This time my sickness is different....

[saab2000]

Well, for the fourth time in a year I am laid low with sickness. This time though it is somewhat different and not really sinus related. I do however have very raw and inflamed tonsils and swallowing is hard.

Why, God, why??? :crap: Why does a healthy youngish (at least compared to Ned Overend and Steve Tilford, both of whom could crush most of us on a bike)?

I hate getting sick all the time. The MRI from last time proved nothing. Next time I will demand blood tests. Doctors?

BTW, those of you who last time mentioned the saline nasal rinse should be applauded. I have been doing that and it is nice and disgusting!! :banana: But actually useful I think. It does actually seem to clear it all out.

Tips? Hints?

I wanted to go to Georgetown to check out the talent tonight, but will probably be staring at the inside of my eyelids instead after watching the Packer-Bear game.

Go Pack Go!!

[1centaur]

Starting with the obvious - strep?

[Kevan]

they are a breeding ground.

Feel better soon.

[Ginger]

One night years ago 18 of us went bowling down at the Rock and bowl...some kid with a stupid name em-n-em or something like that was the DJ and all in all we had a good time. Just days later we started getting sick...deathly ill. 15 out of 18 people who got drinks at the bar (you know...to check out the talent) fell deathly ill...some people were out of work for 5 days. We called it the Ebowling virus.

Checking out the talent is about as dangerous as hanging out in a school...all the traveling bugs are there just waiting for someone like yourself to come along and give them a ride.

Not saying you shouldn't...but take some c or something before you go!

(I still think you should have the doc run a gluten panel...stranger things have happened...)

Oh yeah...we tracked the ebowling virus down to one of the bartenders that night. Working while sick with this nastiness.

[Smiley]

saab , Georgetown is yesterdays news , you need to find a better spot to hang :)

[Ginger]

saab , Georgetown is yesterdays news , you need to find a better spot to hang :)

Yeah...Georgetown was in when *Smiley* was single...

[dekindy]

If you are searching for a sinus treatment, I have found that for most of my attacks Sinofresh relieves my symptoms and shortens the duration of the attack. Available over the counter at your local drugstore. I hope this helps.

http://www.sinofresh.com/

[Smiley]

Yeah...Georgetown was in when *Smiley* was single...
You got that right Ginger , so were bell bottom pants :)

[93legendti]

Well, for the fourth time in a year I am laid low with sickness. This time though it is somewhat different and not really sinus related. I do however have very raw and inflamed tonsils and swallowing is hard.

Why, God, why??? :crap: Why does a healthy youngish (at least compared to Ned Overend and Steve Tilford, both of whom could crush most of us on a bike)?

I hate getting sick all the time. The MRI from last time proved nothing. Next time I will demand blood tests. Doctors?

BTW, those of you who last time mentioned the saline nasal rinse should be applauded. I have been doing that and it is nice and disgusting!! :banana: But actually useful I think. It does actually seem to clear it all out.

Tips? Hints?

I wanted to go to Georgetown to check out the talent tonight, but will probably be staring at the inside of my eyelids instead after watching the Packer-Bear game.

Go Pack Go!!

Sorry to hear you are sick...it sucks--I just got over an ear infection. I am glad the sinus rinse seems to work. Now add Mucinex and you should see an improvement--that and NEVER use the communal pen when you sign your name while out and about (creit cards, drs. offices, etc.). I ALWAYS use my own pen. I swear it seems to make a difference in the bugs I pick up thru the winter...

[PBWrench]

There are worse things than being a cheesehead! Feel better soon.

[sn69]

how leaky is your cockpit. :cool: ;) :rolleyes:

Yes, I'm serious. When I was flying DC-9s, the cockpits leaked badly, and I was ALWAYS getting sick. I'm assuming your pressurization systems port most of the fresh air to the cockpit. While that will alleviate much of the ebola/plague/black death that the cattle in the back have, if your window seals aren't holding well, you're ears are acting like the pressure valves, opening and closing constantly.

By way of comparison, when I switched to new 737s, things got a lot better.

I know that doesn't help much if it is the case, but at least it might provide some understanding.

[Kevin]

Starting with the obvious - strep?

+1

Kevin

[BumbleBeeDave]

Yeah...Georgetown was in when *Smiley* was single...

THAT long ago? ;)

I saw a list somewhere not long ago of the top spots where you can pick up germs, and the winner was, somewhat surprisingly . . . shopping cart handles at the supermarket.

Doorknobs, keyboards (at work where others may use your machine), pens in public places, faucet and toilet handles and seats in public restrooms. Those robot paper towel dispensers may seem like useless bling, but now after using so many of them I hesitate when I'm in a bathroom where I actually have to touch the dispenser handle.

It was not that long ago that I would have considered it really OCD to grab a paper towel to use to turn the doorknob when exiting a public bathroom, but now, after all I've read . . . And I gotta admit, I don't get sick as much anymore.

Here's some more very interesting reading . . .

http://www.uagrad.org/Alumnus/w05/germ.html

And below for you, Saab! . . .

