Found on MeWe:
(Presumably referring to this study.)
And all of us who've "been up the sharp end" in our joint and several ways nod our heads in agreement, and say (loudly, with feeling, in well-lubricated chorus):
Of course it is! You don't think we'd have been there without being demented, do you?
Sheesh!!!
Peter
I recently had an interesting exchange with a reader who was worried that most of her canned food emergency stash had "expired". When asked what this meant, she said that the "best by" dates stamped on each can had all passed. She had tried to donate those cans to a food bank, intending to replace them with newer, unexpired ones, but the food bank had told her it could not accept them because of the danger of disease from spoiled food. She was almost panic-stricken. Would she endanger her family if she used them in an emergency?
I was able to set her straight about that. I routinely use cans that are up to ten years after their expiration date, and have never yet had a single problem with them. Provided the can shows no signs of internal pressure or damage, it should be fine. Obviously, some foods will keep longer than others, but the process of heat- and pressure-canning eliminates most food-borne poisons and diseases, and provided the can is airtight, will continue to do so until it's opened.
Here are a few articles covering the subject. There are dozens more out there, as a quick Internet search will reveal.
Fellow blogger and "prepper" Commander Zero has taste-tested several older cans, and reports very few problems. During years of trekking around Africa, in the most primitive environments, I had no problem (even in equatorial or desert heat and humidity, not the greatest of storage environments) eating canned foods up to a decade old or even older, provided there were no obvious signs of swelling, damage, etc. Approaching old age, I'm still here to talk about it. An expedition in Greenland in the 1960's left canned food behind, which was discovered (and eaten) by another expedition about 60 years later. So much for expiration dates! (For that matter, a 150-year-old (!!!) jar of pickles from the steamboat Arabia was taste-tested by one of the archaeologists on that project, and found to be perfectly edible. My wife and I have visited the Arabia Steamboat Museum, and seen the recovered foodstuffs. It's well worth a visit if you're in or near Kansas City.)
So, if your emergency preparations include "time-expired" tins of food, don't assume you have to throw them away. Inspect them carefully for any signs of damage or spoilage. If none are visible, go ahead and use them (although I'd taste-test older cans first, and possibly try some of their contents on animals to see if they have any odd reactions).
Peter
Trust Politico to report the obvious with an appropriate headline.
You mean, if we make an effort to give our taxpayer dollars only to those who are entitled to them, we save money? Say it ain't so!
DeSantis signed a law last year directing hospitals that accept Medicaid to ask patients about their immigration status when they seek treatment. While the law does not force patients to provide hospitals with an answer, immigrant rights groups feared the mandate would scare migrants away from seeking urgent medical attention. The DeSantis administration and other Florida Republicans say any marked decreases in spending are signs his immigration crackdown is working.
Florida’s Emergency Medical Assistance program for undocumented immigrants has seen a 54 percent drop in expenditures billed to Medicaid this year — with less than two months remaining in the fiscal year — since the state immigration law took effect, according to a POLITICO analysis. Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition said while there is no concrete evidence that the drop in Medicaid spending is a result of the law, which took effect in July 2023. there have been other signs of fallout.
“Obviously, there’s been somewhat of an exodus of migrants in Florida,” Kennedy said. “When this was all going through — we had warned about the exacerbated work[force] shortages and the distressed industries — we said this would be a bad idea.”
Federal law bars undocumented immigrants from Medicaid eligibility, even if they meet other requirements. But federal law also requires that states authorize limited Medicaid coverage for migrants facing a medical emergency, including dialysis, a pregnant woman delivering a baby or trauma.
. . .
Data provided to POLITICO by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show $148.4 million in state and federal Medicaid dollars went toward emergency coverage for immigrants in Florida in the year before the state’s new immigration law took effect. As of May 3, $67 million has gone toward emergency coverage this year. With two months left in the fiscal year that number will rise, but the state is still on track for a dramatic decrease in spending.
