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12 fluid ounces is about 354 ml. That is not a lot of volume to fill my bladder.

It is 6:30 and I’m sipping hot water to help empty my bowels.

It takes about 45 minutes for water to be absorbed and then passed through my kidneys.

The 16 ounces of hot water will kinda top me off, and I can measure the output volume. Simple science.

Cal
 
Water weighs about 8 pounds a gallon.

Last week’s weigh-in I was 157.0 pounds, today, a six days later, I was 162.2 pounds, an over 5 pound weight gain.

I was weighed after my radiation treatment, after I emptied my bladder: 157.8 pounds. Within a half hour a 4.4 pound difference.

I lost over a half gallon of water weight, and 350 ml, my bladder capacity is a lot less than a half gallon. Where did the urine go?

At 9:00 AM I’m ready with a full bladder, but then I get my vitals checked and after that my consult with my radiation oncologist. It is around 9:20 and by now my bladder is ready to burst. One of the nurses measures my bladder untrasonically and allows me to have a controlled pee.

To be safe I empty perhaps 3-4 ounces, and the next bladder measurement gives me some room to fill, which I know will happen.

They do the CT scan, but during the actual radiation treatment I do another controlled release to ease the discomfort before I loose total control and have an uncontrolled gusher. I wear this kinda mini-diaper that is not so different than a woman’s Kotex. I figure I released about a quarter pound of water, or 4 ounces.

My underwear remains dry.

At the end of the treatment they measure and record how full my bladder is, and it is still maxed out. The release was very near the end of the radiation treatment.

I have pee’d about 5 times in the hour and perhaps 15 minutes.

At 8:10 AM when I finished my water guzzling I measured my blood pressure 120/70, but after that initial good reading my blood pressure went up moment by moment. Pretty much I was over pressuring my cardio vascular system.

At one point at the hospital my blood pressure was over 180/XX. After emptying my bladder it was 156/XX.

The physics are that over hydration can lead to high blood pressure, but I know without caffine that my “normal” blood pressure is just that, meaning normal.

A stool softener was mentioned to help eliminate the gas and constipation. Also there can be adjustments to the treatment to balance things out.

So I had a very rough morning.

Cal
 
I got into a phase of weighing myself, before sleep and immediately after getting up. I’d see up to a 2 pound loss overnight, that couldn’t be accounted for by bladder or bowel contents (I.e. often no urination or defecation overnight). After a bit of internet sleuthing the reason seems to be weight loss through respiration: CO2 and water vapor expelled through breathing while asleep.

I mentioned this to a friend, and he commented that he thought the weight loss was from “burning energy.” I reminded him that E still equals MC squared, and two pounds of matter converted to energy would leave northeast Albuquerque a smoking ruin! Not that it wasn’t always a primary Soviet target!
 
ASA 32 said:
Speaking of chrome...Our family drove a 1941 Oldsmobile for several years after the war, newer cars not available because of war production. The chrome was peeling off the bumpers and five-year-old me liked to aid in the peeling-off. Father not happy.
Click to expand...

This I can relate to.
in the 1950s one of my uncles was into Packards. On Sundays when family visits were under way I would amuse myself by sitting in the driver's seat and flicking the power rear lever to move the back of the car - I forget what this was officially called, but it was then popular known as "the power ass" - up and down. Said uncle never knew I was doing it, and would often complain he could never keep a battery charged in any of his Packards.

There, I've done it again - hijacked Cal's thread! Sorry, something just made me do it...
 
8:10 drank guzzled 40 ounces of room temp water, but at 9:00 AM my bladder was not full enough until 9:10.

Gas is a problem. They can tell on the CT scan. Pretty much a full bladder and relaxed rectum is required to model when I was first fitted.

I’m using a stool softener, and now I need to add Gas-X.

More drugs…

With guitar some interconnections are beginning to become evident. Kinda like getting your wings.

It is 11:30 and I’m now drinking my first cup of coffee. “Maggie” had physical therapy today. We talk that the heat and humidity is too oppressive for old people, and we are making plans to hit the gym. We both get a free gym membership with our advantage plans.

Maggie is worse than me. She is mighty skinny for a 72 year old and small, even with the extra weight she carries.

Joe’s comment above reminds me of how a forest’s respiration can mitigate some global warming. Not far away is a 1500 acre preserve, and across the Hudson are two major big State Parks. We are not immune to global warming, but we are a tad insulated from it.

Today’s suffering was not too bad, but I did have a release into my pad. I still maintained a full bladder though.

