The totally off-topic thread

[shellthom]

And we know life doesn't pick and select who gets to hang around and who doesn't. And many babies, young children and young adults have succumbed to the wicked disease so it's not about deservedness or being nice or nasty. Sometimes cough just happens.

Prolly not going to help your relationship with the soon to be fiancé to even go there.

At least I feel bad about the thought. There was a time when I wouldn't have. She is not a nice person, selfish beyond belief and that includes jealousy against her children and turning what would have been a normal human into basically an invalid so that she wouldn't be lonely when she retired (it is her youngest son). She doesn't wish them success. My dad once thanked the +1 for helping him out with something by saying "good work today, thanks, saved me a lot of time". He came running over to me and gave me a hug because no one had ever given him support or appreciation before, he didn't know what to do with that… gratitude.
Anyway, I know its not a controllable thing, and I actually wouldn't wish his mum sick, I'd prefer to be sick I can deal with it, watching someone else is hard.
I was 10 when my first friend died, at school, in front of me. That affected me, but its not about me, she had a family, and all those bad people out there, they still have family too (well not all but most) and people who love them and probably think they are wonderful as well. I am definitely not saying one life is more than another, and so much is deja vu for me now so I guess it was meant to happen like this.

 

[JohnK]

My GP tells me it's the booze but I tell him it's the BP and cholesterol pills

From memory alcohol raises the liver enzyme GGT. And I forget but certain medications, such as NSAIDs, can raise ALP/AST levels.

I had high liver function for many years. I saw a gastroenterologist and was diagnosed with fatty liver but nothing serious. His recommendation was to have 3-4 alcohol free days per week which I have been doing for well over 10 years usually not having a drink Monday-Thursday.

My liver function tests for the past 10 years or so have returned to normal.

I suspect the methotrexate is the one causing all the issues but without it I am in big trouble. It is very difficult dealing with ankylosing spondylitis, sacroiliitis, arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis etc. Need to find alternate medication, one of the new biologics has been recommended, but I have been stuffed around by the Rheumatology clinic at Princess Alexandra Hospital for the past couple of years.

Another reason why I want to get as much out of golf now as it quite possible that I won't be able to play later.

 

[drron]

Well JohnK methotrexate is much more likely than the Xanax to be the problem.if a high enough total dose over your lifetime one of the newer agents will be the way to go.

 

[Pushka]

Hey JohnK, do you have any autoimmune diseases? Even Lupus?

 

[cove]

Getting to eighty will get you an OBE which according to my older friend stands for "Over Bloody Eighty".
Talking about getting older we have a customer for about 35 years who just recently lost his drivers licence at 100. He is my inspiration and he can still make metal parts for Hills Hoists as his first 50 year career was at a metalworks place. I keep his photo in my office for good karma.

 

[JohnK]

Well JohnK methotrexate is much more likely than the Xanax to be the problem.if a high enough total dose over your lifetime one of the newer agents will be the way to go.

Xanax is not the issue. I take half a Xanax before a flight. Long term use of methotrexate (12+ years with anywhere from 10mg-20mg per week) is not recommended but at the moment that is the only thing that helps. As soon as I get this appointment at the Rheumatology clinic I am hoping I will be put on Stellara and I can leave methotrexate behind.

Hey JohnK, do you have any autoimmune diseases? Even Lupus?

Yes. Autoimmune issues. Joints swell. Fingers are swollen when I wake up in morning and some days I cannot hold a golf club but I still get out there and play. Some days the pain makes me feel like passing out. As far as I know I dont wake up in middle of night with pain issues but I do wake up in the morning with more pain than the night before.

Life can be a struggle at times but I have learnt to ignore the pain.

 

[Pushka]

So have your medical people looked specifically at Lupus then?

 

[hummel]

Getting to eighty will get you an OBE which according to my older friend stands for "Over Bloody Eighty".
Talking about getting older we have a customer for about 35 years who just recently lost his drivers licence at 100. He is my inspiration and he can still make metal parts for Hills Hoists as his first 50 year career was at a metalworks place. I keep his photo in my office for good karma.

Please tell me it was for hooning?

 

[JohnK]

So have your medical people looked specifically at Lupus then?

I don't think so. They have their hands full now.

 

[penegal]

Just realised that it's costing me twice as much next week to rent a group B car in PER as I have rented either an Audi A1 or an A Class Merc in the UK.

Welcome to Australia; or rather Western Australia...

