Excess Deaths

[Kellemora]

Every time I went to a casino, they got ALL of the money I intended to spend there, hi hi.

GI doc set me up to take a look inside my esophagus and stomach, not looking forward to that.

Long day for me, went through 3 portable tanks, and 2 large tanks of O2.
Needless to say, I'm very tired and worn out!

[yogi]

I can understand losing all your gambling money. You lost it bit by bit and not all at one time, unless you are very inexperienced. Each time you bet the house gets a share of the total. As your total cash decreases the house gets a lesser dollar amount, but the same percentage. And, as you have proven many times, if you don't stop betting at some point you will lose it all. That's why addicts get into big debt situations. They don't know when, or can't, quit.

You certainly did consume a lot of oxygen, and I am amazed at how you did it. I don't doubt that you would be tired after your excursion to the GI specialist. The endoscopy is done when you are slightly unconscious. You won't feel a thing during the procedure. It is possible you will have a scratchy or sore throat for a short time, but when I had that done the after effects lasted only about an hour. And I was kind of loopy for that amount of time so didn't care much.

[Kellemora]

When Debi and I went on our cruise many years ago now. I had set aside 100 dollars per day for playing in the casino, and other entertainment that wasn't already covered. Like some shopping, etc.
I won and lost of course, but it took me a long time to lose that 100 dollars a day, some days faster then others, hi hi.
When you lose enough, they send special things to your room, like a box of candy, a bottle of booze, but we don't drink, so traded it with someone else for a steak dinner in the captains lounge.

I'm worried about how I'm going to breathe while they have that hose and camera down my throat.
But I'm sure they have that all figured out, hi hi.
When I got my lens implants, they managed to keep my CO2 down while I was semi-under for the operations.

[yogi]

There are professional gamblers who actually make a living from it. Those people are well versed in their special form of gambling, such as poker players. They know the odds and something about human psychology so that the pros tend to beat the odds because their opponents are not so clever. Something like the slot machines, where there is no human opponent, are a calculated losing proposition all around. If you have a lot of self control and discipline you might beat the slots if you remove half your winnings each time and never reinvest them in the slots. You would run out of money sooner in that case but you would always have half your winnings. That is kind of the strategy I used at the horse races. I won big and never bet again after that. LOL

You must know that you are not the first person with emphysema to undergo a endoscopy. I am positive they have it all worked out if they have a copy of your medical history. Usually they won't do the procedure without that history. The anesthesiologist is trained to deal with people such as yourself. They know what to do and they have all the equipment on hand to do it. Yes, of course, even the best laid plans can go wrong. But, keep in mind that there is an entire hospital full of doctors and healthcare professionals ready to deal with anything unexpected. The odds for the unexpected to happen, fortunately, are very low. I don't think you need to be too worried while you are in the hospital. You couldn't be in a better place, believe it or not.

[Kellemora]

Poker players are a whole other breed of animal, hi hi.

You can come out ahead on Blackjack also, unless it is computer controlled, then forget it.

I'm not really all that worried. I just don't want to go through it, because I doubt here is anything wrong in there.
Like my heart racing is because my lungs are not working well. Same is probably true for my digestive system.

[yogi]

I've been told a couple times that blackjack is about the fairest form of gamble if real, not electronic, cards are played. The dealer has a small statistical edge, but a clever player can indeed come out ahead most of the time. Fortunately for the casinos, there are only a few clever players.

Any effort that gets you out of the house must be a burden, especially if it's medical related. Since the GI doc is new to you I am sure that he wants to collect some data so that he knows what he is up against when he tries to treat you. They always look for the obvious first because eliminating certain possibilities is part of the diagnostic process. If you are right and nothing rotten is found down your gullet, then they will try to find the cause of your distress some other way. You know the routine, I'm sure. They keep testing until they narrow it down to the correct cause. I guess it makes sense even if it is not convenient for the patient.

[ocelotl]

I probably could get a 1/64th inch drill bit, but I don't have a chuck that would hold it. LOL I do have a Dremmel tool that might work if I can squeeze the locking mechanism to that small diameter. Even so, I doubt the drill bit would survive the first hole. Even the larger bits tend to break on me, and that tiny drill would not have a chance of surviving. Then, too, I suspect I might run into problems finding a syringe to do the injection. The FBI probably is already monitoring what I do here and I don't need the DEA too.

We have had numerous spills on the hardwood floor, and a few doggie accidents as well. However I don't think any of that liquid got past the oak flooring. I told you a while back about how I managed to flood the bathroom floor from overrunning water in the sink. That water did seep down to the basement. Most of it went through the heating vent but there was some dripping from the joists as well. No squeaks are to be heard in that area, which is very surprising to me. About eight feed down the hallway approaching the bathroom is one squeaky location however. Whatever is causing the noise it is not a major problem. The noise does not happen all the time. I'm not sure what brings it on, but it could be the humidity or lack of it.

I still have an old B&D drill with a chuck that holds such sizes. The issue is when the drill bit you can get around is mostly from China... I use them for through hole printed circuit boards and to correct surface mount solder paste stenciles. I also have a small hand held drill bit holder for the same reason.

