything.  Meanwhile I was certainly around a lot of people.  Of course a couple of weeks after I came back I ended up with the mildest cold I ever had.  I had a few sniffles and soreness of the throat and just a little sluggishness.  It was weird because my best friend in NYC had just told me she had something that sounded identical to that, and we haven't seen each other in 2 months.  Neither of us tested positive for Covid, but then I thought maybe it was Covid but such a mild case thanks to natural immunity and the latest vaccine that it didn't even show up on the home test.  Of course my husband, who rarely gets anything, didn't have any symptoms.

@shapeshifter, your symptoms after the RSV vaccine are making me scared to get it.  I am wondering how common that is but I really don't know.  And I am just so tired of vaccine symptoms at this point.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

@shapeshifter, your symptoms after the RSV vaccine are making me scared to get it.  I am wondering how common that is but I really don't know.  And I am just so tired of vaccine symptoms at this point.

But now that I think I have RSV, I’m glad I got the vaccine. 
But you’re not around toddlers, are you?
I think they’re the main RSV vectors.

My throat hurts worse each day, but it’s now $95 to go to urgent care, or else spend an hour in the car to see a physician’s assistant to get swabbed, and be told to go home and have lots of chicken noodle soup.

[Yeah No]

18 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

But now that I think I have RSV, I’m glad I got the vaccine. 
But you’re not around toddlers, are you?
I think they’re the main RSV vectors.

My throat hurts worse each day, but it’s now $95 to go to urgent care, or else spend an hour in the car to see a physician’s assistant to get swabbed, and be told to go home and have lots of chicken noodle soup.

No I'm not around any toddlers, so that's good.  My doctor told me I can hold off on getting the vaccine because of that and the fact that anyone I hang out with is also similarly not around children at all.   Also the TV news is always exaggerating how much of it is out there.  They're acting like it's spiking but then in the next sentence said that there's more Covid out there than that.  

How are you doing now?  And are you sure you have RSV?  Have you been tested for it (is there a test?)?

[shapeshifter]

On 12/1/2023 at 10:43 PM, Yeah No said:

How are you doing now?  And are you sure you have RSV?  Have you been tested for it (is there a test?)?

There is a swab test, but I haven’t bothered 
— mostly because:
”…You can even get RSV twice in the same in season.…” (healthline.com/health/can-you-get-rsv-twice).
And it’s a hassle to get it. 

This following line:
”…But later infections tend to be less serious.…”
makes me recall camping in Banff in my early 20s when mosquitoes were thick.
My arms were literally covered with bites.
But by the end of 2 weeks, when a mosquito would bite, it would only last for a few moments.
However, at my age, my immune system is not quite so spunky.

Anyway, I think my sore throat might be a tiny bit better this morning?
(I think this is the 5th day of sore throat?)

Still no cough, so since that’s the main reason to get the vaccine, I’d say it was a success.

Poor little grand-toddler Lambchop still has a deep cough, but was allowed to come back to preschool/daycare because he had no fever for 24 hours.🤔🤷🏻‍♀️
But, on FaceTime he seems perky, even if a bit cranky.

I had a very slight fever last night. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Update:
I am miserable with cold-like symptoms, but no cough.
My daughter (Lambchop's mom) now has full-blown RSV.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
 

Update 2

My illness abated just in time for my oldest daughter’s visit!

Even with a negative RSV test, It seemingly was RSV.
My data points of experience:

• The day after my temperature spiked to over 100°, I improved quickly — which is, according to my toddler grandson’s pediatrician, a hallmark of RSV.
• I had the vaccine 2 months ago, and it did not get to my 70 year old lungs 🫁
  — just upper respiratory and just one side and just a week of misery🤧
• Having the rapid test for RSV nearly a week after getting sick, and having been recently immunized, the rapid test for RSV was negative,
  — which only indicates there was not enough of the RSV virus to register, which could also be because the test was not completed with adequate supplies in the overwhelmed and poorly managed urgent care center where I had it done.

But my little grandson, who tested positive over a week ago, still coughs like an elderly chain smoker. But he’s cheerful and busy👶
His 30-something-age parents recovered quickly.

Edited December 6, 2023 by shapeshifter

[annzeepark914]

I'm back in the boot!  But this time it's on my right foot as I tripped over some metal plank in a parking garage two weeks ago and my ankle is sprained. Saw an orthopedic MD today who said to wear the boot (it originally was for my left foot mystery ailment that has yet to be solved after two years). Just in time for Xmas. I had x-rays, didn't show anything, but he said it may be a hairline fracture. Call the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaambulance, pleeze 😭

[BooksRule]

Well, Friday evening I realized that I had developed a cough and a scratchy throat. It turned into a real barking cough and I had  fever last night (just over 100), that seemed to come and go. Today I feel better (I got a little sleep), but the cough continues and the fever just came back (once again, 100).  I made an appointment at a local drugstore to get a Covid and Flu test this afternoon. 