Yes, they are special WA editions PF: On normal cars sold over here, indicators are optional extras, so they had to pay to get them fitted...

In April I made the following rental transactions:
3 days of a Hyundai Sonata with limited features in Darwin, NT, Australia using my company's corporate deal
3 days of an Audi A4 with many features including Google Maps Sat Nav, AND all the additional insurance cover for the LOFTAP, in Dallas, TX, USA using a first time customer $50 bonus

Which one was more expensive?

The Sonata was about $100-150 more expensive.

 

[rogerkambah]

For years I used to be wracked with pain in my back, hip, knees and wrists. Having a hip replacement solved the hip and back pain too, as my pelvis had dropped on the hip side due to the leg becoming shorter, which put a bend in the spine. Looking at my xrays the hip surgeon wondered if I had been in an accident, but no. For pain relief I used A Little Bit of Relief which worked amazingly well for me - don't think it is only a placebo effect

The wrists, well the surgeon says nothing much can be done. (Surgeon wondered whether I had had an accident.) The carpel bones in both are/have fused due to loss of cartilage/synovial fluid. Movement in the L is about 40 deg both ext. and flex, and 30 flex only in the R. I woke in pain every night before using ALBoR. Used to take 100mg /day voltaren for around 12 years to reduce the inflammation and pain. Now have reduced Voltaren to 25mg.

Still have pain but not as much as when I was working, as they just ached all day. I think that after enduring chronic pain the brain just shuts off 'feeling' that pain? Arthritis is a PITA - well not there actually!

 

[drron]

Roger if you have lots of osteoarthritis with no mechanical causes and if you are of Celtic inheritance especially if you tan easily make sure you have iron studies done.One of the commonest genetic diseases in celts is iron overload and one common problem is osteoarthritis.

 

[rogerkambah]

Roger if you have lots of osteoarthritis with no mechanical causes and if you are of Celtic inheritance especially if you tan easily make sure you have iron studies done.One of the commonest genetic diseases in celts is iron overload and one common problem is osteoarthritis.

Thanks drron. Probably some Celtic ancestry as family has several gens in Yorkshire and I had an Irish great grandmother. Have had iron studies for years but results are generally in the midrange although ferritin is often at the upper end.

 

[drron]

That's fine then.

 

[JohnK]

Still have pain but not as much as when I was working, as they just ached all day. I think that after enduring chronic pain the brain just shuts off 'feeling' that pain? Arthritis is a PITA - well not there actually!

Interesting point.

I had 10 days off over Easter and went back to Sydney. Had 6 games of golf. The pain was not as bad.

And the pain is even less of a worry when I am in Thailand. The biggest worry there is the swelling but pain is not so bad.

I have learnt to block out pain. My sub-conscious though has different plans to mine.

Stop working would appear to be the best solution. Another 4 years for long service. I may just wait it out. Hoping this is my last job.

 

[JohnM]

In a way, I feel like I set out to find a cure for a friend with a disease, and I've just found it, but my friend has already died.

Very interestingly-put comment. As a research scientist I've heard others say the same sort of thing but much less eloquently and I have felt the same myself at times.

I think a lot of people go into research thinking they can make a transformational difference or change (and of course that's an illusion perpetuated by the boosters, the media and the general 'breakthrough' [the most misused word in science IMHO] mythology of science). But the reality is that almost all advances are incremental. Be satisfied that you are making a contribution to the bigger picture.

If you felt the PhD was tough, and you want to stay in academia, wait for the challenges of the post-docs and the career-long grant-sucking process that you will face! Keep positive!

 

[JessicaTam]

I know this is on topic, but is anyone on the inaugural SYD-HVB flight tomorrow? Apart from me that is.

 

[Shelf]

If you felt the PhD was tough, and you want to stay in academia, wait for the challenges of the post-docs and the career-long grant-sucking process that you will face! Keep positive!

I couldn't agree more

 

[TomVexille]

In April I made the following rental transactions:
3 days of a Hyundai Sonata with limited features in Darwin, NT, Australia using my company's corporate deal
3 days of an Audi A4 with many features including Google Maps Sat Nav, AND all the additional insurance cover for the LOFTAP, in Dallas, TX, USA using a first time customer $50 bonus

Which one was more expensive?

The Sonata was about $100-150 more expensive.

Supply and demand?

 

[rogerkambah]

Supply and demand?

Combination of higher average wages in Oz, coupled with Australian prices being set at what the company sees as the price the market will pay.