EZEtoGRU

Our primary care doctor does a complete physical, including a series of blood and urine tests, hearing and strength tests, etc., every year. When my spouse happened to mention an unusual physical symptom he had recently experienced, the doctor suspected that he had had a mini-stroke, and immediately ordered other tests. Sure enough, it turned out that he had a partially blocked carotid artery, and within a few days a vascular surgeon operated on to clean it out. If it hadn't been for the routine physical,  it wouldn't have been caught, because my spouse didn't consider the symptom important enough for a separate visit to the doctor.
Of course, it's worth pointing out that we have had the same gay doctor for many years, and my spouse has a medical history that includes triple-bypass heart surgery.

Well I'll tell you what.   I value my health,  I'm a fitness advocate and I'm confident when I see preventative,  positive test on things like diabetes,  which affects my father's family.   There are so many good reasons for an annual check in,  including confidence in my own health maintenance,   I'd never consider not doing it.

While the physical itself may not reveal underlying disease, the yearly physical allows for the physician to insure that the patient is having routine testing done, vaccinations are completed, screening tests are done as needed.  A complete review of systems will also allow the physician to specifically ask about issues which the patient may consider minor but which may herald something more ominous.   If you only go to your internist when you are ill, it is likely that you will not be getting all the care that is recommended.   

Yep.  That section between Miami and FTL crosses very busy roads and the train goes quite slow.  I've been on it 2 or 3 times already.  Service was fine and they have shiny new stations in both cities.  Every time I have been on it, the loads were very lite.  I do remember thinking at the time that I would not be surprised if the train (at least on that segment) would likely be involved in quite a few accidents.
To me, it really is not a true high-speed train.  Real high speed trains mostly go under/over road traffic to maximize speed and safety.  That has not been provisioned for on the segment I travelled on.  North of FTL, I have no clue it the train has less interaction with road traffic.  
I'm also curious how profitable an operation it is or will be.  
I wish them well.  I'm all for increasing rail travel in the US when possible and practical.  

I saw the production today and thought it was very good. Josh’s acting has improved and as usual sings very well. Annaleigh Ashford was hysterically funny. And also sings quite well. 
In 1979 I saw the original production with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou. Somehow I heard they were signing copies of the cast album. I mentioned it to some friends who asked me to pick up a copy for them. On the day of signing I approached  the dais with six copies of the album. So I had a few minutes with each star. Cariou was quite pleasant. When I got to Lansbury she started signing the albums never looking up. So I said “Miss Lansbury I saw the show the other night and I thought your performance was brilliant”. Still not looking up she said “yes”. I was glad she agreed with me. 

I hate the thought of giving up my one glass of wine with dinner every night.

I was a long term nexium user and recently stopped and at the same time quit using alcohol.  The results have been great.   I don’t have the reflux and have seen other positive health benefits.   I miss the wine but I think this works best for me.  

Yep.  That section between Miami and FTL crosses very busy roads and the train goes quite slow.  I've been on it 2 or 3 times already.  Service was fine and they have shiny new stations in both cities.  Every time I have been on it, the loads were very lite.  I do remember thinking at the time that I would not be surprised if the train (at least on that segment) would likely be involved in quite a few accidents.
To me, it really is not a true high-speed train.  Real high speed trains mostly go under/over road traffic to maximize speed and safety.  That has not been provisioned for on the segment I travelled on.  North of FTL, I have no clue it the train has less interaction with road traffic.  
I'm also curious how profitable an operation it is or will be.  
I wish them well.  I'm all for increasing rail travel in the US when possible and practical.  

This is not just a Men's Health issue but this forum seemed to be the best place for the topic.
A recent study has identified a link between the prolonged use (more than 4.4 years) of proton pump inhibitors and increased risk (33%) of dementia.  OTC drugs like Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid fall into this drug class.  This concerns me greatly as I take Nexium once per day.  About 15 years ago, Tums stopped working for me and my acid reflux was becoming very problematic.  I moved over to Nexium and started taking it daily and have ever since.  I'm sure I'm not the only one here that does this.  
I obviously don't want to increase my risk of dementia in future years.  I'm wondering what I should do.  Anyone else have these concerns?
 
