Casey Palmer5 said:Your ball height needs to be set so your knees are at a right angle while you're sitting. If you’re still feeling it, maybe your desk height is just off.
Hmm, I'm tall enough that hitting that perfect right angle might be an issue. As for my back, I'm skeptical. Still, probably worth a shot.
I'm also wondering if the ball can actually handle my weight.
So, assuming I’m spending maybe eight to ten hours a day slumped in a crappy chair, my back is already killing me, and I basically dodge muscle soreness by being super careful instead of actually having any core strength... would buying an exercise ball just for sitting be a bad move?
I feel like it might help more than anything else since a ball is technically lower than a chair. Right now, I'm just hunched over my desk constantly.
On the flip side—and this isn't even about my current lack of fitness—standing or sitting without a backrest absolutely exhausts me (honestly, since I was a kid). If I stand in one spot for even ten minutes, my lower back starts acting up. Same thing happens if I try to sit upright without support. So, I'm kind of worried I'll end up suffering on the ball, too.
damn, if being messy means you aren't serious about life, then... I don't know, I can only think of a handful of people who actually are. And even some of them are pretty damn goofy 😁 😁 😁
I honestly didn't even realize I was going through puberty. If I hadn't started smoking weed back then, I might have wondered if it even happened to me at all. Even my friends tell me you couldn't tell anything changed mentally.
My lower back is killing me too, but I’m pretty sure it’s just because I sit way too much. I spend maybe ten hours a day glued to my desk, and honestly, my activity level is basically non-existent. The real issue is that I have zero motivation to actually move. The only thing I can tolerate is cycling, but that fell through since I can't find a bike that actually fits me. Swimming is out, too—unless an outdoor pool opens up soon. I can't stand those indoor community pools; I went once and felt nauseous for the rest of the day.
Jeremy Flores10 said:I’ve got accounts at three different banks and I still can’t swim any better than she can. Plus, I’m at the beach twice a year, and there’s zero chance I’m suddenly gonna pick it up. I even took classes (twice), but I'm just totally untalented. So, anyone thinking learning to swim is easy is seriously mistaken. It's not like I'm scared of water, and I don't weigh 300 lbs. It's just that even if I can stay afloat, actually kicking and moving through the water? No way. In your case, you might just have to try it and see if it sticks. We can't really help you much other than telling you where the local classes are held, and that's about it.
The human body floats. Yours included. It isn't about being talented; it's just basic physics. I'm pretty much useless at every sport and physical activity known to man, but I can definitely float on the ocean—assuming I don't freeze or someone doesn't push me under 😁.
Basically, all you have to do to float is nothing. 🙂 Just lie in the shallows—on the sand, obviously—lay your head back, and fight the urge to sit on the bottom. Take a deep breath, hang out there, and you'll see there's no way you're sinking. Once you realize you can just lounge on the surface without touching the floor, you'll be swimming within a few days.
It’s mostly mental. And honestly, swimming—especially diving—is an incredible rush.
I mean, I’m not really asking anything. Honestly, everything I know comes through my dad. He was talking to a cousin of ours. I only exchanged a few sentences with him, mostly because I didn't want to push too hard. Hospital stays were never even on the table, even though a close relative of my mom works there. I guess it’s pretty obvious this is primarily their private business, and it’s up to the parents to decide how much they want to share and with whom.
As for the cousin's wife, I have no idea how she's doing since she hasn't come back from the hospital yet. She was at the maternity ward in San Francisco, and then she and the little one headed down to Miami (basically, they wouldn't take her to the ER, so my cousin just drove her in the car 124 miles — the wife had a C-section a couple of days prior) and she still isn't home. All I know about her is that food isn't an issue since the hospital serves vegetarian meals. I suppose that falls under the category of "saying something insignificant just to say something."
I mean, there’s really no point in getting worked up... I get where people are coming from. I might have been a bit too quick to say I partially understood him, but this kid is family through and through—close to me, my parents, even my grandma, since he's her first great-grandson (assuming I ever decide to have kids myself). Honestly, nobody here is an expert on this. That's why I don't push for answers; I just leave it to the older folks who know what they're doing... though maybe it would actually help if I sat down and had a real talk with him.
We'll see how it goes..