[Browncoat]

I hope you feel better soon, @BooksRule!

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, BooksRule said:

Well, Friday evening I realized that I had developed a cough and a scratchy throat. It turned into a real barking cough and I had  fever last night (just over 100), that seemed to come and go. Today I feel better (I got a little sleep), but the cough continues and the fever just came back (once again, 100).  I made an appointment at a local drugstore to get a Covid and Flu test this afternoon. 

If possible, get an RSV test too!

[BooksRule]

It turned out that I have the flu.  Today is the first day since Friday evening that I feel more like myself (although I still look like death warmed over). My fever is gone too. The idea of coffee sounds good, too, which is a good sign.  When I'm sick, coffee becomes unappealing to me. 

 

[annzeepark914]

On 12/17/2023 at 3:41 PM, shapeshifter said:

If possible, get an RSV test too!

So, there's a test for RSV? That's good.

I'm sitting in my hair salon and the room I'm in is busy. Glad to be wearing a mask, per usual (only one other person is wearing a mask). I just read that there's a new variant moving around the country, J-something and that a mega number of Americans haven't kept up with the latest vaccines (got a sneaky suspicion one of them is my sister 🙄). 

[Spartan Girl]

Fucking El Niño winter.

My mouth/throat has been feeling hot off and on again, not hurting, just an hot feeling, mind you, and I have a slightly stuffy nose today. I took a Covid test on Thursday and it was negative—my mom thinks it’s just the weather/allergies and nothing more—my allergy doctor did tell me it was going to be bad this fall and winter—but I’m still paranoid, especially since we have some people coming over today and tomorrow. 

It isn’t helping that a bunch of people I know have been getting sick lately, not just with Covid. I have been as careful as I always have been, masks and all. My dad, on the other hand, doesn’t bother with masks unless he’s at the doctor.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

Fucking El Niño winter.

My mouth/throat has been feeling hot off and on again, not hurting, just an hot feeling, mind you, and I have a slightly stuffy nose today. I took a Covid test on Thursday and it was negative—my mom thinks it’s just the weather/allergies and nothing more—my allergy doctor did tell me it was going to be bad this fall and winter—but I’m still paranoid, especially since we have some people coming over today and tomorrow. 

It isn’t helping that a bunch of people I know have been getting sick lately, not just with Covid. I have been as careful as I always have been, masks and all. My dad, on the other hand, doesn’t bother with masks unless he’s at the doctor.

You can get flu and RSV nasal swab tests at urgent care centers or your primary care doctor's. The results are very quick, but there are also false negatives. 
Getting the tests might at least make your at least feel like you took thoughtful precautions. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[JustHereForFood]

Me and my mom are both home with Covid. She was on Paxlovid between Monday-Friday and she has terribly low blood pressure from it. At least we hope that's the reason and that it will get better now. She almost fell down a couple of times when she got up, if I didn't catch her in time. I told her she needs to wait for me and not go anywhere on her own, because I would probably not be able to pick her up and I'm too afraid she would hurt herself. She doesn't like it of course, since she's very independent and active. Her mother had same problems with blood pressure, but she had diabetes and problems with kidneys. I really hope that this was just a reaction to the medication and not a beginning of some serious issues. I'm not ready for that.

I only managed about half of the food we prepare for Christmas as I'm still a bit weak myself. Just the potato salad, no fish and no soup, plus I baked our traditional Christmas cake and one of the three types of cookies we do (the dough for one more is in the fridge, waiting to feel a bit better for it). It is what it is. I cooked and baked the last two days (we have the dinner on 24th as the main Christmas meal), today I have to take a break.

Sorry for being such a downer, I don't know where else to vent.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

Me and my mom are both home with Covid. She was on Paxlovid between Monday-Friday and she has terribly low blood pressure from it. At least we hope that's the reason and that it will get better now. She almost fell down a couple of times when she got up, if I didn't catch her in time. I told her she needs to wait for me and not go anywhere on her own, because I would probably not be able to pick her up and I'm too afraid she would hurt herself. She doesn't like it of course, since she's very independent and active. Her mother had same problems with blood pressure, but she had diabetes and problems with kidneys. I really hope that this was just a reaction to the medication and not a beginning of some serious issues. I'm not ready for that.