BBD
___________________________________________

Germs Are Everywhere -- Really

As you hit the road for summer travel, get in touch with those unsuspected surfaces that are breeding grounds for illness.

By Sid Kirchheimer
WebMD Feature

Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario

Besides providing a healthy renewal of mind and spirit, a summer vacation makes good antimicrobial sense, especially when you consider that typical workplace desktop has more germs than a public toilet seat.

But let's face it, when you hit the road for your weeklong escape, those kids arguing in the backseat or giant rodents posing for photos at theme parks aren't going to be your only travel companions. There are zillions of germs living on the umpteen surfaces you touch.

And they don't take a vacation, even when you do.

That could explain why 80% of infections are spread the same way: Someone touches a germ-ridden surface. Or someone infected by germ particles from a sneeze, a cough, or a touch -- gets the infectious bug onto their hands.

What's In a Touch?

"Whether germs are viral, bacterial, or fungal, some can remain active on most surfaces for several days -- no matter whether the surface is stainless steel, wood, plastic, or even the paper in a magazine," says Elaine Jong, MD, co-director of the University of Washington Travel Clinic in Seattle.P>

When you touch that surface, it's transmitted to your hands. Then if you touch your eyes or rub their nose or lips, when you eat or in any way get your fingers in contact with a mucous surface, voila ... you have infected yourself."

The best way to prevent problems, of course, is to never touch these "problem" surfaces. But that's not so easy.

"The funny thing is, what many people consider to be the germiest surfaces may not be so bad, while some of the most germ-ridden areas are not what most people expect," says University of Arizona microbiologist Charles Gerba, PhD, a leading researcher better known in the science world as "Dr. Germ."

Popular Opinion, Scientific Reality

For instance, Gerba recently completed a survey of 1,000 people -- getting their opinions of where the germs collect in full force, boosting their risk for infection, and compared those opinions to the evidence he's collected in thousands of germ samples.

"Most people consider Port-a-Potties and other public toilets to be the worst places in terms of surface germs. But in reality, they don't even come close to what you'll find on ATM machines, phone receivers, and elevator buttons," he tells WebMD. "That's because those toilets are cleaned and disinfected regularly. But when was the last time a typical phone or buttons on an ATM machine or elevators were?"

Of course, germs are everywhere -- and the key to removing them is with a regular cleaning (soap and clean water) and disinfecting. And because this one-two punch isn't done on many public surfaces, Gerba notes that some of the germiest places you'll likely encounter this summer include:

* Picnic tables. "They are never cleaned or disinfected and birds like to roost on them, especially on picnic tables near a pond or in the shade," says Gerba, a professor of environmental microbiology who has collected thousands of germ concentration samples for dozens of studies. "You should never eat from a picnic table, or even touch the surface, unless you have your own tablecloth."
* Playgrounds. "Some are even worse than picnic tables, and that's pretty bad -- and the monkey bars tend to be the very germiest place," he says. "That's because they're primarily used by small children who rarely wash their hands and run around with colds." Especially avoid tables and benches, where diaper changes are often done, he advises.
* Airport bathrooms. The problem isn't that airport bathrooms aren't cleaned and disinfected -- they are. "It's that so many people use the bathrooms as soon as they leave the place that janitors just can't keep up with the influx of germs from around the world."

What may surprise you, however, is which part of airport bathrooms are the worst: "The faucet area is the dirtiest and the place that some people worry about most -- the doorknobs -- typically are cleanest," he says.

And the toilet seats? Because they lack the moisture than helps germs thrive, they have fewer germs than faucets. "My advice is to always use the end stalls, whether at the airport or any other public bathroom," says Gerba. "Most people use the middle stalls, so they tend to be the germiest." In his studies, the stall that is farthest left (as you face the stalls) has the fewest germs because it's used less than those on the right end.
* Hotel rooms. As a general rule, the higher the price the cleaner the room. "I did a study about seven years that found if you paid more than $50 a night, there was a much greater chance that the room was regularly disinfected," he tells WebMD. "Rooms under $50 weren't." But no matter the price, the single place where you'll find the most surface germs: the TV remote. "It's never cleaned," he says.

The Germ-Friendly Skies?

But what is the single germiest place posing the biggest risk of a hand-transmitted illness?

"I might have to go with airline bathrooms," says Gerba. "Before 9/11, I used to sample airplane bathrooms a lot, and I always found E. coli traces -- usually on the faucets and nearly 100% of the time on the door handles."

The reason: "About 50 people per flight use a toilet and if you ever tried to wash your hands in that tiny sink, you'll know it's pretty hard," he says. "To make matters worse, airplane bathrooms are rarely disinfected between flights."

Don't expect that holding it in will protect you.

"Studies show there are more germs in the air inside an airplane during daytime flights than during nighttime flights," says Jong, author of The Travel and Tropical Medicine Handbook and clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Washington Medical School.

"When people walk in the aisles of a plane, it kicks up a lot of dust. Conversely, during red eye and nighttime flights, particle count goes down because there is less activity." Other germ-ridden surfaces on planes: the tray counters, seat armrests, and even magazines.