I realize I'm not giving you guys enough info to actually make a diagnosis. But I don't really have anything else to add. Thanks for trying, though.
Scott Allen10 said:That first quote feels contradictory to me... how can he be eating enough food and gaining weight if his digestive tract isn't clearly open and bowel transit isn't normal? And on top of that, he's on parenteral nutrition through a central line? The second quote sounds unbelievable... an eight-hour procedure just to place a central catheter!!! In my experience, that shouldn't take any longer than an hour, unless there was something else going on with the placement. I guess for an eight-hour surgery, they definitely had to be doing much more than just that. Keep us posted on what's happening over there... I'm really curious to know the specifics.👋
I'm not talking to the doctors, I'm talking to a relative, and trying to get info out of him is like pulling teeth—it's like he's guarding a state secret. He'd honestly rather not talk about anything or answer any questions. I get where he's coming from, but I still want to know what's actually going on.
What is certain is that the little guy is eating regular food, because we get updates every day like "he had 50ml for lunch" and stuff like that. Whether he's getting supplemental nutrition via IV, I don't know, but he's definitely eating some things normally. And his mom is staying at the hospital with him, if that matters.
I really have no clue about the specifics of that surgery. All I know, like I said before, is that it was supposed to take a few hours but stretched to eight. Maybe my relative misunderstood and meant the kid woke up at 8 PM, but I'm just guessing since you guys were so surprised... you've got me a little worried now. I think everything is okay, I just want to know... Scott Allen10, and that other thing you didn't want to comment on...
I'll definitely write back when there's more news. They should be doing a biopsy tomorrow, so maybe we'll get some more answers then.
Oh, one detail that might matter to those of you who know this stuff: instead of a biopsy, they were considering using X-rays (which seems weird to me, maybe they said 'imaging' and my relative misheard) to track food passage through the whole system; it was supposed to take about eight hours, but they couldn't do it because the little guy isn't even four kilos yet, which apparently is some kind of limit.
nimbleskipper13, Scott Allen10, and everyone else, thanks for all the posts.
nimbleskipper13, I only brought up the doctors' strike because non-essential appointments were being pushed back that day. Based on that, I figured the surgery was an emergency, which just added to my stress. I wasn't trying to offend anyone here. I haven't said anything about the strike itself, the reasons behind it, or the doctors—none of that. If I sounded like I was judging, all I meant to say in my last post was that I trust they're in good hands, but I wanted to hear your thoughts just to ease my own mind. Sorry if I came off the wrong way..
As for the rest, what exactly is parenteral nutrition? Is that just feeding through an IV?
Regarding the info we have... the thing is, my relative has heard enough from the doctors to know there's something wrong with his large intestine and that surgery is necessary. He’s asked plenty of questions and gotten some answers. What I'm really trying to figure out is what the specific issue is and how it's actually treated.
nimbleskipper13 said:Unfortunately, you can't just do "consultations via mail"... without seeing the test results, we simply can't work with a patient... and I definitely can't do anything remotely. 🙂 ...just like any other surgeon...
Mh... the little guy is in the hospital, and I trust the doctors are taking good care of him. I’m mostly asking stuff here just to calm my own nerves—I want to know what’s actually going on because my cousin is completely in the dark. For that same reason, I can't really give much detail either.
Regarding the surgery, all I know is they had to fix an IV line that had slipped out. It was supposed to be a quick procedure, maybe a few hours, but the first attempt didn't go through, so they had to redo it. That's exactly how I was told. So, it ended up lasting eight hours, and that was on the day of the strike when they were only handling emergencies.
And I'm not even sure why he needed the IV... I mean, he eats enough, his digestion works, and he's gaining weight, but there's the issue with the large intestine. Once food gets to that point, it just doesn't move because the colon doesn't react. Then he stops eating (every three or four days), and they have to use a catheter to clear him out, and then everything goes back to normal for a couple of days like he's the healthiest kid ever. I don't get why the IV was necessary at all. He did pick up some bacteria, so maybe that's related, but... I don't know.
I gotta say, I'm a little surprised nobody jumped in here... I’ve usually gotten some kind of answer on Healthline whenever I ask something. But I see people have been reading, so thanks for that at least.