She might be dehydrated from fever or just not drinking enough fluids for whatever reason. (pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/low-blood-pressure#:~:text=drinking enough fluids-,(dehydration),)

Also: Does your mom take any regular medications (that might interact with either the Paxlovid or Covid to cause low blood pressure)?

3 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

only managed about half of the food we prepare for Christmas as I'm still a bit weak myself.…today I have to take a break.

Yes! Take it easy. 

[annzeepark914]

@JustHereForFood I agree with this^^^^ re: the perils of being dehydrated. Make sure your mom (& you 🤗) drink plenty of water. Just put Xmas on hold until you both are ready to enjoy the treats. 

[JustHereForFood]

Thank you both. Yeah, we figured that might have made it worse too. She was feeling nauseous after a few days (that is said to be a very common symptom), so she was drinking less. Not like nothing at all, but less than usual. I have been keeping an eye on her these last two days and reminding her to drink, today she was feeling better, so fingers crossed. 

6 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Also: Does your mom take any regular medications (that might interact with either the Paxlovid or Covid to cause low blood pressure)?

Just a medication for thyroid and now some vitamins to boost immunity. Plus she took some pill for migraine once, but her doctor knew about all these and said it should be fine. She double-checked if she should continue when she started feeling nauseous, but was told that that's still better than getting pneumonia from covid, which is hard to argue with. 

[Bastet]

One of the most common, yet still rare, side effects of Paxlovid is increased blood pressure, so it's not likely to be the medicine.  Low blood pressure during an illness is usually due to dehydration. 

[shapeshifter]

On 10/15/2023 at 10:44 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

That's certainly the party line.  I actually got concerned because I wear my hearing aids only when I'm going somewhere that I know will be unscripted--like "Do you want fries with that?"  I know that's what they said even if I didn't actually hear it, and I don't bother wearing my hearing aids.  But if I'm going to be talking to friends, or if I'm going to a movie in English, I always wear them.  But I never wear them when sitting around the house or watching TV.

So during the pandemic I wasn't wearing them at all. 

I wondered what specific damage not wearing my hearing aids could do, and couldn't really find any data.  They talk about recruitment, how if you don't use part of your brain for its usual task, it starts getting used for other tasks.  But I think that's just a general theory and hasn't been proved by fMRI scans or whatever in the case of auditory processing.  And even without my hearing aids, I do plenty of auditory processing, although on only one side.

And of course they talk about cognitive decline, but it's going to be real hard to prove that not wearing a hearing aid caused cognitive decline, or made it worse.  And when they talk about cognitive decline, they usually also talk about social isolation, which is one of the dangers of not using hearing aids when you need them.  But what if you cope well with social isolation, or actually prefer it--does that affect the likelihood of cognitive decline?  Is it becoming socially isolated because you have trouble hearing the problem?

And the latest study I've seen found that hearing aids slow cognitive decline only in people already at high risk of cognitive decline.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/hearing-aids-slow-cognitive-decline-people-high-risk

But even that article mentions social engagement as one factor they're going to look at.  What if social isolation or social engagement isn't a problem for you?

I used this example in another thread:  We're always told to avoid sugar and highly processed foods, and if they say why, they talk about the danger of obesity, and diabetes (which is often linked to obesity).  But what about a person who can eat a diet high in sugar and ultra-processed foods without being obese and without getting diabetes? 

I once did an experiment with fish oil and cholesterol.  I got my cholesterol tested and then started taking fish oil, and after a few months got my cholesterol tested again.  It was basically unchanged (and pretty much the same it's been my entire life).  I told the nurse who did the follow-up cholesterol test what I was up to, and I said, "So now I know I don't need to be taking the fish oil."  He said, "You should take it anyway."

Argh.

I'm all for "it can't hurt" with all sorts of stuff, but only if it's clear that's the basis for the recommendation.  Because it's true that there are probably no deleterious health effects from taking fish oil, but some of us would prefer not to take it unless we know it's doing some good, especially because supplements like that are lightly regulated at best, and who knows what's really in them.

And then we have the advice to take baby aspirin to prevent heart attacks.  That was definitely the party line for years, until it wasn't.  Now it's recommended that unless you're in a certain population, you don't take a baby aspirin every day because the risks outweigh the benefits.

But is that the end of the story?  What if you drill deeper and identify the risks and benefits and put them in your decision matrix?  What if you generally tolerate aspirin well and are deathly afraid of a stroke, and will do anything you can to prevent one, even if it causes intestinal bleeding, because you're okay with that but you really really really don't want to have a stroke? 

That's the person general recommendations don't speak to--someone who's ingested the information and applied it to his life and his values.  And I'm afraid that there are people who might benefit from doing that, but they don't even know it's an option, or they're too scared to go against the experts.