Thomas Kennedy doubtless has allies who believe that spending taxpayer dollars on those who are not entitled to them is "a bad idea". Personally, I wish we had similar legislation in Texas. Why should taxpayers be forced to subsidize those who broke the law to be here?
Peter
Got the stent out yesterday morning - then spent most of the rest of the day sitting or lying down, nursing a very achy abdomen. Not fun. Not fun at all. To make matters worse, my waterworks (for want of a better term) have for two months been effectively prevented from functioning normally by stents, so that the flow has been unimpeded by internal valves, controls and whatsits. Now that the stent is gone, they aren't sure how to function, and will have to get used to controlling things again. This is all very well, but for the fact that I don't want to find myself dripping down the supermarket aisle! Protective measures will be required for at least a few days.
Other than that, dearest wife returned safely late yesterday after driving to Chattanooga, TN and back for last weekend's LibertyCon. From what she's said so far, it looks like a good time was had by all. I wish I'd been able to be there, but unfortunately my kidney had other ideas. Here's hoping for next year! (You can read Old NFO's description of the con here.)
I'm going to take it gently (and gingerly!) this morning. I'll try to post something later.
Peter
By the time this post pops up on my blog, I'll be in the doctor's office, waiting with shrinking loins for the nice nurse to tug hard on a string and remove a stent from my kidney, down the internal passage bits, and out of my body. When they tell you, "Don't worry, this won't hurt!" you know they're lying. I've had it done once before. Yeah . . .
Say a prayer for minimal pain, please. I imagine I'll spend the rest of the day recovering from the trauma! Blogging should resume tomorrow.
Thanks.
Peter
Healing continues after last Monday's procedure. I find that things are improving more slowly than I'd like, and more slowly than after the first two procedures, but I suppose that's inevitable. One's body gets very tired of being pushed, prodded, cut and diced, and makes its unhappiness known. I've had to deal with higher pain levels and greater tiredness this time round. It's not enjoyable, but it goes with the territory, and if it produces a permanent "fix" and heals the problem, so much the better.
One of the trickier bits is coping with cats while fitted with a drain, so to speak. Both of them like me, and like my company, so they try to get onto my lap for some cuddles now and again. Unfortunately, Ashbutt is very large (about 18 pounds), so when he lands unexpectedly on my mid-section, it's . . . memorable. Kili is only about half that weight, so her arrival is less traumatic. Oh, well. Ashbutt enjoys the sounds I make when he pounces, so I suppose I'm now a cat entertainment device!
I see the doctor again on Monday, and hopefully the final stent will be removed at that time. I'm not looking forward to the process (I've been there before . . . "Just hold still, this won't hurt!" - TUG!!! - insert weeping, wailing and anguished noises here . . . ) but I'll be glad to regain control of my output, so to speak. Being vulnerable to unexpected flooding is awkward, to say the least, particularly when the volume is such that it can actually be heard. However, there's nothing I can do about it, so I have to put up with it - hopefully not for much longer!
Libertycon will be held in Chattanooga, TN this weekend. I'd been looking forward to attending, but this procedure has prevented that. My wife and many of our friends will be going, so I'll have to enjoy myself vicariously through their feedback.
Thanks again for your prayers for healing. They're much appreciated. As for the "streams of living water" bit in the Bible, I don't think the Lord had this sort of overflowing enthusiasm in mind!
Peter
Thank you all for your kind wishes as I recover from surgery. Some of the comments about catheters, etc. reminded me of an incident with a friend that still makes me laugh whenever I think about it.
He had some sort of bladder problem that required him to be fitted with a catheter and a urine bag. So far, so good . . . until the first morning after he returned home. His twin daughters, aged about 5 or 6 at the time, came running into the bedroom and jumped on the bed to be with Mom and Dad - and one of them landed right on his (full) urine bag.
His comment: "Have you ever tried to pee backwards? It sheds a new and horrible light on the human condition!"
I had to sympathize, even while laughing my tochus off at his predicament!