It looks like the issue might be a lack of nerve endings in the large intestine tissue, which is why things aren't moving through the system properly. We're doing a biopsy tomorrow, so the doctors will decide the next steps after that. One possibility—if things are bad enough—is just removing that section of the colon entirely. If that happens, it means the little guy would be under full anesthesia for the fourth time within his first month of life.😢
I’m glued to my computer for hours every single day. Honestly, saying I spend ten or twelve hours at the desk probably isn't even an exaggeration. On top of that, my chair is way too high, so I think I'm slowly developing some kind of hunchback. A ball seems like a decent idea, but I don't know if I could actually handle sitting on one for that long without any back support...
Swimming is killer for building muscle. During the summer, when I’m back home and basically living in the ocean—hitting the beach in the morning and evening, grabbing lunch there, pretty much forgetting what dry land even feels like—my whole body gets into such good shape it’s actually unreal. I’m pretty tall, so my back usually acts up, but mostly just in the spring. By now, I guess all the muscle I put on last summer has probably melted away. Right now, for example, I can barely lift a 50-pound weight (tried one at a buddy's place), but by the end of the summer, I can handle my own body weight without even hitting the gym, just from swimming all day long. Plus, my chest and abs get decent definition, though looking at myself right now, I feel like I'm made of jelly.
Unfortunately, I can't really use the public pool, though. Being in there makes me feel nauseous, and I feel like I'm gonna barf immediately.
I guess I’m glad I know both sides of it, but honestly, learning to swim feels way more straightforward since you can take it one step at a time. I don't see why anyone couldn't pick it up. I mean, the human body just floats. You basically just have to stop fighting it or you'll sink 🙂
As for the bike, it’s really all about just committing. I think the best way is to start by scooting along, gradually increasing the time you spend gliding without touching the ground, then eventually trying to steer with the handlebars instead of using your feet to keep balance. That part is definitely the hardest, but hey, that's what practice is for.
I remember when I was nine, learning on a little local soccer field. I could go straight pretty well, but once I tried to turn, I realized the field wasn't wide enough and ended up slamming right into a pole on the sidelines 😁
Anyway, irontiger25 and Emily Myers78, just be brave. Most importantly, don't let fear get to you. Billions of people manage to do both, so I'm sure you guys can too. 👍
About ten days ago, my cousin—who’s basically my brother since I don't have any siblings—had a son. The little guy hasn't even made it home yet because he's dealing with some issues regarding an enlarged colon. Honestly, I'm flying blind here. My cousin is either being super vague on purpose or he's just too much of an idiot to ask the doctors the right questions. I'm pretty annoyed about it.
Basically, the baby was moved from the maternity ward in San Francisco over to a hospital in Miami. The reason was that he hadn't had a bowel movement for four days, which is obviously a red flag, though he actually went during the drive to Miami. He's still being kept under observation. At the time, I figured everything was fine and people were just overreacting.
But today, I find out from my cousin that one of the IV lines popped out—one I didn't even realize was connected directly to his main vein (basically heading straight for the heart)—and now he has to go back into surgery to fix it. The operation started at noon and didn't wrap up until 8:00 PM because they couldn't get it right the first time. The kid was under general anesthesia the whole time.
This is all the info I could squeeze out of him. He honestly has no clue what's going on. Does anyone here actually understand what's happening? Why would an IV line be positioned that close to the heart? Why would an operation take that long? And what kind of complications are we talking about with an enlarged colon?
He isn't even two weeks old yet... 😢 He was a solid 7.7 pounds and 20 inches at birth... he's definitely not a weak little guy.
Hmm, I guess everything looks perfect on paper—and honestly, that’s what the docs say—but lately (over the last year or two, actually), I’ve noticed something weird. When I’m staring at stuff up close for a while, like reading a book or working on my laptop, I have a hard time focusing on anything far away. I went in for a checkup last year for some other stuff, and they told me my vision was flawless, but it just doesn't feel like it used to. Was it actually superhuman before? 😕
I probably drink somewhere around two liters. But according to Healthline, I should be hitting over four liters a day. I’m definitely not doing that. I probably should, though. Apparently, people generally feel a whole lot better when they're actually hydrated.
Unless your fever is hitting 102 or higher, I wouldn't bother taking anything. A little temp is basically just your body fighting off the virus and helping the immune system do its job.