So back to the hearing aids--am I experiencing cognitive decline?  I call it that, but it's really just not remembering names and things like that (even though I can remember credit card numbers I haven't had for decades).  The other day I could NOT think of the name of the prince that isn't Charles or Andrew.  I even knew his wife's name is Sophie, even though I have only the most cursory interest in the royal family.  But I could NOT come up with Edward. 

And I'm the age (66) where people do start forgetting shit.  The question is whether it's worse than it would otherwise be, and there's no way to know that.  And if it could somehow be known that it is more advanced, there's definitely no way to know if it's because I don't wear my hearing aids when I'm watching TV or grocery shopping.

So I'm going with what makes me happy, which is wearing them only when I need them.  It works for me, and if it ends up biting me in the ass, oh well.  It's not like I didn't give it any thought.

Any thoughts on rechargeable batteries v. having to put new ones in? 
Especially if I'm not going to be using them too often?

ETA: Going with rechargeable.

My Medicare Advantage Plan uses TruHearing.
I'm going with the Advance (which is supposed to be rebranded Signia 7, 7x, 7nx, 7a ?).

My Medicare flex dollars for 2023 will cover almost all of it, and then if I decide to switch up to the TruHearing Premium, my 2024 flex dollars should cover most of the upgrade. 

Since I'm very tech savvy and like to be in control, I might prefer controlling background noise through an app on my phone anyway, instead of having it automated through the Premium model?

The differences are: 

Edited December 29, 2023 by shapeshifter

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 12/28/2023 at 11:58 PM, shapeshifter said:

Any thoughts on rechargeable batteries v. having to put new ones in? 
Especially if I'm not going to be using them too often?

ETA: Going with rechargeable.

Most people go with rechargeable. 

I don't mind using batteries, especially after I figured that once you pull off the adhesive tab, they'll last about a week whether you're using them or not--they discharge just sitting there.  But if you put the tab back on and cover the little holes on the battery (or use a piece of scotch tape), the batteries don't discharge just sitting there.

Nobody will ever tell you that because that goes against the mandate that you must wear your hearing aids all the time.  But I use mine only in certain situations, and hated it when I'd have to put in new batteries for what I knew would be only one use.

Rechargeable gets around all of that, obviously.  I wouldn't be surprised if by the time I get new ones, there won't be any non-rechargeable ones, which will make my choice easier by not having a choice, but I kind of hate becoming reliant on something that can fail, when the other option is just to carry a spare tiny little battery around with me and pop it in if the hearing aid goes dead when I'm out and about.

I also prefer DOS to Windows.

My main advice is to keep your expectations low.  The holy grail is understanding speech in noise, and the manufacturers promise a lot, but there's only so much technology can do (see my description upthread about how noise-cancelling headphones don't work for intermittently barking dogs).  Hearing aids might make it easier to hear speech in noise, but if you read the literature, you think all background noise gets suppressed and it's as if you're in a quiet room with the person you're talking to.  That's just not the case.

So just focus on whether the hearing aids make things better for you in the situations you're in.  They will never sound as good as natural hearing, but it can be an acceptable trade-off for being able to hear what's being said at all.

It will most definitely not be like when a kid first gets glasses and instantly notices there are individual leaves on trees.

[Ancaster]

Coming over from the Chit Chat thread.

I was whinging about having Long Covid and womeone mentioned that there's a show called News Nation with Chris Cuomo that's doing a deep dive into the symptoms, treatment, etc.

It's on at 11pm Pacfic tonight, but I assume it'll be findable afterwards.

[athousandclowns]

I’ve watched it twice since the mention and he’s really in a tangent. He’s taking several  drugs not approved. The rants are about the Chinese labs creating variant that kills mice 100% of the time when infected. I’m with him WHY? 

[Yeah No]

7 hours ago, athousandclowns said:

I’ve watched it twice since the mention and he’s really in a tangent. He’s taking several  drugs not approved. The rants are about the Chinese labs creating variant that kills mice 100% of the time when infected. I’m with him WHY? 

I saw a segment on that which can be seen here:

https://www.newsnationnow.com/video/chinese-scientists-experimenting-with-fatal-mutant-covid-strain-is-‘frightening’-doctor-cuomo/9338851/

I can't find that episode that aired on Jan. 9.  If anyone can find it and post how to access it here, I'd appreciate that.  Thanks.