Last night after dinner I measured my blood pressure. Lowest reading was 114/70 with a resting pulse near 55. There is some hydraulic pressure from over-hydration. Yesterday at the hospital my blood pressure was something like 180/90 with a pressurized bladder. After my treatment, but still over-hydrated my B.P. Was 156/XX.

Understandable physics of where the overpressure comes from. 40 ounces of water causes self induced high blood pressure.

I pooped 4 times before 8:00 AM today. The stool softener works. A side benefit is that it can also lower my cholesterol because of the added fiber. My cholesterol level is elevated near that threshold.

Time for that second cup of coffee…

Cal
 
Calzone said:
Water weighs about 8 pounds a gallon.

Last week’s weigh-in I was 157.0 pounds, today, a six days later, I was 162.2 pounds, an over 5 pound weight gain.

I was weighed after my radiation treatment, after I emptied my bladder: 157.8 pounds. Within a half hour a 4.4 pound difference.

I lost over a half gallon of water weight, and 350 ml, my bladder capacity is a lot less than a half gallon. Where did the urine go?

At 9:00 AM I’m ready with a full bladder, but then I get my vitals checked and after that my consult with my radiation oncologist. It is around 9:20 and by now my bladder is ready to burst. One of the nurses measures my bladder untrasonically and allows me to have a controlled pee.

To be safe I empty perhaps 3-4 ounces, and the next bladder measurement gives me some room to fill, which I know will happen.

They do the CT scan, but during the actual radiation treatment I do another controlled release to ease the discomfort before I loose total control and have an uncontrolled gusher. I wear this kinda mini-diaper that is not so different than a woman’s Kotex. I figure I released about a quarter pound of water, or 4 ounces.

My underwear remains dry.

At the end of the treatment they measure and record how full my bladder is, and it is still maxed out. The release was very near the end of the radiation treatment.

I have pee’d about 5 times in the hour and perhaps 15 minutes.

At 8:10 AM when I finished my water guzzling I measured my blood pressure 120/70, but after that initial good reading my blood pressure went up moment by moment. Pretty much I was over pressuring my cardio vascular system.

At one point at the hospital my blood pressure was over 180/XX. After emptying my bladder it was 156/XX.

The physics are that over hydration can lead to high blood pressure, but I know without caffine that my “normal” blood pressure is just that, meaning normal.

A stool softener was mentioned to help eliminate the gas and constipation. Also there can be adjustments to the treatment to balance things out.

So I had a very rough morning.
May
Click to expand...

One of my radiation technologists gave me a penile clamp to wear. Pretty goofy, but gave me confidence I was not going to have a gusher. Maybe something you could try.
 
I have good days and bad days, but today was a good day.

This afternoon we had some family guests, the good ones…

They say a key to a long life is to avoid toxic people, and that includes bad family.

Not all of “Maggie’s” family is bad. The kids are great, and her younger sister, her husband and their 4 kids are very cool.

The rest, kinda meaning almost all her brothers I could live without. They all have drinking problems besides other problems. Certainly alcohol does not make any problem better. One brother has been sober, and I appreciate his struggle. I believe he has a future, but the other brothers are very stuck. Kinda sad.

So good family: bad family.

I don’t drink. I really can’t because about 30% of Asians don’t produce the M-zine to break down alcohol. To me it is a crappy high, but I do like the taste of beer. My sister was an alcoholic and to the extent of being a dry drunk with impaired thinking all the time.

To me drunks are very dangerous. They say about 90% of violent crime involves alcohol. If I have to fight a drunk pretty much a rather severe beating is required to end a fight.

So I’m noticing a faster pace of loss of body hair as part of the “fem-out.” My arms are bald and my armpit hair is scant. I would even say my facial hair is becoming less and less. Still have a mustache and an arrogant chin beard, but it is kinda looking like a high school kid kinda thin.

My hormone treatment will be for 2 years, and there is a 30% chance my body will never produce testosterone ever again, meaning the fem-out will be permanent. I was told it will take about a year to a year and a half for the drugs to wear off.

I don’t like this vulnerability. I want my strength back so I can defend myself. Being weak is not my style, realize while I am a rather small man, that I am an Alpha Male. I am not use to being vulnerable, and this is all new to me.

Cal
 
ASA,

I abused coffee extensively to get a tolerance to the discomfort. I’m kinda confident I can avoid a gusher, but these controlled releases are needed as a kinda safety/limit valve.

I know better not to have coffee before my treatment. Coffee is a bladder irritant.

6 treatments out of 39 down. Only 33 more left.