Popular heartburn medicine increases dementia risk by 33%. What to know to stay safe.
WWW.USATODAY.COM People who took acid reflux drugs for more than 4 years faced a 33% greater likelihood of developing dementia  

It's always possible to cherry-pick news stories to suit one's narrative. This can also be done to present a more positive narrative. Here are headlines from this past week that present a more optimistic narrative:
From the San Francisco Business Times:
"San Francisco Sees Siginficant Jump in Return-To-Office Study" "IKEA on Market Street Set to Open This Month." The story mentions that "San Francisco is the first pioneering U.S. site for the company's new urban-centric format..." From the San Francisco Standard:
"Out-of-Town Zillow Users Are Lusting After San Francisco Property" "Downtown San Francisco’s Return to Office Highest Since Covid" Interestingly, the San Francisco Chronicle is really, really negative. I had a hard time "cherry-picking" any positive stories from that source.
My earlier observation that vast majority of the city looks great also implicitly acknowledges that some areas do not look great. And yes, the Federal Building on 7th Street is an awful blighted mess. 6th Street had traditionally been the City's "Hamsterdam," but it has become marginally better in recent years. Meanwhile, 7th Street has declined. Seems like the trouble has migrated towards 7th.
The design of the Federal Building doesn't do any favors. Generally I like modern architecture, but that building is just butt-ugly. It's built like a fortress, and was further fortified after 9-11, so its perimeter is a no-man's land that is conducive to nefarious acts. I didn't know that policing of the building is handled by Federal Protective Services. We all know that there are legal limitations to prohibiting people from camping on the streets, despite the blight it brings, thanks to that frustrating court decision. So I suppose the Fed's hands are tied on that one. But it seems like the drug dealing could be cleaned up.

Yep.  That section between Miami and FTL crosses very busy roads and the train goes quite slow.  I've been on it 2 or 3 times already.  Service was fine and they have shiny new stations in both cities.  Every time I have been on it, the loads were very lite.  I do remember thinking at the time that I would not be surprised if the train (at least on that segment) would likely be involved in quite a few accidents.
To me, it really is not a true high-speed train.  Real high speed trains mostly go under/over road traffic to maximize speed and safety.  That has not been provisioned for on the segment I travelled on.  North of FTL, I have no clue it the train has less interaction with road traffic.  
I'm also curious how profitable an operation it is or will be.  
I wish them well.  I'm all for increasing rail travel in the US when possible and practical.  

Thanks for the input.  I do have an appointment for my annual physical in early October so I do plan to have this as a major topic of conversation with my doctor.  I started reducing my alcohol intake early this year so that's one thing.  Also, I have been working more on my weight this year so that should also help.  It seems to me I was tested for H. pylori way back when I first went on Nexium but I will ask about that again.  I was first prescribed Nexium when it was  only available by prescription but it became available OTC pretty quickly after.  It's possible it was not a full 15 years I have been on it.  Maybe it's 10-12 years.  TBH, I am reluctant to stop taking Nexium as it has served me well the whole time I have been on it.  Having said that, I don't like the thought of a 33% increased risk of dementia.  Again, thanks for your comments.

This is not just a Men's Health issue but this forum seemed to be the best place for the topic.
A recent study has identified a link between the prolonged use (more than 4.4 years) of proton pump inhibitors and increased risk (33%) of dementia.  OTC drugs like Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid fall into this drug class.  This concerns me greatly as I take Nexium once per day.  About 15 years ago, Tums stopped working for me and my acid reflux was becoming very problematic.  I moved over to Nexium and started taking it daily and have ever since.  I'm sure I'm not the only one here that does this.  
I obviously don't want to increase my risk of dementia in future years.  I'm wondering what I should do.  Anyone else have these concerns?
 
Popular heartburn medicine increases dementia risk by 33%. What to know to stay safe.
WWW.USATODAY.COM People who took acid reflux drugs for more than 4 years faced a 33% greater likelihood of developing dementia  

The Nexium was prescribed by my primary care doctor when I was in my late 50s. I took it for several years, by which time it had become available over the counter. I stopped about 15 years ago, because it didn't seem effective any longer. I have had the endoscopy, and I don't have H.pylori. I used Tums when needed, until an allergy specialist put me on Omeprazole a few years ago, because he said the reflux aggravated my respiratory allergies. My current primary care doctor prescribed the pantoprazole, which seems to cause me fewer bowel problems than Omeprazole did.

