The Vent and Rant Thread

[ownedbycats]

The electric transformer outside the apartment building has been really screwy for the last few months since it blew up during Hurricane Fiona (nice light show, but I'm not sure if they replaced it or were able to repair it). Multiple outages that only affected only half the outlets. This time, all the lamps and overhead lights keep intermittently dimming whenever streetlights come on or neighbours turn on things.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

The electric transformer outside the apartment building has been really screwy for the last few months since it blew up during Hurricane Fiona (nice light show, but I'm not sure if they replaced it or were able to repair it). Multiple outages that only affected only half the outlets. This time, all the lamps and overhead lights keep intermittently dimming whenever streetlights come on or neighbours turn on things.

Make sure you report this, including that only 1/2 the outlets are affected. This sounds like one leg of a 220 V. circuit has issues (loose/arcing connection). This is a fire waiting to happen. (The good news is, it's likely to be on the pole, not inside your house. The bad news is, it will knock all the power out until they get around to replacing the transformer.)

[ownedbycats]

I plan to! Though more for the worry about surges; while my important stuff is on a surge protector, the cost of replacing the other stuff (plus the protector itself) would be a bit painful.

[Dazrin]

What's with all the spammers recently?!

The ones I've seen have been using accounts that have been around for a few years but have never posted. Has there been a leak of passwords recently? Wondering if I need to change my password or something.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

What's with all the spammers recently?!

The ones I've seen have been using accounts that have been around for a few years but have never posted. Has there been a leak of passwords recently? Wondering if I need to change my password or something.

In the tech rant thread, pdurrant suspects re-used passwords from a security breach.

There was a LastPass breach in August. They got a hold of a backup containing the vaults themselves. Theoretically it'd be very difficult to break open, but that's if it was using a strong password to begin with.

[DiapDealer]

Please consider cleaning out your garage and parking your vehicle THERE.

[Rumpelteazer]

It looks like my sore throat was all due to acid reflux. It looks like I've got a cold. Yesterday I got a bit of a runny nose, which I've had before when I had a sore throat due to acid reflux. But while my sore throat is healing, my nose isn't. When lying down it's partially blocked and now I'm up it isn't anymore but it has a prickly feeling.

I've just done my fourth Covid test since Monday evening and it's still negative. I'm not feeling sick, so I expect, and hope, it'll be a very mild cold. I'll keep away from my parents as much as possible so I won't infect them.

I haven't had a cold in nearly three years, my luck was bound to run out. Especially since so many people have, colds or the flu.

[Hitch]

So...it appears I have Shingles (English) (for whatever that parenthetical means).

If you are 60+ and you've had Chicken Pox, and have not been vaccinated therefor, I beg you, I urge you, to ask your doctor or clinic or drugstore about the vaccine. Trust me, you do not want the three days I've just had.

I thought it was a muscle spasm, at first (Friday). I took some muscle relaxers I had here and I also have pain mgmt meds due to arthritis in my spine. Saturday was more noticeable; my husband put a Lidocaine patch on my back and it helped a fair amount. But then we got into Sunday and the patch (new one) did nothing. By nighttime, i was in serious, serious, horrible pain. I really can't describe it--I couldn't sit, lie down...couldn't lie on the sofa, propped up on soft pillows, NOTHING. I had to walk around the house. Oddly enough (if this happens to you), it helped a bit to straighten my back and press it against doorjambs inside the house. Can't explain that. (FYI, the rash was not visible when my husband applied the patch! The paramedics didn't see it, either and they were applying doodads to my chest (very embarrassing, all men) and my back both and didn't see them. Don't assume that without the rash if you get symptoms this bad!!! See your doc at once.)

By 3:00am, my husband woke, due to thunderstorms here and I asked him to drive me to the hospital. It was that bad, but he has some night-blindness and it was pouring down, so he called me an ambulance. I'm not a crier. I swear it; I barely cry when family members die--which I know sounds awful, but it's just who I am--and I was crying all night long--the pain was that bad.

Anyway...I'm not big on disclosing the personal details of my life. I'm doing this--talking about arthritis, the pain meds (which I never, ever discuss, not even with family), etc. to let you know that even with a large dose of pain meds--if you have them--it does NOTHING. They gave me 3 larger doses of Dilaudid at the ER and it did NOTHING. I mean, nothing. It "pushed' My pain level down from 10 to about 8, but 8 is still effing bad.

