Should I look for something or just wing it?

[Raynine]

I’m getting close to 80 years old. I switched from running to cycling in 1983. I was in a bike club for many years, and we raced a lot. I have always worn a helmet but suffered seven concussions in spite- lots of crashes. I don’t seem to be slowing too much mentally but I am slower. I have an underactive Thyroid, but I don’t blame that on cycling. Two of my cycle mates close to my age, have been diagnosed with aortic aneurisms. They had no symptoms. The condition was discovered through unrelated scans. I had to work to stay with these guys. I still ride and so do they. I feel fine but so did they. I wonder if I should look for that.

 

[Thunk]

I still ride and so do they. I feel fine but so did they. I wonder if I should look for that.

What do they do for the condition?

If they need to saw your chest open...and you are not willing to do that...no sense in getting scanned for it.

 

[Thunk]

They wanted me to have a test for sleep apnea.

I knew I would never wear that stupid mask...it would keep me from sleeping...so why get tested?

 

[Dekster]

I’m getting close to 80 years old. I switched from running to cycling in 1983. I was in a bike club for many years, and we raced a lot. I have always worn a helmet but suffered seven concussions in spite- lots of crashes. I don’t seem to be slowing too much mentally but I am slower. I have an underactive Thyroid, but I don’t blame that on cycling. Two of my cycle mates close to my age, have been diagnosed with aortic aneurisms. They had no symptoms. The condition was discovered through unrelated scans. I had to work to stay with these guys. I still ride and so do they. I feel fine but so did they. I wonder if I should look for that.

AAA's have no symptoms until usually the end other than a back ache. I had a relative with it whose was also discovered by accident when they were getting an ultrasound for possible kidney stones. The doctor told them "well, if you want to do nothing, it is not the worst way to die. It is usually pretty quick with some severe back pains for a couple minutes then you are gone". If they can go through your groin to fix, it is a pretty easy surgery. If you have to have a primary repair, it is a pretty rough procedure as they open you pretty much all the way up right down the middle more or less and there is a higher chance it will rupture when they cut you open as the surrounding tissue isn't there to keep pressure on it.

 

[Raynine]

What do they do for the condition?

If they need to saw your chest open...and you are not willing to do that...no sense in getting scanned for it.

I think they slide a huge stent about the size of vacuum cleaner hose down the inside of the Aorta. Didn't John Ritter die from something like that?

 

[Dante]

I’m getting close to 80 years old. I switched from running to cycling in 1983. I was in a bike club for many years, and we raced a lot. I have always worn a helmet but suffered seven concussions in spite- lots of crashes. I don’t seem to be slowing too much mentally but I am slower. I have an underactive Thyroid, but I don’t blame that on cycling. Two of my cycle mates close to my age, have been diagnosed with aortic aneurisms. They had no symptoms. The condition was discovered through unrelated scans. I had to work to stay with these guys. I still ride and so do they. I feel fine but so did they. I wonder if I should look for that.

Helmets only protect in certain ways. I had a brain bleed a few years ago. No helmet. Brain is like jello inside of skull. A helmet will not keep the brain from jiggling and banging against the skull.

aortic aneurysms? Hmm... ascending or descending? one you see a cardiac surgeon, the other ones sees a vascular surgeon

If anybody is riding bikes with an aortic aneurysm that has not been repaired, they are playing with fire. A blow to the body and a dissection is terribly bad. A burst is guaranteed death.

 

[Dante]

AAA's have no symptoms until usually the end other than a back ache. I had a relative with it whose was also discovered by accident when they were getting an ultrasound for possible kidney stones. The doctor told them "well, if you want to do nothing, it is not the worst way to die. It is usually pretty quick with some severe back pains for a couple minutes then you are gone". If they can go through your groin to fix, it is a pretty easy surgery. If you have to have a primary repair, it is a pretty rough procedure as they open you pretty much all the way up right down the middle more or less and there is a higher chance it will rupture when they cut you open as the surrounding tissue isn't there to keep pressure on it.

Wrong. What is a AAA?

 

[Dekster]

What do they do for the condition?

If they need to saw your chest open...and you are not willing to do that...no sense in getting scanned for it.

There are 4 options---forget it and hope you die from something else; monitor it to see if it is growing and then decide; a AAA stent that takes the pressure off done by catheter; or the thing you said in emergency/severe situations. The stent is custom designed for you using imaging before they insert it so it can take months to get the procedure. When you have the extensive repair, they wrap it with gortex from outside instead of stenting it from inside the aorta.

 

[DGS49]

If you are close to 80 years old you should know that you don't ask a question if you don't really want to know the answer.