[athousandclowns]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I saw a segment on that which can be seen here:

https://www.newsnationnow.com/video/chinese-scientists-experimenting-with-fatal-mutant-covid-strain-is-‘frightening’-doctor-cuomo/9338851/

I can't find that episode that aired on Jan. 9.  If anyone can find it and post how to access it here, I'd appreciate that.  Thanks.

Was it the one with Dr Lee on long Covid issues? I went to YouTube typed in Chris Cuomo News Nation  and the  date  of Jan 9. so not sure if that’s the one you want. The Chris Cuomo Project is available  there too.  Sorry I suck  at linking 

Edited January 22 by athousandclowns

[shapeshifter]

42 minutes ago, athousandclowns said:

Was it the one with Dr Lee on long Covid issues? I went to YouTube typed in Chris Cuomo News Nation  and the  date  of Jan 9. so not sure if that’s the one you want. The Chris Cuomo Project is available  there too.  Sorry I suck  at linking 

About New Nation: newsnationnow.com/about

[Ancaster]

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I saw a segment on that which can be seen here:

https://www.newsnationnow.com/video/chinese-scientists-experimenting-with-fatal-mutant-covid-strain-is-‘frightening’-doctor-cuomo/9338851/

I can't find that episode that aired on Jan. 9.  If anyone can find it and post how to access it here, I'd appreciate that.  Thanks.

I have to say that I tuned in but stopped watching before it got to the covid bit because my impression from the guy was he wasn't going to provide any useful information.  Sorry if I'm doing him a disservice.

[EtheltoTillie]

I agree.  I stopped watching as there was nothing useful. 

[stewedsquash]

I mean it’s Chris, he of the faked being in isolation in his basement during his supposed bout with covid and then pictures revealed he was out and about the entire time, so yeah, ha, he isn’t a good source for this kind of information. Or any information really unless you are looking for a scam from a not smart man.

[athousandclowns]

Yes @stewedsquash now I’m recalling seeing him telecasting from his home supposedly away from the rest of his family. Since I don’t watch I wonder if he counts that as his first bout. 

I’m lucky ( rarely) but my hearing aide company  gives free batteries. One aide with most hearing loss uses slightly more power and it’s first to go but within little while the other side goes . When I got mine in 2018 I went to hearing center and guy that we used since my HOH son was little and I trusted him explicitly. A friend who needed them at the same time was going to go to Costco but I felt I wouldn’t get the same level of customer service.  He actually wound up because of having Kaiser had to pay a fraction of what I did or was reimbursed almost totally, and went to private company      When I questioned the guy I knew for years about batteries he said most people who start out with rechargeable after a year do change to  regular batteries. I didn’t ask why but the friend who got aides same time I did switch after a year.   I don’t know the reason. When he watches tv or listens to potcasts he uses a headset that’s linked so has a note by his door to put hearing aides in.  The reason I got mine after my loss that came after bronchitis and pneumonia and earache ( the antibiotic turns out to cause loss + plus I’m old)  was I wanted to hear /distinguish what my young grandchildren were saying to me.

 Recently I was hearing a beep every 3 minutes and could not tell where it was coming from. My freezer door had been left open overnight so I kept going in there.   I’d take my aides out and put them back in going in every room in my small condo  it sounded like it was  in same room I was in, and driving me crazy. Finally my daughter-in-law came over because obviously my sons loss would result in same as my inability tone wise.  She  found a little beeper I’d  had to find my keys that I’d lost receiver to it was on table next to me under a paper. She’s already won best daughter-in-law many times before for grander things.    

I had a terrible productive wet cough from Dec 31 until Jan 14. My ribs hurt  so bad from constant coughing ,yet had no temperature or sore throat, total lack of sleep and nausea. .  My daughter in law who went to urgent care right before I got sick had non  proactive ,just dry cough had temperature and sore throat with headache and swollen glands  

They gave her Covid test RSV flu A and B  . Said she had bad cold  was given inhaler and non narcotic cough RX

The narcotic RX syrup given to me I was so cautious taking it the first night maybe a 1/4 teaspoon when directions  were 1-2 teaspoons. Well because of no sleep and very little food I was holding on to walls going down hall to bed. Can’t tolerate medication like I used to. 

Edited January 22 by athousandclowns
Typo

[shapeshifter]

I got my hearing aid today.

 

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

I got my hearing aid today.

 

How is it so far?

[Yeah No]

9 hours ago, Ancaster said:

I have to say that I tuned in but stopped watching before it got to the covid bit because my impression from the guy was he wasn't going to provide any useful information.  Sorry if I'm doing him a disservice.

