h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Growth hormone pen that is... I've had plenty of new ones alrady, as the 'trial' of the GH I was on, involved the reusable pens, that you set to a given dose, and it delivers that up to the volume of GH inside ... the new pen, is the new type of pen (for me), the single use goquick pen oddly named as they seem slower to use, at least until I get used to them I guess... You have to twist the plunger round, to mix the two chambres, one with the GH itself as a powder, with the fluid (water? not sure), after, of course, first attaching the needle fairly straight forward to use I guess, but a bit more fiddly, as you have to put a lot more pressure on the plunger, to inject the GH; the earlier pens I was using, was a more mechanical action, with basically a button to press; these ones now also contain slightly more fluid, though the same dose of GH, just more of the liquid with each one (I think that is to ensure the mixing is even, and th e powdered GH disolves properly. each disposible pen comes with its own needle, inside a little sealed 'bag' and although we store them in the fridge (3 years lifespan), the pen doesn't need to be refridgerated (3 months lifespan) which is handy for travel they're prety tiny... I think the needles on these are a bit longer than the ones I was using on the other pens,; which actually makes them easier to use, and more stable once I'm stabbed, which is useful whilst trying to symultaioniously pinch some skin, get the needle in, and then using only one hand, plunge down the plunger, whilst holding the shaft of the 'pen' with the same hand depressing the plunger... I might try doing it left handed tomorrow, that might be easier, as I seem to be more left handed now, than right handed < for some tings at least At least now W and I can have some weekends (or longer) away, without worrying about refridgeration and stuf for the other older pens I was using Not that we'l ever be able to go away at this rate. still two months and counting since the PET scan, and still no sound from cardiology, and no news about the blood presure meds, that cardiology said they wanted me on, err, about three months or so ago still no news of the levothyroxin prescription or not from endocrinology, nor of the statin I'm ment to be starting, as of three months ago, or indeed of the medication for osteoporosis, and no news back yet on the X-Ray of my spine so I guess we're just ment to stay here, in Cambridge and wait for them to be bothered to do something. anything... Didn't do much today, just an hour at the gym, early afternoon... otths

I can't imagine how you cope with all that fiddling about. Your description of going down to the gym and your weight made me smile. You're right, though. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you're probably on the right track.

I broke my leg almost two years ago in three places and had to have three operations, so I'm now a regular at my local gym.

My pens work just like switchblades: A spring shoots the syringe into my flesh, presses the liquid under the skin and that's that. Afterwards I just throw the whole thing into a special bin which I then return to the pharmacy

Ouch!

Nah, you can barely feel anything

I feel too little when I do it; I useually have to 'feel down' the pen, once I think* I've stuck myself, just to check its actually in; though at least now I've got the slightly longer needles, I can feel it a little better, whcih is good - there are various differnt types of pen device for the growth hormone, but I wanted this pen, as it doesn't require the refridgeration (2 to 5 degrees C) - the pens I have now, are fine in ambient temps, up to about 25 degrees, I think, for up to three months, before the liquid in the pen is mixed with the powder anyhow - growth hormone is a tiny peptide, and very heat unstable; in fact, you musten 'shake' the pen, to mix it, as that can denature the protein/peptide

I do like the gym; just a pity cardiology restrict what weights I can lift, due to the aneurysm - no idea if I'm ment to be doing weights at all though, as I've now been diagnosed with a fractured back (T10 and T12 vertibray) the Drs dont' tell me anything.

Have you tried anything else at the gym, like the exercise classes? They can be quite fun.

Just re-read what you said - fractured back? Oh my.

Never had any back pain... never had any symptoms of bak pain or trubble there. - turns out i've probably had a fractured back since my accident in 1993; but no one told me. Which is fair enough, unless, you consider;
I was age 17 when I had the road traffic accident; a fractured spine at that age, or any age, before 35 (age 30 according to some sources), can be entirely healed by the body; when you are that young, given appropiate treatment.
I was of couse given no treatment, appropiate or otherwise, as no one told me I had a fractured back.
second;
if you have a fracture, anywhere in the body, then, if you have to take steroids, for any reason; you ust be put onto preventitive meds, from the get-go, to prevent osteoporosis.
I was put on perminant, lifelong steroids, in 2015. I was given no preventative, prophaphalatic meds, to prevent osteoporosis.
I now have osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis will eventually mean I get put in a wheelchair. being blind, I cannot use a wheel chair, as you can't use one with a guide dog or cane.
thanks Drs.
I'm losing faith in the medical profesion. they've serit goa ing clue waht they're doing.
I only discovered I have osteoporosis due to threatening the Dr with legal action if they didn't do a d bone denisty scan. they did a bone density scan. they found osteoporosis. good job I'd read up about my own condition, as my Drs haven't; its ment o be part of best practise under BMA guidelines to give a bone density scan before starting the steroids; which they didn't do. no appology. and they still treat everyting I say as if I'm a complete moron. the consultant won't even examine my skin or breasts or another part of me which is responding oddly to testosteorne treatment. just point blank refused to accept what I said about changes in my body was true. I think my next consultant appointment I'll just refuse to speak. I can't see what else I can do, they don't listen when I do speak.

Doctors are almost completely governed by the pharmaceutical profession, who fund their training and the NHS is a disease management scheme rather than a health promotion one.



They're developing exoskeletons to help people walk, so that might be an option in the future. Bummer if you were to lose your independence.

Hmmm...


With existing technology, someone could build a self driving wheelchair. Considering the state of the autonomous robots they're using in some hospitals and warehouses (like Amazon) and the capabilities of high tech wheelchairs, like the ones built by the Segway guy* that can climb steps and "stand" on two wheels, an autonomous, all-terrain wheel chair is definitely feasible. Sure, you might look like you're part Dalek but that might appeal to some folks.







*The iBot wheelchair, Dean Kamen is the guy I was thinking of. I'm still a bit disappointed that the iBot was never widely adopted. I thought it looked quite impressive. I think it was just too expensive and there were probably prohibitive liability issues. Apparently he hasn't given up and is currently working with Toyota on the next gen version, much sleeker.




P.S. I see the folks at MIT are already on it.
http://techcrunch.com/2017/06/24/taking-a-ride-in-mits-self-driving-wheelchair/

This was the kind of thing I was thinking of: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/420883/personal-exoskeletons-for-paraplegics/ although if it needs two crutches, 2Legs might have issues.

i'm kinda hoping I don't end up that bad, really. I'd not only lose indepedance but, wel most things i do are pretty much dependant on having a broadly funcitoning body in terms of its movement. - I don't expect Drs to understand; most of them don't quite understand what 'blind' means. seriously. - one of the chemotherapy Drs didn't realise I was blind, until my final day of chemotherapy. he'd seen me for six months. arriving each day, being guided, with a white cane. and he didn't figure out I was blind, despite being told i was blind. and then I have to credit him with enough intelligence to say that I'm in remission or not, from cancer.
Staill waiting for consultant in endocrinology to bother to write to my GP to prescribe the drug I've now told teh consultant does exist,and is able to be prescribed; she wasn't able to know that herself. but hasn't managed to prescribe the med yet. six months no medication and counting.

I think its time to treaten them with legal action again; they ... got their act together a bit, for a few months the last time I did that. ,biro>

Still nothing from cardiology. this is worrying. the last time they didn't communicate with me, it was when they discovered the aneurysm, didn't tell me; didn't tell my GP; let my GP write a letter to my gym (costing me £25), ' 'clearing me' to 'no restrictions on exercise due to any medical conditions' . four months I did then at the gym, doing exercises that one must not* do with an aneurysm, before cardiology bothered to tell me I cna't do them

I still like the idea of turning you into a cyborg, ala RoboCop. That would get the doctors' attention. It's hard to ignore a cross dressing mechanoid!

I'm concentrating on turning myself into a body builder ATM.... Today at the gym, one of the regular, always there, body builders accused me of turning into 'Arnie' My body has certainly changed shape tnirely now... thanks to the weights - I'd have thought the Drs have little chance to ignore me as it is... but somehow they still manage... <

BG - that image has a certain fascination.

Heh...


I think I just broke internet Rule 34. I riskily googled "crossdressing cyborg" (at work) and found no relevant (or pornographic) images of crossdressing cyborgs. That's very surprising considering Japan exists.

This is possibly as close as it gets:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PRjivglNzQ

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss! there is hope for me yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there is still more weird left to find! I can be a blind transvesite cyborg! sadly.... I fear eventually I probably wil be, one way or another

I'm devoting the remainder of my life to enveloping, engulfing adopting and being, all the weird in the world. I feel its someones duty to go out there, discover all the weird, and BE all the weird in the world. I am that.... err... person