At your (our) age, we are little more than Cash Cows for the Medical Industrial Complex. If you don't have intolerable symptoms, let it go.

 

[Leo123]

I’m getting close to 80 years old. I switched from running to cycling in 1983. I was in a bike club for many years, and we raced a lot. I have always worn a helmet but suffered seven concussions in spite- lots of crashes. I don’t seem to be slowing too much mentally but I am slower. I have an underactive Thyroid, but I don’t blame that on cycling. Two of my cycle mates close to my age, have been diagnosed with aortic aneurisms. They had no symptoms. The condition was discovered through unrelated scans. I had to work to stay with these guys. I still ride and so do they. I feel fine but so did they. I wonder if I should look for that.

If it worries you, go to a cardio doctor. That's what they do. They monitor vessels, heart, etc. Echo cardiogram, nuclear imaging, etc. I am 77 and have been under the care of a cardiologist over 10 years because of occasional afib. You can at least get some kind of idea what your vessels and heart look like. Hope you keep well.

 

[Thunk]

I watched my dad waste away to nothing for 5 years before he died.

I watched my mom waste away to nothing for 9 months before she died.

The thought of dropping dead in seconds...well, I find it somewhat comforting.

We all have to die...no exceptions to that rule!

But I don't want to waste away for a long period of time!!!

 

[Dekster]

I think they slide a huge stent about the size of vacuum cleaner hose down the inside of the Aorta. Didn't John Ritter die from something like that?

John ritter died from a torn aorta but wasn't during procedure. They can custom make the stent and chip you so they can monitor the pressure on the repair without needing to do the dyes and scans

 

[Dekster]

I watched my dad waste away to nothing for 5 years before he died.

I watched my mom waste away to nothing for 9 months before she died.

The thought of dropping dead in seconds...well, I find it somewhat comforting.

We all have to die...no exceptions to that rule!

But I don't want to waste away for a long period of time!!!

I would rather know it was time and have a few weeks at least to get things in order and say my see ya laters.

 

[Leo123]

I watched my dad waste away to nothing for 5 years before he died.

I watched my mom waste away to nothing for 9 months before she died.

The thought of dropping dead in seconds...well, I find it somewhat comforting.

We all have to die...no exceptions to that rule!

But I don't want to waste away for a long period of time!!!

Good point. The older I get, the more I appreciate the present. At least for now.....

 

[Concerned American]

I’m getting close to 80 years old. I switched from running to cycling in 1983. I was in a bike club for many years, and we raced a lot. I have always worn a helmet but suffered seven concussions in spite- lots of crashes. I don’t seem to be slowing too much mentally but I am slower. I have an underactive Thyroid, but I don’t blame that on cycling. Two of my cycle mates close to my age, have been diagnosed with aortic aneurisms. They had no symptoms. The condition was discovered through unrelated scans. I had to work to stay with these guys. I still ride and so do they. I feel fine but so did they. I wonder if I should look for that.

Since an aortic aneurism is a weak spot in the aorta, I doubt there is much in the way of symptoms to look for. A scan might show a swelling, but until it bursts, there isn't much that can be done. Get the scan.

 

[Leo123]

Since an aortic aneurism is a weak spot in the aorta, I doubt there is much in the way of symptoms to look for. A scan might show a swelling, but until it bursts, there isn't much that can be done. Get the scan.

Sonogram imaging. That's what my cardio Doctor does on a regular basis depending on health. Every 6 months to 1 year. If I have any symptoms, it get a quick appointment.

 

[Raynine]

If I have an AA it's thoracic, not abdominal. When I had my last colonoscopy, I also had an endoscopy and they did scans of my abdomen which was normal and I recall the doctor saying the aorta was normal. Both my cycle friends have thoracic aneurisms and apparently it is not uncommon for cyclists to get them. They are not doing anything and they are still riding.

 

[Concerned American]

Sonogram imaging. That's what my cardio Doctor does on a regular basis depending on health. Every 6 months to 1 year. If I have any symptoms, it get a quick appointment.

I had a CABG going on 31 years ago and I've seen a cardiologist for the ensuing period. Annual check ups with nuclear scans are the norm.

 

[Thunk]

Two of my cycle mates close to my age, have been diagnosed with aortic aneurisms.

Wait a minute...these 2 are not related to you?

I thunk you're worrying over nothing. If they both broke a bone would you be concerned about breaking a bone yourself?

If they were your siblings...I can see being concerned...But not for this.

 

[Raynine]

My wife and I at my grandaughter's graduation party: