The bad news is that I can’t get an epidural until December 16th. The good news is that maybe I don’t need it. I’m no longer in back pain, though the problem has migrated lower into my upper thigh, making me a little gimpy. On the other hand, that’s getting better, too. At this rate, I should be back to normal this weekend. Now I have to start some strength training to prevent a recurrence.
Category Archives: Health
Back Update
Well, I’m doing better than Friday and over the weekend, but I’m still getting twinges, that occasionally elicit a yelp. I have a ticket to Houston for SpaceCom tomorrow morning, but thinking I’ll probably just have to cancel and eat the ticket. I don’t want to aggravate it on the trip and not be able to get home Thursday night. I was supposed to have a meeting with some JSC folks, but it may have to be a telecon.
[Friday-afternoon update]
Just got my MRI results. I have a compressed disk (and a little arthritis, but I don’t think that’s the issue). For our Colorado road trip, just got another shot in the ass of a muscle relaxant, and prescriptions for oral muscle relaxant (that they should have given me last week instead of the steroids), and prescription-strength ibuprofen (instead of Vicodin, which apparently isn’t that effective for nerve pain) for pain and to reduce inflammation.
When we get back, I’ll start epidurals and physical therapy (I assume basically strength training) to build up some muscular protection of the spine down there.
[Bumped]
Meat, Saturated Fat, and Long Life
It’s just amazing how much crap nutrition advice we’ve been given for decades, and many continue to spew the nonsense.
3-D Printed Skin
…that can develop blood vessels.
Faster, please.
Age-Resistant Mice
…with hyperlong telomeres.
“These unprecedented results show that longer than normal telomeres in a given species are not harmful but quite the contrary: they have beneficial effects, such as increased longevity, delayed metabolic age and less cancer,” concludes the team.
The telomere theory has been around for decades, but we seem to be getting closer to actual implementation.
Tissue-Sealing Tape
…could replace sutures. I’ve always thought that stitches were a very crude means of keeping wounds together. When I cut my the skin on patella on broken class a few years ago, we used superglue to hold things together temporarily, but I eventually still had to put in staples. This sounds like it would have been much better.
The Methuselah Foundation
They have a new newsletter. Lots of interesting life-extension things going on. It’s worth noting that one of the principals of Oisín Biotechnologies is Gary Hudson, who is currently more focused on this topic than space.
Male Infertility
Caused by vegetable oils?
Not a problem for me at this stage of my life, but there are lots of reasons to avoid vegetable oils.
Cartilage
Humans may possess some ability to regrow it. Doesn’t look like it will help that much for knees and hips, though. But you never know what they’ll find next. Fortunately, I’ve never had any joint problems, yet.
The Flip Flop On Meat
It’s finally based on the best science, instead of best guesses.
Basically, everything you thought you knew about nutrition for the past half century is wrong.