Portable Protection

That's why she and Gerba suggest that no matter what your travel destination is this summer, you should pack plenty of soap, alcohol swabs, or easy-to-use gel sanitizers.

"And use them," Jong tells WebMD. "You should wash your hands frequently and always before you prepare to eat food or touch your eyes, nose, and mouth. Personally, when I'm on a plane, I wipe the area around my seat with a gel sanitizer when I board, and also use them on my hands after I touch a strange surface. Keeping your hands clean is the best way to avoid becoming sick from these kinds of germs."

Published July 12, 2004.

SOURCES: Elaine Jong, MD, clinical professor of internal medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle; and co-director, University of Washington Travel Clinic; and author, The Travel and Tropical Medicine Handbook. Charles Gerba, PhD, professor of environmental microbiology, the University of Arizona, Tucson.

[saab2000]

how leaky is your cockpit. :cool: ;) :rolleyes:

Yes, I'm serious. When I was flying DC-9s, the cockpits leaked badly, and I was ALWAYS getting sick. I'm assuming your pressurization systems port most of the fresh air to the cockpit. While that will alleviate much of the ebola/plague/black death that the cattle in the back have, if your window seals aren't holding well, you're ears are acting like the pressure valves, opening and closing constantly.

By way of comparison, when I switched to new 737s, things got a lot better.

I know that doesn't help much if it is the case, but at least it might provide some understanding.


SN69, The CRJ is a cruddy airplane for the most part, but it doesn't leak and the pressurization system is solid. I must admit that. It doesn't fluctuate at all and changes are never more than 500 fpm, even during very rapid climbs and descents.

Anyway, I checked out no talent last night except for the Green Bay Packers.

I will have to just wait for this to go away I guess. But I sure do get sick a lot. Something seems odd. I may really get some more tests done because even though I have a job which exposes me a lot, I am in otherwise good health and have many colleagues who almost never get sick. So I know I am more vulnerable.

[BumbleBeeDave]

"Most people consider Port-a-Potties and other public toilets to be the worst places in terms of surface germs. But in reality, they don't even come close to what you'll find on ATM machines, phone receivers, and elevator buttons"

Yeeow! I'm off to buy my full body rubber suit right now!

Or maybe I could just borrow one of Sandy and Kevan's . . . :rolleyes:

BBD

[julia]

I will have to just wait for this to go away I guess. But I sure do get sick a lot. Something seems odd. I may really get some more tests done because even though I have a job which exposes me a lot, I am in otherwise good health and have many colleagues who almost never get sick. So I know I am more vulnerable.

. . .did I mention coconut oil is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. . .oh never mind! :rolleyes: but this is the first year I've been eating it and I haven't been sick once all winter. . .course that could be because I always use my own pen. . . ;)

saab, in case it's of any help, my mom had sinus problems for almost two years after having bronchitis. nothing worked, she had mri's, took antibiotics - they did nothing. now she is almost completely better. what did it for her was the saline flush, as you mentioned, combined with acupuncture and chinese herbs. just an anecdote,

julia

[zap]

Saab, you ever get tested for allergies?

[mdeeds71]

SAAB,

Hope you get well...I had recommended from a CAL captain that Airborne works well....

I started using it recently and it does do well to keep those colds at bay. Would highly recommend it.

Mark

[saab2000]

Mark,

Remember me when you fly to ZRH!!

Keep in touch!

The symptoms are starting to subside and I am a happy man for that.

But seriously, keep in touch and let me know how things are at CAL. I'll try the Airborne.

[mdeeds71]

I had a Zurich and it was taken by a line holder for a trade...I ended up in Madrid and left the day before the bomb went off at the airport.

As for CAL...you do get treated differently at the majors vs regional...and the 767-400 is a beautiful and great flying aircraft.

I am slowly rebuilding my bikes back from the move...have the Hors stripped and cleaning the parts...the CDA is ready except for tighting and cables. I am thinking of getting rid of the CDA for a Peg??? What is your opinion? The CDA is the bike I race primarily.

Mark

[saab2000]

the CDA is ready except for tighting and cables. I am thinking of getting rid of the CDA for a Peg??? What is your opinion? The CDA is the bike I race primarily.

Mark

1. I think you NEED TO TELL THE MAN that I need a job at CAL.

2. I think the CDA is a terrific bike, but not a race bike per se. I have a CIII in stock geo and it is a terrific bike, but my Merckx and Look are both more race oriented from a geometry perspective. I have never ridden a Pegoretti. I am considering getting rid of the three bikes in question and replacing them with just one - a Serotta copy (in their best steel) of my Merckx, the bike which fits me the best of all my bikes.

[znfdl]

Saab:

When you move here in February, give me a call as I have a wonderful ENT doctor who just did sinus surgery and fixed my deviated septum.

[saab2000]

Saab:

When you move here in February, give me a call as I have a wonderful ENT doctor who just did sinus surgery and fixed my deviated septum.

We'll be in touch.