Peter
Yesterday's surgical procedure (the third and last of 3 that were planned) appears to have gone well. My right kidney has been suffering from a condition known as hydronephrosis, which basically means that it's been blocked internally, leading to bloating, twisting itself into weird shapes, and generally causing a lot of trouble. Yes, a kidney stone was involved, but that's only one aspect of the condition.
The first two procedures cleared up part of the problem, but blockages remained. They had to be dealt with, or else the kidney might deteriorate to the point that it could no longer recover, and might have had to be removed. This third procedure appears to have cleared the final blockages, in that it's now working like a firehose. That's a problem in itself: from the first twinge that lets me know something wants to come out, to an eruption of fluid, can take as little as five seconds, and because I still have an internal stent, I have absolutely no control over it. The volume is also significantly increased, so that conventional absorbent underwear (as discussed earlier) can accommodate only one incident before needing to be changed. The (frequent) sudden scrambles for the bathroom also make it difficult to share a bed with my peacefully sleeping wife. Our living-room couch, suitably waterproofed, will likely come in for some use over the next week or two!
As for the pain level, it's greatly increased at present, and I'm popping more painkillers than ever before. I've been assured that as soon as the last stent is out, that will change. Can't happen fast enough for me! The doctor says I must give it a week or so to let the kidney empty itself out, then he'll remove the stent and we'll see how it copes over a few weeks of "normal" operation. If it does, great. If not, well, back to the drawing board, as they say in the classics.
Blogging will be ad hoc for the next day or two. I hope to feel well enough to get back to a normal schedule by Thursday or Friday.
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes.
Peter
By the time Blogger auto-publishes this, I'll be getting ready to go under the knife again for the third of three surgical procedures. I hope the third time will do for all, and be successful. If it works, I'll have a final stent removed in a week to ten days, and then my recalcitrant kidney will be back to normal. If it doesn't, then I guess I'll end up losing that kidney - not a life-threatening situation, but one that puts a permanent "Handle with care!" sign on my other kidney.
Blogging will be as and when I can manage it for a day or two. I hope to resume normal schedule by Thursday at the latest.
Prayers for a successful surgery and full healing will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Peter
I'm getting ready for another surgical procedure on Monday, and trying to deal with a lot of bits and pieces before then; so I haven't had time to prepare the usual Saturday Snippet. Meanwhile, please amuse yourselves with the bloggers listed in the sidebar.
Prayers for a successful procedure on Monday, and a full recovery, will be gratefully appreciated. Thanks!
Peter
Well, here's a conundrum if ever I heard one.
A federal appeals court on Wednesday heard arguments over whether car insurance should pay out benefits to a woman who caught a sexually transmitted disease from a policyholder in his insured vehicle.
. . .
"Upon review of the parties’ arguments, the court finds that consensual sexual relations inside a car do not constitute a 'use' of the automobile within the meaning of the subject policy," the judge wrote in his decision.
But M.O. and Brauner appealed to the Eighth Circuit to have the district court's decision reversed. The couple contends that the language of Brauner's insurance policy is so broad as to justify M.O.'s bodily injury claim ... Attorneys for GEICO disagree ... A three-judge panel consisting of U.S. Circuit Judges Steven Colloton, Michael Melloy and Raymond Gruender heard these arguments in court on Wednesday.
The judges questioned M.O.'s attorney, David Mayer, on whether his client's argument would make GEICO responsible for every unwanted pregnancy that might have occurred in an automobile.
"I don't believe that's a cause of action but that's a good question," Mayer responded.
. . .
... by quibbling over the meaning of what is an "appropriate" use of a car, Beck told the judges, "you are turning what is an automobile policy into a general liability policy without restriction."
There's more at the link.
If one takes the plaintiff's view to its logical conclusion, if a woman becomes pregnant after sex in a car, doesn't that make the car insurer liable for any and all medical costs incurred by the child during its entire life? After all, none of those costs would have been incurred if pregnancy had not occurred. Does that mean the insurer can insist that the woman must have an abortion, so as to avoid those costs?
Simple basic common sense should surely dictate that the insurer is not liable. However, this is the USA, where litigation has long since lost all sense of balance and reasonableness. Who knows how it'll turn out?
What's next? A clause in insurance policies stating that no teenagers should ever be allowed to use the vehicle - or even get into it - except under the policyholder's direct and immediate supervision, for fear of the carnage that might result?
Peter
Via anecdotal data and reports, we've been aware for years that the COVID-19 vaccines were causing serious harm to many of those who took them. It's been said that they're responsible for many deaths, possibly more than the disease itself, and fringe commenters have even alleged that they were a deliberate attempt to reduce the world's population. Politicians and the mainstream media have debunked such talk, but they've never actually addressed the existing data head-on and examined it impartially.
Two recent reports from the UK and Japan, may signal the breaking of the ice over that. First, in Japan, a former cabinet minister has publicly apologized for the damage caused by the vaccines. I've not seen any reference to his speech in mainstream US news media, but fringe media and foreign reports like this one from Thailand have been less reticent.
A high-profile Japanese government official has issued a public apology to his people over the mass deaths and vaccine injuries caused by Covid mRNA shots.
The apology was made by Kazuhiro Haraguchi, a former Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan who currently serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Haraguchi made a heartfelt statement during a speech at a major protest against the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday.
"I apologize to all of you," Haraguchi told the massive crowd.
"So many have died, and they shouldn't have."
. . .
Elsewhere in the speech, he also apologized for the suppression of alternative Covid treatments such as ivermectin.
He revealed that ivermectin was blocked from use because it was cheap and would "interfere with the sales of the vaccines".
There's more at the link.
In another report, British newspaper The Telegraph reports that Netherlands scientists have found that the COVID-19 vaccines may be responsible for at least part of the explosion in "excess deaths" in recent years.
Covid vaccines could be partly to blame for the rise in excess deaths since the pandemic, scientists have suggested.
Researchers from The Netherlands analysed data from 47 Western countries and discovered there had been more than three million excess deaths since 2020, with the trend continuing despite the rollout of vaccines and containment measures.
They said the “unprecedented” figures “raised serious concerns” and called on governments to fully investigate the underlying causes, including possible vaccine harms.
Writing in the BMJ Public Health, the authors from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, said: “Although Covid-19 vaccines were provided to guard civilians from suffering morbidity and mortality by the Covid-19 virus, suspected adverse events have been documented as well.
“Both medical professionals and citizens have reported serious injuries and deaths following vaccination to various official databases in the Western World.”
. . .
The study found that across Europe, the US and Australia there had been more than one million excess deaths in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, but also 1.2 million in 2021 and 800,000 and 2022 after measures were implemented.
Researchers said the figure included deaths from Covid-19, but also the “indirect effects of the health strategies to address the virus spread and infection”.
They warned that side effects linked to the Covid vaccine had included ischaemic stroke, acute coronary syndrome and brain haemorrhage, cardiovascular diseases, coagulation, haemorrhages, gastrointestinal events and blood clotting.
German researchers have pointed out that the onset of excess mortality in early 2021 in the country coincided with the rollout of vaccines, which the team said “warranted further investigation”.
Again, more at the link.
For those who've been skeptical about official sources' attempts to "whitewash" the issue, this is nothing new: but to see reports from such sources is an eye-opener. Is the official "wall of silence" crumbling? Will we see more and more authoritative sources acknowledging what's been obvious to any informed observer for years now? I won't hold my breath waiting, but these are at least encouraging developments.
Meanwhile, given that background, with alarmist threats of new health dangers such as bird flu (H5N1) "migrating" to the human population, I'll continue to watch all such official pronouncements with skepticism, and investigate alternative therapies to any recommended by the establishment. After all, if they lied to us for so long about COVID-19, why should we believe that they're not doing it again?
Peter
I overdid it yesterday, sorting out things at home and trying to catch up with what's been neglected during my weeks of medical treatment. As a result, I'll have to head to the doctor this morning to check on a couple of backward steps, and see if anything is needed to fix them.
Blogging will be interrupted until I get back. More later.
