Subj : Health Update To : Daryl Stout From : Ardith Hinton Date : Mon Aug 31 2020 23:46:14 Hi, Daryl! Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton: DS> ...then said "See, Mom?? It's just farts!!" :P DS> But the stench of the methane is an indication of that DS> the bacteria in your colon are doing their job in DS> digesting the food. According to both of my favourite dictionaries methane, despite its reputation, is odourless. However, it seems to me that whenever decomposition involves large numbers of anaerobic bacteria the smell can be pretty bad. :-) DS> Right now, the prescription strength Prilosec is taking DS> care of the acid reflux...the OTC version isn't strong DS> enough, and they only let you take that for 2 weeks. With OTC drugs the manufacturers want to make sure you're not using the product on a long-term basis without seeking medical advice. When you do, your doctor may prescribe a stronger dose or tell you it's okay to go on using the stuff. Either way you're acting under supervision from a person qualified to determine what's going on. WRT some ailments symptomatic relief may be the best one can expect... OTOH, self-treatment may hide more serious issues. :-) DS> I know that they can't really treat arthritis, and I have DS> it all through my body (confirmed by X-Ray). Archaeologists have found arthritis in the bones of humans who were in their 20's when they died, and IIRC such a person commented that anyone who lives long enough will get it eventually. Sometimes it's painful... sometimes it's not. Because the pain tends to come & go, and because different remedies may affect different people in different ways, there are no easy answers. :-) [re urine] DS> If it's brown, it's concentrated, but one could be DS> getting dehydrated (that can also lead to kidney stone DS> formation). I noticed that during a heat wave when our daughter was still using the potty & had been given an antibiotic which resulted in diarrhea. It's not hard, under such conditions, to monitor the volume of urinary output.... :-)) DS> If it's red, it's either hematuria (blood in the urine), DS> or one has eaten beets (those who like these, can have DS> my portion ). I'm told other foods can also have this effect, but my first & only experience with it occurred a few hours after I ate multi-coloured nacho chips at a restaurant I'd never visited before. Thanks to Uncle Google we were able to see that the red ones must have been dyed with beetroot juice... [chuckle]. [re the "baby talking" nurse] DS> The nurse fainted dead away...and never bothered him DS> again. Alternatively, you may be able to get rid of certain people just by telling the unvarnished truth. Years ago I was in the gynaecology ward of one of our local hospitals, i.e. a teaching hospital. Since I'd dutifully watched the required film about hysterectomy (together with most of the other patients in the ward) it wasn't difficult to guess why most were there. However, I was there for another reason... and I figured so was my roommate, who looked to be about 15 years old. When a young doctor came into the room & asked permission to do an internal exam of Yours Truly I was puzzled as to what he thought he'd be able to see, considering I was bleeding. I guess folks like him need folks like me to practise on... but I also realize teens may be very sensitive about such things. When, as an afterthought, he enquired why I was there I told him calmly & quietly that I was having a miscarriage. He immediately fled & never showed his face again. I can't help wondering who would choose gynaecology if s/he can't stand the sight of blood. Perhaps it wasn't his choice, but I hope he's now learned to read the charts before initiating various procedures. :-Q --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+ * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716) .