I've seen Dr. William Li on a bunch of talk and news shows.  He wrote a best selling book on healthy eating so of course he keeps writing books and keeps going on shows.  At first I thought he was pretty legit but as time goes on he has gotten more simplistic and glosses over stuff.  Or he'll latch onto one trendy "superfood" and push it like it's the cure-all of the century.  And when someone starts giving off Dr. Oz vibes I tend to take what they say with a grain of salt.

I did get something out of this video.  He mentioned how they realize now that you can have "long flu" which is similar to long Covid.  As soon as I learned about Long Covid a few years back I realized I'd had something like that after a flu I had when I was in college.  I got sick the week before finals and pushed myself to study and turn in papers and projects anyway.  Then I took my finals.  I was completely exhausted afterward and even though I was over the flu I literally could not get out of bed for almost a month.  It was a major accomplishment to get up to go to the bathroom.  I was only 19 at the time and it was very scary.  My mother took me to a few doctors but no one could figure out what was wrong with me as my vitals were all normal.  I had a work-study job lined up for that Summer and thankfully they held it for me for a month until I got better.  

 

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

How is it so far?

It seemed to work well. 
It’s got Bluetooth and a nicely simple app on my phone for adjusting volume and focusing directionality (like for a restaurant) — neither of which I’ve had to use yet, LOL.
But in Wegmans it was nice to ask an employee a question and not have to ask them to repeat the answer.

It will be interesting to see how it is at my grandson’s 2-year-old birthday party on Saturday, which will have probably a dozen of my son-in-law’s innumerable extended family members.

My only concern is that by the end of the first day, the cartilage of my outer ear canal where it rests was a bit irritated. I have very sensitive ear cartilage and have to wear glasses that don’t touch it at all.
I’ve had it out for 5 hours, and the spot still feels tender.

I may have to use it mainly when visiting with family, even though I liked being able to hear the TV from the next room while preparing food.

I tried the over-the-ear style 2 years ago, which was so light that it didn’t bother my ear cartilage, but it got in the way of my hair and glasses, and didn’t work well. But that was from a different place. I wish I could try both, but I think you have to return one to get another. I’ll ask.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 1/22/2024 at 4:06 PM, athousandclowns said:

One aide with most hearing loss uses slightly more power and it’s first to go but within little while the other side goes . 

One of my hearing aids uses batteries faster than the other because it has significantly more gain.  I counteract that by swapping the batteries every night, to even out the usage.

[shapeshifter]

I tried putting in my new (Monday) hearing aid again this morning, but: ow. 

Not a big "ow!" Just distractingly annoying pain.

I called the hearing center and was told this is not unusual. I have an appointment Monday to possibly "shave it down"??? or redo the mold.

[StatisticalOutlier]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I have an appointment Monday to possibly "shave it down"??? or redo the mold.

You have a mold?  Like an in-the-ear hearing aid?

Did you try an over-the-ear one before that was open fit, which are the most comfortable ones you can get, but you didn't like it because it conflicted with your glasses and your hair, and this time decided to try an in-the-ear one?

If you have an in-the-ear hearing aid, what kind of shell is it?  I'm gathering it's not the teeny ones that go all the way in the canal, but I'm not sure what you mean by "outer ear canal" where you say it rests. 

[shapeshifter]

12 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

but I'm not sure what you mean by "outer ear canal" where you say it rests.

Meaning the opening of the canal to the outer ear (not sure of the technical term)

 

12 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

You have a mold?  Like an in-the-ear hearing aid?

Did you try an over-the-ear one before that was open fit, which are the most comfortable ones you can get, but you didn't like it because it conflicted with your glasses and your hair, and this time decided to try an in-the-ear one?

Yes. Exactly.

 

12 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

If you have an in-the-ear hearing aid, what kind of shell is it? 

Hard plastic?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, insights, etc.!

Edited January 25 by shapeshifter

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 1/25/2024 at 10:12 AM, shapeshifter said:

Hard plastic?

That's acrylic.  They also make silicone ones that are softer.

But I meant how much of it protrudes from your ear canal?  Here are some examples:

https://greatlakesearmold.com/earmolds/earmolds-styles/

In my ear that has the mold, I finally figured out I have to have a full shell mold, which completely fills the concha (bowl-shaped part of your ear) and it has to be acrylic (hard) because my ears wiggle a lot when talking and eating.  A hard mold that butts up against the perimeter of that bowl stays in place.

It looks like this (this is a hearing aid, while mine is just a mold with a wire that goes to the actual hearing aid behind my ear):

My first one ever was an in-the-canal (ITC), the kind you can barely see.  But it worked its way out constantly and drove me crazy.  And it would get sore because it has to be kind of tight in the canal to stay in as well as to prevent feedback; my full shell one doesn't have to be as tight in the canal because my outer ear keeps it in place and the shell keeps amplified sound from escaping and causing feedback.

