Getting old sucks!

[Benno von Humpback]

Good lord! I hope all you poor duffers get better soon!

[TheOffice]

Tomorrow will be 4 weeks since surgery

Just came from PT. Flexion is 115 degrees (=15 degrees in a week), extension is 3 degrees short of straight. Goal for 6 weeks is 120 and zero, so range of motion is close. Then comes strength.

Launch is the 22nd. Got to be ready!

[kdh]

Not really age related but I’m on day 3 of the covid. I’m guessing I’ll survive it. Just mild flu symptoms at this point

[kimbottles]

Tomorrow is also four weeks from my second hip replacement. Making good progress (hips are said to be easier than knees.)
Tomorrow I am allowed to start riding my stationary bicycle, so I am looking forward to that!
Hope to ditch the cane in another couple weeks. Life is good.

[Olaf Hart]

Last night with the grandsons, 5 and 8, before we deliver them back to their parents and a flight to SFA.

Phenomenal energy levels, wish we could bottle it…

Anyway, we managed to burn them out every day, it’s pretty easy if you bring boys from the Rockies down to the coast…

[TheOffice]

Keith, this new strain seems to be everywhere! I hope you are feeling better.
Kim, I've heard that knees are worse, but I've been on the bike for almost 2 weeks (with no resistance). They said 6 weeks until I can resume normal activities. I'm also using a cane. So 'normal activities' is walking without the cane?
Stay well!
Joel

[Tim Ford]

Holy smokes, Keith! Hope you are feeling 100% or close to it. I guess you are on Day 8 by now?

[BeauV]

Regarding COVID, as others have said the BA.2 variant is now a majority of the cases. As a friend of mine out here said:

"In the old days, we would have all gone to work with this 'cold' and infected everyone. Sadly, that approach can now kill people."

My Admiral and I are back to wearing masks indoors as this ramps up. I'm immune to the "looks" I get, having attended a party of about 100 and having 18% of the attendees report that they caught the Vid. The human capacity to ignore things like this is amazing. We are now well and truly into the "Every Man For Himself" phase of this disease, just like when some ass would show up at work with a bad cold and give it to everyone.

[Rob McAlpine]

Get well soon, K.

Our caretaker in Taos had it, he is triple vaxxed, very mild symptoms. He thought it was allergies but he had a test handy so WTH, he tested. That seems to be the story. The most recent friend to die from it was last fall, an old rugby teammate, great athlete, retired Fire Captain, but an anti-vaxxer who refused to go to the hospital until it was too late. Seems a lot of the vaxxed get mild cases.

I went up to close the mountain this weekend, planned to ski 4 days, the first two, Friday and Sat, were GREAT spring conditions, excellent coverage top to bottom on the frontside steeps, winter snow in the north facing upper chutes. We'd ski blues/easy blacks with the DIL for a few hours, then she'd go in for coffee and the son and I would head up to the steeps. Yesterday and today were going to be cloudy and windy so I bailed but my Lord it feels incredible to be able to still do this stuff.

If you had told me in my 20's that I'd still be running this stuff in my late 60's I'd have never believed you. The equipment has gotten really good, boots are now actually comfortable, the clothing keeps you warm and dry. It's pure joy to share with the son and his wife.

I'm enough of an optimist that I already bought my season pass for next year.

Oh yeah, the ankle? Aggressive icing, heat, rest and elevation for a week got it so it would go easily in a boot. Add a little Advil and I didn't really notice it on the hill. Once we got to the house I'd ice and elevate, and the kids would treat me like a king, making beverages and feeding me. They're moving to Boston for the summer, then plan to live back in Taos next winter.

[Steele]

I am glad you got a few more days in on the hill. I thought our season was done but freezing levels are back down to well below the passes, so I will head up to the local area this week to take advantage of the 10 inches or so of new snow predicted. I will also probably invest in a pass for next year, I have a $150 discount because Vale/EPIC did such a poor job managing the ski area this season that they are trying to make up with us local folks.

I agree the new equipment is so much better than when I was a kid. The biggest difference has been in deep powder and crud. The new skis and boots just keep going. This year I invested in a good pair of heated gloves as well.

[TheOffice]

Skiing is something I aspire to do again. Hopefully my 12 year old equipment is still good enough if I get back on the slopes. Sue will only XC, so I need to find place with slopes and trails next year.

For now, I've been told I can ditch the cane and I have 6 more weeks of PT - right up to the Bermuda race. Next week is the 6 week eval with the surgeon.

I was able to climb the ladder onto the boat and go up and down the companionway ladder! And get back down too!

[TheOffice]

While my knee is getting stronger, I had a bizarre medical incident last Tuesday.

I woke up to almost no vision in my right eye. Fortunaltey, Baltimore has 2 world class eye centers. I was able to get an emergency appointment at Krieger Instutute. The first year resident brought in a senior resident to verify the diagnosis and delver the bad news - I had a stroke in my eye. Wednesday I went back to see the retinal specialist who gave me the first of 5 injections in my eye. While she would not give me a prognosis, I am seeing some improvement already. When Sue stands 5 feet from me I can now see her facial features instead of a white oval. When I lay in bed I can see the ceiling fan. I'm optimistic I will regain a significant amount of vision. In the meantime there are no restrictions on activity.