Peter
Bird flu has been in the news a lot lately, with concerns about how America's poultry production (both eggs and meat) may be devastated if it continues to spread. There's also speculation that if a strain of bird flu, or H5N1 as it's technically known, adapts to humans, the resulting epidemic could kill thousands.
What puzzles me is the insistence by the medical establishment of pushing "cures" such as Tamiflu or Relenza to treat H5N1. Yes, they offer some hope, and may alleviate minor doses of the flu: but there's another option that's been widely used in the Third World for years. That's chloroquine, as well as its derivative hydroxychloroquine. You'll doubtless remember their being advocated as a treatment for COVID-19 during the pandemic. Many, including myself, believe it's because of the existing widespread use of hydroxychloroquine (as a prophylactic medication against malaria infection) and ivermectin (as a treatment for river blindness and other illnesses endemic to the continent) that prevented COVID-19 from gaining a foothold in Africa. So many potential victims were already dosed with an effective treatment that the disease simply couldn't take root.
Unfortunately, the medical establishment is largely ignoring the fact that chloroquine has been claimed by some researchers to be a highly effective treatment against H5N1.
Yan, et al studied H5N1 infection in the laboratory and demonstrated that physiological relevant concentrations of chloroquine inhibited viral entry and damage to human cells. Additionally, when given as treatment and not prophylaxis, chloroquine reduced pulmonary alveolar infiltrates and improved survival in mice after a lethal dose of H5N1 from zero to 70%.
There's more at the link.
Hydroxychloroquine is freely available in the USA, and ivermectin is becoming more so. (Here's one source of supply; I think their price is ridiculously high, but there are others if you shop around, often less expensive.) If you're worried about the possible crossover of the H5N1 influenza virus to the human population, I strongly suggest that you try to obtain some of each, and keep it in your emergency reserve supplies. (I'm not being compensated in any way for linking to one supplier; I'm doing so only because I know readers sometimes have difficulty finding a local source of supply.)
I no longer trust the medical profession to speak the truth about epidemics and illnesses - not after they made such a dog's breakfast out of COVID-19. I'd rather investigate potential threats myself, obtain what information is available, and prepare accordingly.
Peter
Yesterday I saw the specialist for a follow-on consultation. The good news: X-rays, urine tests and other indicators show that the surgeries so far have been successful. The hydronephrosis from which I was suffering appears to be in retreat; the swollen, misshapen kidney is shrinking, getting rid of excess fluid, and slowly reverting to normal; and the nasty bits removed in two previous procedures are not reoccuring. So far, so good (particularly given that, if no improvement had been visible by now, kidney failure would have become more likely than not, requiring removal of that organ).
The not-so-good news: it's going to take at least a month more to finish this off. I have another surgery scheduled for June 17th, followed by another week or so with a new stent (replacing the one already inserted). If X-rays show that the kidney has shrunk to normal size, and tests show that it's creating urine normally and sending it on its way, the stent will come out, and I'll be officially cleared.
Assuming all goes well, it'll be a full eight months since the hydronephrosis made itself known (in ouchy fashion) before it's cured. The first four months of that time were spent in tests to find out what the problem was, followed by six weeks of trying to find a specialist to treat it. I refused to work with the first one, as his practice treated me like a spare appendage who would do nothing but "put up and shut up" - something I don't do very well. The second, current specialist has not been what I'd call great at communication, but at least I have the opportunity to state whether I like what I'm hearing or not, and ask for more in-depth explanations when I feel they're needed. I suppose, in today's medical marketplace, that's a win - sort of.
I found the process of booking my June 17th surgery to be . . . worrying, I guess. I was present as the scheduler called the hospital and tried to make a booking. Date after date was turned down, either because there were no operating theater openings available, or because my specialist had other commitments that prevented him using the time slot that was available. I asked whether the hospital was shutting down some of its operating theaters, laying off the staff that had worked there, and trying to run the remainder at an increased tempo. I got the distinct impression that I wasn't supposed to ask that question: I was to be a polite little patient and do as I'm told and not question the system. Again, I'm not very good at that. I'd say the odds of my being correct about that are probably a lot higher than even, judging by the defensive response I received. Food for thought . . .