Another side effect is bloating, and this is a strong side effect in me.

Cal
 
The Gas-X and the stool softener both have this Orange creamsicle flavor.

Of course gas makes bladder control harder. The max dose is 4 tablets a day. Doing two tablets before bed to max the daily dose.

Drugs, drugs and more drugs…

Many times I get up not to pee, but to fart. Disrupted sleep…

33 more radiation treatments…

Cal
 
Just saw that David Lynskey (Litesspeed, Lynskey), the other titanium innovator in cycling, died on July 9th.
While I've worked on titanium bikes regularly since 1995, I've never had the opportunity, or finances, to own one. Maybe one of these days. Until then, I'll be enjoying my steel rides.
Phil
 
Phil,

I own two Litespeed’s, they are early one’s. The mountain bike was a show bike that I got a great deal on. At that time there were no suspension bikes and it had the then new Suntour XC Pro 7-speed Microdrive.

I still have this polished Ti bike. Soon there after they figured out bead blasting saved a lot on labor.

My road bike is basically a Litespeed Classic that was bead blasted and had a grey to purple Imeron finish by Rainbow Cyclery.

Both Litespeeds though were sold under the Basso brand.

The mountain bike I have set up as a gravel bike, and it is tricked out with all retro aftermarket products. It is a rolling museum of sorts.

Today these are still great bikes.

The ride is very much like steel as far as the initial shock/give, but the dampening is quick. In other words it has the spring of steel, but with mucho fast dampening.

Some would say the ride is soft. Perfect for an old man.

Very light in weight. Great for climbing.

Cal
 
At the time I bought these bikes I can describe myself as a “hose bag.” I was newly divorced and paying child support, living in rented rooms, and eating pizza every night for dinner.

I owned three really nice things: an 1984 Jeep Scrambler that I bought used before I got divorced; and those two bikes.

I don’t count the steel IBIS, my first bike…

My sister’s house needed a new roof, and she did not have the money, so my rich brother one Christmas handed each of us a card with a $3K check. So realize that a roof on a ranch at that time cost about $3K.

I thought it was a mistake, and my rich brother said it was not a lot of money, but he suggested that I did not waste it.

I used the money to buy the custom Litespeed that had the fancy painted frame, and then had it built out with the new 8-speed Dura-Ace that had the levers I gifted you.

This bike saved my life. I suffered horrible anxiety, and I had to learn in my early 30’s how to relax. I was so wired that I scared people, and at one point I was diagnosed as a Manic Depressive.

My sister had sharp criticism of how I spent my money. It aggravated and annoyed her. There were many a fight.

So now many decades later I know I did the right thing, and I still own these bikes. Certainly I took my rich brother’s advice, and I did not waste the gift.

So blood, sweat and tears got me my first Litespeed. Also I rode with a guy who worked for a bike distributor I think was called “Security.” That’s how I got the inside track.

My second Ti bike was literally a generous gift.

BTW my sister lived way beyond her means, had financial troubles, and also was an alcoholic.

In advertently she called me a loser one day because I was not like her, meaning owning a house.

If I depict my sister as a dragon lady, basically she was. Now deceased. I have no kind words for her.

Cal
 
In today’s radiation I had a “gusher” in the last 40 seconds of my treatment. The good thing was I was able to somewhat moderate the loss of control and still maintain a relatively full bladder that did not compromise my treatment.

My underwear remained dry, and the male Kotex did a great job in keeping me dry.

The max dose of Gas-X also worked well.

The stool softener also performed well.

My coffee abuse training worked today.

Cal
 
I’m the second to last customer of AJ’s. I picked up a set of wheels to build out the IBIS Alibi as a single speed.

I use to ride the Ti IBIS around here as a 63.59 inch single speed. Not so good with the hills.

Had AJ show and give me tips on trials riding.

I’m going to convert the steel IBIS into a full blown trials bike.

Cal
 
Today’s radiation treatment went smoothly with minimum of discomfort. Still uncomfortable…

It’s 10:15 and I’m having my first coffee.

The bean protein sprouts will be good by dinner time, but I think I’ll have them tomorrow night. I don’t want a gas problem conflicting with my therapy.

The spring was kinda swampy, and the bugs and insects are evil this year. Poor “Maggie” is sweet meat for them. Westchester has a Spotted Lantern Fly infestation. Know that SLF also love Knotweed.

A couple of chores today I want to accomplish. Perhaps the only big task is to convert the steel IBIS into a full blown trials bike.

Looks like not a bad turnout is happening for the Diane Arbus show.

Cal
 
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