Edited January 26 by StatisticalOutlier

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

That's acrylic.  They also make silicone ones that are softer.

But I meant how much of it protrudes from your ear canal?  Here are some examples:

https://greatlakesearmold.com/earmolds/earmolds-styles/

In my ear that has the mold, I finally figured out I have to have a full shell mold, which completely fills the concha (bowl-shaped part of your ear) and it has to be acrylic (hard) because my ears wiggle a lot when talking and eating.  A hard mold that butts up against the perimeter of that bowl stays in place.

It looks like this (this is a hearing aid, while mine is just a mold with a wire that goes to the actual hearing aid behind my ear):

My first one ever was a completely-in-canal one, the kind you can barely even see.  But it worked its way out constantly and drove me crazy.  And it would get sore because it has to be kind of tight in the canal to stay in as well as to prevent feedback; my full shell one doesn't have to be as tight in the canal because my outer ear keeps it in place and the shell keeps amplified sound from escaping and causing feedback.

It’s this one: https://www.wsaud.com/wp-content/uploads/agile_doclib/CAT027/file/D00263288-32-3-A-0-EN-10.pdf

I get 2 more “free” appointments, and then they charge me $65 each time, which is very depressing given that it hurts, and I don’t think that’s fixable. 

But maybe my Monday appointment will be surprisingly positive.

Silicone was not an offered option, which is too bad, since silicone nose pieces on eyeglass frames are what works for me. But since the person on the phone mentioned shaving down the  hearing aid, maybe they do have silicone ones too?

Edited January 26 by shapeshifter

[StatisticalOutlier]

8 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Silicone was not an offered option, which is too bad, since silicone nose pieces on eyeglass frames are what works for me. But since the person on the phone mentioned shaving down the  hearing aid, maybe they do have silicone ones too?

Silicone is used only for ear molds used with the hearing aids where the computer is in the thing that hangs off the back of your ear.  As far as I know the other ones, with the computer in the mold (which you have), have to be acrylic.

And most people with mild loss who have the ones that hang off the back of their ear don't use a mold, and instead choose open-fit, which is just a little receiver that goes down in your ear, attached to the hearing aid over your ear with a wire.  Those are by far the most comfortable if you can handle the thing hanging on your ear.  Which I can, but I take my reading glasses on and off constantly, and if I have my hearing aids on, I don't put the ear piece of my glasses over my ear where it belongs because it clacks against the hearing aid--the ear pieces hover above that area, which I hate but I hate the clacking even more.

I'm guessing you have the "in the canal" (ITC) (the link is for both ITC and ITE).  The ITC is what I originally had, and I'm pretty sure it was the smallest type available 30 years ago.  But since then, they've invented ones that don't extend out of the canal at all.  Take a look at the CIC and IIC here:

https://www.starkey.com/hearing-aids/styles

If your actual canal is less sensitive than the entrance to your canal for some reason, a hearing aid that doesn't extend as far out might work for you.  Also, there's one called Lyric, which I gather is super expensive but they're interesting--a practitioner puts it waaaay down in your canal and it stays there for months. 

https://www.phonak.com/en-us/hearing-devices/hearing-aids/lyric

And finally, when I was having trouble with the fit of an acrylic ear mold many years ago, the audiologist gave me some Comply foam stuff that wrapped around it.  I don't know if having something softer pressing up against your skin would be more comfortable than the hard acrylic, but it might be worth asking about.

Quote

I get 2 more “free” appointments, and then they charge me $65 each time, which is very depressing given that it hurts, and I don’t think that’s fixable. 

I wonder if this has something to do with your Medicare Advantage plan.  I've never had a hearing aid fitter that charged for adjustments for a hearing aid I bought from them.  But if you got them for free, paying $65 a few times still adds up to a lot less than paying for them out-of-pocket and getting unlimited free adjustments.

This might be one of the gotchas that can happen with Advantage plans--hearing aids and some other things are covered, but with restrictions.  Then again, they're not covered at all if someone is on traditional Medicare.

On 1/23/2024 at 4:27 AM, shapeshifter said:

I may have to use it mainly when visiting with family, even though I liked being able to hear the TV from the next room while preparing food.

The problem with that plan is that it really does take time for your brain to learn how to hear what the hearing aid is offering, which is why they recommend wearing them all day every day, especially at the beginning.  Your brain needs to learn how to hear what the hearing aid is offering, and a family gathering is not the place you want to find out your hearing aid is feeding back and needs adjusting.