Anyway, so far, so good. I'm in the process of preparing a fundraiser for the major back surgery I'll need later this year, and I hope to launch that later this week (or next week at the latest). I'm just checking with accountants and lawyers about the tax implications, which appear confusing: answers vary depending on who's giving them.
Thanks again to everyone who's kept me in their thoughts and prayers, and one reader who - out of the blue, having never met me or even spoken to me - was extremely generous in helping my wife and I cope with the expenses involved in these procedures. He wishes to remain anonymous, but I hope and trust God will reward his faith in action.
Peter
After two kidney procedures so far, my state of health is definitely improved; but there's still a ways to go, including at least one more procedure (probably late next week or early the following week). The pain level bounces higher after each procedure, then gradually diminishes over time. Last Monday, after the second procedure, and through Tuesday, my pain levels were very high, so much so that I was popping some serious pain pills like they were M&M's. By Wednesday it had retreated to a point that I felt able to do light work around the house once more, and at present (during the small hours of Saturday morning) it's bearable with over-the-counter analgesics rather than prescription medication. That varies on an hourly basis, of course. I daresay by this evening I'll have hit the hard stuff at least once.
While my kidney is the main focus at present, there's also the deterioration in my spine to deal with. That's going to be a lot more complicated, and a lot more expensive, thanks to disputes between Workers Comp and my medical insurance provider over who's responsible for paying for it. Lawyers will almost certainly have to get involved. In order to get things moving, I'll probably have to pay for the surgery myself, and then recover what costs I can as matters progress. If I wait for the lawyers, I'll never get it done! I'm preparing a GiveSendGo campaign to raise funds for that, which I'll kick off next week.
It's taken me a couple of years to get to this point, and it won't be resolved overnight; but the kidney procedures are dealing with one major problem, and the solution to the second (and more serious) problem is in sight, pending funds to pay for it. My way of dealing with it has been to keep chipping away at the legal and medical facade of the professionals who handle this sort of thing, insisting on their keeping me informed, demanding copies of all test results (which illustrate all too well that they sometimes tell you verbally things that are not confirmed or borne out by the tests), and generally insisting that my health is first and foremost in my hands, not theirs. (For some reason doctors don't like that perspective! They seem to regard such patients as "pushy". Well, when you've had as many encounters with medical professionals as I have, you learn the hard way that they don't necessarily have your best interests at heart, but rather what's best for the medical profession. To overcome that, judicious application of the old idiom "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" is the only way to respond. Squeak louder!)
I'll try to get back to regular blogging hours next week, until the next procedure, which will require another interruption to our regular schedule. Hopefully that will be the last for a while, until the next surgery in a few months' time, if all goes well. Thanks for sticking with me, and for all your thoughts and prayers.
Peter
I'm alive, although not kicking - that would hurt too much! The procedure yesterday turned into a marathon session, and there will have to be a third in a couple of weeks' time, because things were rather nastier than had shown on X-rays, CT scans and ultrasound. Nevertheless, progress was made, and I'm assured by the specialist that given time, all should be well. If he's right, great: if not, I'll lose that kidney before the end of the year. We'll see.
Otherwise, I'm in a great deal of pain, moving very slowly, and trying to possess myself in patience. That's not easy! I expect I'll be moving more freely by the end of the week.
Blogging will be occasional for the next day or two, depending on how much energy I can find to get up and how long I can sit at my computer.
Peter
As for the past couple of weeks, my pain levels preclude sitting for hours transcribing part of a book, or even reading a lot. My next medical procedure is on Monday, May 20, and I guess I'll need a couple of days to catch my breath before picking up normal blogging again. I hope the specialist will get done everything he wants to do during that procedure, but he's already warned me that if there are too many complications, he'll do a partial job and go back in a third time to finish it. Let's hope and pray that won't be necessary! I'm already tired of this . . .