When I asked about a cause, I was told 'you don't smoke, you are not diabetic, but you are over 60." UGGH!

[BeauV]

WOW! I'm sorry to hear this! If "...you are over 60." is the only cause we're almost all doomed. (Except Jess and the other lovely ladies on this site.)

[TheOffice]

Beau,

Odds are I took one for the team,

[The Red Lady]

Yikes! That's damn scary. I didn't know that having a stroke in your eye was even a thing. I'm glad you're seeing (pun not intended) improvement.

[Benno von Humpback]

While my knee is getting stronger, I had a bizarre medical incident last Tuesday.

I woke up to almost no vision in my right eye. Fortunaltey, Baltimore has 2 world class eye centers. I was able to get an emergency appointment at Krieger Instutute. The first year resident brought in a senior resident to verify the diagnosis and delver the bad news - I had a stroke in my eye. Wednesday I went back to see the retinal specialist who gave me the first of 5 injections in my eye. While she would not give me a prognosis, I am seeing some improvement already. When Sue stands 5 feet from me I can now see her facial features instead of a white oval. When I lay in bed I can see the ceiling fan. I'm optimistic I will regain a significant amount of vision. In the meantime there are no restrictions on activity.

When I asked about a cause, I was told 'you don't smoke, you are not diabetic, but you are over 60." UGGH!

Holy shit, Joel! I’m so sorry that happened. Fortunately, improvement is the rule and can continue for a long time.

[TheOffice]

Benno

Thanks. I’m staying positive. The improvement is slow but steady.

[Tim Ford]

Holy smokes Joel! I'm really sorry to hear this and super glad to hear that it's improving.

And you are right about quality of eye care in B'more. That's one good thing about the city. I had to see a retina specialist about a year or two ago and it was amazing. We ended up talking about the state-of-the-art imaging techniques now employed. He was a hot shot at reading images back in the day, now the machines make interpretation much less of a guess and much more of a certainty when a pathology is detected. I hope you are back to full binocular in a week or so!

[TheOffice]

Good news on the vision front -
Saw the optho yesterday. Two weeks ago I could not see the vision chart, much less read it. Yesterday I could read the top 3 lines, and much of the swelling inside the eye is gone!

As my wife would say, the doctor has the bedside manner of a toilet seat. She was encouraged, but would not give a prognosis, timeline or estimate of how many shots I would need. but she did say some patients need them monthly forever.

Going to try to get into Hopkins/Wilmer Eye Institute for a second opinion and possibly a change of docs.

Joel

[The Red Lady]

Good news on the vision front -
Saw the optho yesterday. Two weeks ago I could not see the vision chart, much less read it. Yesterday I could read the top 3 lines, and much of the swelling inside the eye is gone!

As my wife would say, the doctor has the bedside manner of a toilet seat. She was encouraged, but would not give a prognosis, timeline or estimate of how many shots I would need. but she did say some patients need them monthly forever.

Going to try to get into Hopkins/Wilmer Eye Institute for a second opinion and possibly a change of docs.

Joel

That's great news!!! And Wilmer is amazing, that is where we send al of our work-related eye injuries.

[Chris Chesley]

I’ve been having those ‘shots in the eye’ this year. Not nearly the same vision loss, simply some mildly distorted central vision. Was able to skip it last month and going back in for a check up end of this month to see if more are needed. Central serous retinopathy. Best wishes for a full recovery.

[TheOffice]

Chris,

Thanks! Retinal occlusion is the official diagnosis.. I hope your's resolve too!

Joel

[Benno von Humpback]

Chris,

Thanks! Retinal occlusion is the official diagnosis.. I hope your's resolve too!

Joel

Vein or artery, Joel?

[TheOffice]

Vein.

[Olaf Hart]

Vein.

Have you had a screen to check for clotting disorders?

[TheOffice]

Olaf

Yes. Had 12 vials of blood drawn, ultrasound of carotid artery. All normal!

[Tim Ford]

I had David Barañano give a look at my retinal micro aneurysm. His bedside manner is excellent. I don't think he has Wilmer privileges though. But I think he has offices in Columbia, not just Towson. He gets high marks from the masses, too.

[TheOffice]

I had David Barañano give a look at my retinal micro aneurysm. His bedside manner is excellent. I don't think he has Wilmer privileges though. But I think he has offices in Columbia, not just Towson. He gets high marks from the masses, too.

Thanks Tim. The good news is that I've met all my deductibles and co-pays, so I have free care until 12/31.

[Tim Ford]

That's a unique perspective and certainly a laudable one. Silver lining in the dark cloud and all that. I wish all these expenses were tax deductible, sort of like how credit card debt was before the Great "Reform" of 1986.

But no.

[H B]

I think if you get to 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, you can deduct them