PLEASE: if you are like me and you didn't get the vaccine, get it. My husband got it today and yes, he feels crappy tonight, but NOTHING like I went through. I can't tell you how incredibly bad the pain was. Don't let this happen to you. Don't, trust me. After all my years here on MR, I hope that at least some of you do.

I'm sitting up due to massive doses of anti-inflammatories and anti-virals and all sorts of other things. Yes, including Pain mgmt drugs in large quantities, which is probably contributing to this foolish decision to discuss my personal situation here.

Just...trust me on this.

Sorry, gotta go, can't sit here in my office more. Have no idea how my business is going to survive, either.

ETA: both the ER Nurse and Trauma/ER head doctor told me that when you have Shingles, people think you're crazy, that a "rash can't possibly hurt like that." Be aware of that, if God Forbid you got this.

Hitch

[DiapDealer]

I've heard at least 5 first-person stories like yours in the last year, Hitch. Scared me right to the pharmacy for the Shingrix vaccine back in June, it did. I convinced my sisters to do so as well. I believe all of the horror stories I've heard about about shingles, and want no part of it. I hope for the speediest recovery possible for you.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I've heard at least 5 first-person stories like yours in the last year, Hitch. Scared me right to the pharmacy for the Shingrix vaccine back in June, it did. I convinced my sisters to do so as well. believe all of the horror stories I've heard about about shingles, and want no part of it. I hope for the speediest recovery possible for you.

Thanks, Diap.

It seems that it's "our" age group that is the most vulnerable to attack. I've never, never experienced anything like it--not broken bones, when I was a rider (smashed up my entire rib cage and collarbone) and it was never like this.

I'm very glad you've gotten the vaccine. I forced my husband (through wifely nagging and his first-hand observation of the last 24 hours, I suspect) and made him get it today (Tuesday). I know, I said that previously, (I'm not that gonzo yet) but I'm hoping ANYONE in this age bracket that had chicken pox will run out and get it right away. This should do some good, somewhere.

Hitch

[cromag]

Originally Posted by Hitch

So...it appears I have Shingles ...

Sorry to hear this, Hitch! I watched my Mom suffer through shingles many years ago. It was hard enough to see -- not something I'd ever wish on anyone.

I, and my brothers and sisters, have all been vaccinated.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by cromag

Sorry to hear this, Hitch! I watched my Mom suffer through shingles many years ago. It was hard enough to see -- not something I'd ever wish on anyone.

I, and my brothers and sisters, have all been vaccinated.

Cromag, my bud:

I am glad to hear it! VERY glad. I never want anyone, anyone, even people I loathe, to go through this. Wait, that sounded wrong, but I didn't mean you, lol. I meant some celebs and other twits that I cannot abide, that's all. :-)

See, these meds are already affecting my posts! Sweet Moses on a Pony.

I'm sorry for your Mum. That's horrid. My gran had it--I shold have known I'd get them--for some reason, I get absolutely everything my Gran had, no exceptions thus far. Fortunately, whilst hers was bad, it was not this bad, thank God. But I was stupid--I misread something and thought the vac age was 70+ like a moron, so I was waiting. SO STUPID.

Hitch

[DiapDealer]

I'm also pretty sure that older people who may have already had the older shingles vaccine are being advised to get the newer, better one. I know my father was.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Hitch

So...it appears I have Shingles (English) (for whatever that parenthetical means).

If you are 60+ and you've had Chicken Pox, and have not been vaccinated therefor, I beg you, I urge you, to ask your doctor or clinic or drugstore about the vaccine. Trust me, you do not want the three days I've just had.

Do you need vaccine is you already have had Chicken Pox? Shouldn't it be the opposite?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Do you need vaccine is you already have had Chicken Pox? Shouldn't it be the opposite?

Uh...did I say that? If I did, I mistyped. (Sorry if I did!!)

No, if you have had the chicken pox and you are older than 60 (some experts say 50!), you should have the new vaccine against Shingles. (As Diap mentioned, there's a new, even better one.)

Trust me, it is worth every single ounce of discomfort it causes, because you cannot imagine the reality--you really cannot--until you get it severely. Not everybody does, (My Gran had it, pre-vaccine, and hers was bad, but not like this, even though she was a Spartan) but I would not take the chance, given what I know now.

So, no, you do not get the vaccine--it's worthless--AFTER you contract Shingles. you get it if you've had the chicken pox, even as a kid, and you're of a certain age, apparently as "young" as 50 and DEFINITELY post-60. The virus, the Shingles, is a recurring virus. It will go dormant in a month or so, and then it's a for-life thing, that will re-occur until you die. Can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to THAT, either.

Hitch