Thanks for the input.  I do have an appointment for my annual physical in early October so I do plan to have this as a major topic of conversation with my doctor.  I started reducing my alcohol intake early this year so that's one thing.  Also, I have been working more on my weight this year so that should also help.  It seems to me I was tested for H. pylori way back when I first went on Nexium but I will ask about that again.  I was first prescribed Nexium when it was  only available by prescription but it became available OTC pretty quickly after.  It's possible it was not a full 15 years I have been on it.  Maybe it's 10-12 years.  TBH, I am reluctant to stop taking Nexium as it has served me well the whole time I have been on it.  Having said that, I don't like the thought of a 33% increased risk of dementia.  Again, thanks for your comments.

You are right.  I was just in Montreal and spent three nights around the village.  I felt completely safe, saw very few homeless people, and never got pan-handled once.  I would say The Village has changed compared 20 years ago.  However, to me, it's basically the same as it has been for the last 7-8 years.  So I would say it's pretty stable now.   
Like you, I don't seek hotels in The Village any more.  Been there done that 30 years ago but not now.  Obviously, to each his own.

First aspect, Tums is only useful, if at all,, for limited use.  Once the effect of the Tums wears off, in a relative short period of time, there may be a rebound production of acid.  Second, if you  have needed medication for that long, you should have had an upper endoscopy and should have been tested for H. pylori which is a bacteria associated with excess acid production.  If that is positive, there is a short term treatment with PPI and antibiotics which may clear the infection.  And if you have been taking Nexium for 15 years, at some point a doctor must have started it as I do not believe PPIs were over the counter 15 years ago.  Check with your doctor and see about getting off of them for a variety of reasons,   Also have your magnesium level checked as that can result from PPI use and can lead to all sorts of musculo-skeletal issues.  

Meh.  Is he handsome?  Yes.  Is the strawberry blond hair sexy?  Yes.  Is his meager endowment hot?  Not really.  I'm over it.  End of story.

Stocks rose and bond yields fell after US inflation data reinforced speculation the Federal Reserve will pause its interest-rate hikes in September.
Read in Bloomberg: https://apple.news/AiZrT9zxaRACCRRzuJrzgng
 
U.S. consumer prices increased moderately in July as higher rents were mostly offset by declining costs of goods such as motor vehicles and furniture, a trend that could persuade the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged next month.
Read in Reuters: https://apple.news/AQtIXtgTsRGWwRGDYchsN4g

Sad to hear she's gone.  She had a troubled life for many years...mental illness.  Sadly, she lost a son to suicide not so long ago which had to be traumatic for her.  
Rightly or wrongly, I always considered her to be a one-hit wonder.  For the last 25 years, I never heard much about her except when  she was missing, threating suicide, or being hospitalized for one thing or another.  Her illness had to be exhausting for her.

Count me among those not surprised at all as I always assumed he was at least bi.  I think his brief "fill-in" roll as Lola in Kinky Boots sealed it for me.   All the best to Wayne!

Meh.  Is he handsome?  Yes.  Is the strawberry blond hair sexy?  Yes.  Is his meager endowment hot?  Not really.  I'm over it.  End of story.

I agree that it seems the regulations are not as tight as they used to be regarding headlights.  Also, I bet there is very little enforcement to ensure headlights are in compliance with the regulations.  I am sure there are aftermarket headlights sold that are not compliant with the law.  30-50 years ago, police would stop people for things like this (overly bright headlights).  I doubt that happens much today.
...and don't get me started on another pet peeve of mine regarding vehicles:  Windows tinted so dark that you literally cannot see the person inside.  Again, the police used to stop cars for having their windows tinted too dark.  Today, the police would be too afraid to stop such a car out of fear that the driver might have a weapon they cannot see.

I agree that it seems the regulations are not as tight as they used to be regarding headlights.  Also, I bet there is very little enforcement to ensure headlights are in compliance with the regulations.  I am sure there are aftermarket headlights sold that are not compliant with the law.  30-50 years ago, police would stop people for things like this (overly bright headlights).  I doubt that happens much today.
...and don't get me started on another pet peeve of mine regarding vehicles:  Windows tinted so dark that you literally cannot see the person inside.  Again, the police used to stop cars for having their windows tinted too dark.  Today, the police would be too afraid to stop such a car out of fear that the driver might have a weapon they cannot see.