Anyway, please amuse yourselves with the bloggers listed in the sidebar. They write good, too!
Thanks.
Peter
Regular readers will know that I underwent a kidney procedure last week. It's a problem that often creeps up on a victim unawares, not revealing itself until it's fairly advanced; and the consequences of dealing with it may be very uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing. I'm writing this in the hope it may help readers who may one day face the same problem, so that they have more information than the doctors typically provide. (I've been very unhappy by the casual, offhand, uninformative way two urologists have dealt with me so far. Professionalism, it ain't!)
My problem is known as hydronephrosis. Unfortunately, it did not make its presence felt until it was relatively far advanced, making treatment more difficult and possibly having already caused at least some permanent kidney damage. Coming on top of another serious medical condition (of which more later), it's an unwanted, unneeded and excessively painful irritation, to put it mildly.
The first procedure, last week, implanted a stent in my ureter (the tube between kidney and bladder) to promote drainage. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have worked as planned. There's still a blockage, and at least one more procedure will be needed to deal with it. A third may be necessary, but we're hoping and praying not. Provided the kidney is still functional, that may make an end to the problem; if the accumulated damage is too great, removal may follow.
Unfortunately, one of the side-effects of the stent has been to render my bladder completely uncontrollable. When there's urine in it, no matter how much or how little, it's going to flow, whether I like it or not! (It's also a rather painful process, but that's beside the point.) That applies particularly whenever I stand up from a seated or lying position. Within ten seconds, the urge to urinate becomes unstoppable. Since I can't always make it to a bathroom in time, that means I have to temporarily wear adult incontinence diapers.
I've been astonished at the varying (in)effectiveness of most of the half-dozen products I've tried. They almost all displayed one or more problems; inadequate absorption (leading to embarrassing leaks), tearing, poor fit, discomfort and other issues. The only one that (in my limited experience) fully lived up to its billing and worked exactly as advertised is the Tranquility Premium Overnight brand.
It's sizing chart was accurate, and its biggest size is definitely adequate for large people (something all other brands of similar size got wrong). The wrapping claims absorption of up to 34 oz (approximately one quart) or 1,005 ml (approximately one liter), and it lives up to its claim. Even under the heaviest flows, it stays in place and soaks them up without fuss or bother. (A daytime version of the same product does almost as well, but the overnight version offers greater absorption, so it's the one I prefer to use). It's relatively comfortable to wear, although conventional underwear should be worn on top in order to hold it in place, particularly when weighed down by contents, so to speak.
I was disappointed and frustrated to find that other brands simply did not live up to their claims. I won't list all those I tried, because I don't see any point - none of them were worth what I paid for them. The Tranquility product is the only one where I've been willing, after trying it, to place a bulk order in the confidence that it'll do the job. Those of you who may face the need for incontinence diapers at some stage might want to make a note of the name, rather than waste your money on less effective products. (No, Tranquility isn't paying me in cash or in kind to promote their diapers. They don't even know I'm writing this. I just want to let my friends and readers know about something that may be important to them if things go wrong - and believe me, something like this is a pretty fundamental need at times like that!)
I see the urologist again today to discuss the next procedure. Hopefully, after that's done and time has been allowed for healing, I won't need these any more. I'll cross my fingers and tie knots in what I can't cross, hoping for the best!
Peter
Well, three days after the procedure I'm still alive, kicking and eating my salad from the top down rather than from the roots up. So far, so good.
I see the surgeon next week for a follow-up, and there'll be a second procedure soon after that to try to complete the job that couldn't be done in a single pass. Things get complicated when organs have to be given time to drain! If all goes well, that'll be the end of that particular problem; but if things don't go well, I may need a third surgery to remove a kidney. Needless to say, I'm hoping that won't be necessary.
Once this problem is out of the way, there's a bigger one on the horizon. Thanks to bureaucratic infighting, I'll probably have to launch a GiveSendGo fundraiser for assistance with that one. I'll tell you more about it in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, thank you all very much for your prayers and support. They mean a lot to me.
Peter