That said, I don't wear mind except on an as-needed basis, but I've been at this for decades and my brain adapted long ago and somehow stays adapted.  So I can not wear them for weeks or longer (Covid shutdown), and then meet a friend for conversation and use my hearing aids and they sound fine to me.

But I would never suggest that for people who haven't been using them for a long time and have completely adapted to them. 

[shapeshifter]

Thanks for all that useful information, @StatisticalOutlier. 
I'll ask about using Comply foam at my appointment on Monday.

Regarding my share of the cost:

On 1/26/2024 at 3:20 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

I wonder if this has something to do with your Medicare Advantage plan.  I've never had a hearing aid fitter that charged for adjustments for a hearing aid I bought from them.  But if you got them for free, paying $65 a few times still adds up to a lot less than paying for them out-of-pocket and getting unlimited free adjustments.

My Medicare Advantage plan, which only has a $20/mo. premium, includes a $500/year, use-it-or-lose-it credit card that is only for dental, vision, and hearing. I used about $425 of that plus another $130 for the one hearing aid. Then there's the $65/visit after the first 2.
So, not free, but also at a steep discount, although I imagine the hearing aids have a huge markup over actual manufacturing costs, even with the custom fitting, given advances in technology, especially 3D printing.

Google estimates the audiologist is making $67K per year, but it could be considerably less. There are a couple of other people working in the the audiology office, which is part of the TruHearing network of audiology care providers covered by Medicare Advantage plans. 
These networks are supposed to making the hearing aids more affordable, and they are less expensive than those not in the network, but the prices seem substantially re-inflated by the bureaucracy of it all. IDK🤷🏻‍♀️

They're much better than 17th [18th] century ear trumpets:

(https://nathangluckhearingcare.co.uk/2021/02/11/the-history-and-technology-of-modern-hearing-aids/)
— although her styling looks like this image is from a 20th century movie depicting the 17th [18th] century?

ETA: “17th century” noted in this👆 website might be an error meaning 1700s as documented in an IEEE publication: https://www.embs.org/pulse/articles/hearing-aid-history-from-ear-trumpets-to-digital-technology/#:~:text=Funnel-shaped in design%2C ear,not work all that well. 

Edited January 28 by shapeshifter
more reliable source

[Bastet]

12 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

although her styling looks like this image is from a 20th century movie depicting the 17th century?

Here's the Getty Images info on that photo. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

I don't use an ear trumpet, but for my type of hearing loss, cupping my hand around my ear really does make things easier to hear, and conversation easier to understand.  And it really DOES block out the sounds behind me.

I remember my mother's hearing aid--gold metal, matchbox-sized, that hooked to her bra, with a very thick wire going up to her ear. 

[PRgal]

I am about 70% deaf in my left ear (from birth) and was once asked by a teacher who specialized in working with deaf children why I didn't wear a hearing aid in my left ear!  Why bother as an adult when I never had one as a kid.  I don't want the world to sound like a rock concert or club?

[shapeshifter]

I wore my hearing aid to my grandson's birthday party today.
It was all indoors, with about a dozen adults and a dozen kids of all ages.
Not once did I have to ask someone to repeat something I couldn't hear. 
Success! Huge improvement.

And I think the soreness was less. 
Possibly a rhetorical question: How is that possible? 

[stewedsquash]

19 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

And I think the soreness was less. 
Possibly a rhetorical question: How is that possible? 

I would say it’s because your ears are adapting to the hearing aid. Or depending on the hardness of hearing aid, it might be adapting more to the shape of your ear which would cause less discomfort.

[Yeah No]

So I have my first ever colonoscopy scheduled on the 15th.  I have been doing the "Fit" test (which is like Cologuard) for years but I know I need the full colonoscopy to find and fix polyps.  The problem is that I am super-sensitive to everything and have had problems with OTC laxatives in the past.  The procedure center wants me to get Dulcolax and take 4 tablets the day before and then drink magnesium citrate.  I am worried about the Dulcolax because I've avoided OTC laxatives other than the all-natural kind for decades because of intense bad reactions, like nausea, etc.  I remember feeling awful for days afterward on just one dose.  That bad.  I am not as worried about the Magnesium Citrate because I take magnesium daily and don't know of any reason why that would cause a bad reaction. 

I am also worried about everything else to do with the procedure.  I have had surgeries and 3 endoscopies in the past so you'd think I wouldn't be as worried about this, but even under the best of circumstances it takes me longer than most people to bounce back from anesthesia. 

So anyway I am petrified at this point.  I have a call into the nurse about this and hope she can help calm me down or give me an alternate laxative.

Any kind of advice or support would be appreciated.  Thank you!