[ocelotl]

I probably could get a 1/64th inch drill bit, but I don't have a chuck that would hold it. LOL I do have a Dremmel tool that might work if I can squeeze the locking mechanism to that small diameter. Even so, I doubt the drill bit would survive the first hole. Even the larger bits tend to break on me, and that tiny drill would not have a chance of surviving. Then, too, I suspect I might run into problems finding a syringe to do the injection. The FBI probably is already monitoring what I do here and I don't need the DEA too.

We have had numerous spills on the hardwood floor, and a few doggie accidents as well. However I don't think any of that liquid got past the oak flooring. I told you a while back about how I managed to flood the bathroom floor from overrunning water in the sink. That water did seep down to the basement. Most of it went through the heating vent but there was some dripping from the joists as well. No squeaks are to be heard in that area, which is very surprising to me. About eight feed down the hallway approaching the bathroom is one squeaky location however. Whatever is causing the noise it is not a major problem. The noise does not happen all the time. I'm not sure what brings it on, but it could be the humidity or lack of it.

I still have an old B&D drill with a chuck that holds such sizes. The issue is when the drill bit you can get around is mostly from China... I use them for through hole printed circuit boards and to correct surface mount solder paste stenciles. I also have a small hand held drill bit holder for the same reason.

[yogi]

Thanks for the information, Juan. That hand held holder looks like the perfect tool for that small diameter drill bit. PC board work also seems like an ideal application for such a small tool in that those boards usually are fiber glass or some kind of resin base material. A thin drill would not have a problem going through such a thing. I have not looked around yet to see how easy those bits are to obtain. I've not had a use for something that small.

[Kellemora]

The government is supposed to make computer driven games legit in casino's.
But since I used to work on the machines, I know there are a thousand ways around in there to change the odds easily.
Also to stack the deck as they say, and they would never get caught. A random generator is never really random for one thing, and what is done after the data leaves the government controlled little black box is something else entirely.
Lot's of ways to manipulate the data to the casino's favor.

It is getting increasingly hard for me to even walk from the bedroom to the kitchen.
I have to sit on the edge of the bed, sometimes for a couple of hours before I can take tiny steps to get there.
Once I have a raft of meds in me, and do both of my nebulizer treatments, and am not in panic mode, I can still make it up here to the office. But once I get here, I have to sit still for a half hour or longer waiting for my heart to slow back down and sucking on oxygen big time. Even then, sometimes the panic mode doesn't go away, and I really do get scared.

DRILL BITS and TOOLS
We had a few of the holders like oceloti pictured, some of them were push to turn types, nice to use also.
The one we used to clean the holes in air-hockey tables was battery powered, about 1/2 the size of a Dremel tool.
What made it unique is the fact it was also a vacuum so the dirt we get out of the holes is sucked into it.
It almost looked like the foot on a sewing machine the way it sat with the air intake around the hole.

[yogi]

I certainly don't know much about mechanical gambling machines, but it is easy for me to understand how their electronic replacements might work. There are standards for generating random numbers, or as you would say pseudo-random numbers, but it's hard for me to imagine how or why the government would get involved with their generation. There is nothing to regulate. It's all about statistics and the limits of 32 or 64 bit processors. The machine can generate numbers or not. There is no middle ground.

What is done with those random numbers can be considered manipulation, of course. In fact I see it necessary to adjust the payouts in a casino so that they do not randomly go out of business or run out of cash on any given day. Purely random numbers allow for that to happen. The government might regulate the amount of profit allowed, but I have some doubts about their involvement in how the games are rigged. That would be a design problem for the engineers who built the gambling machines. A casino's bottom line is always determined by the number of players and the amount of cash they put down. That bottom line might be subject to regulation, but how the profit is adjusted likely is not.

I'm sorry to learn about your days slowing down. The good news is that eventually you are able to make the trek up to your office. Some days you are here earlier than I expect. I smile when that happens. I realize being mobile is becoming more difficult, and perhaps it is time to reconsider your ambling around the estate. Staying in one spot, or at least in a very small circle, might be the prudent thing to do. I'm sure your computer equipment can be relocated, or, if possible, obtaining a tablet or laptop may be the best solution.

[Kellemora]

All I can say is that little black box is inspected then sealed by the government. What all it does beside generate numbers, I have no idea. I wasn't an engineer or programmer, just a repair guy, aka parts replacer, hi hi.

I have an old netbook I bought, but it got set aside and never used, just like the laptops I've had.
But I am uncomfortable in the house, and my office is climate controlled to my liking and can be adjusted on the fly to keep me comfortable. Plus my keyboard, mainly my desk, is all balanced for proper posture and working position. Which is why I can spend an entire day at the computer and not get tired.

I did not get up her until around 10 am today, instead of between 8 and 9.
I'm waiting on something so though I would come here and catch your messages while waiting.
I really should have went home for a nebulizer treatment, because I can really feel it when the panic mode starts to kick in, so I know I only have a few minutes to spare. But once it gets worse, then I can't make it down to the house until I do a couple of inhalers about 20 minutes apart, which is essentially what I'm doing right now.

I have the endscopy coming up, plus an ultra sound of my aorta 2 days later. My heart has been getting too high there.

[yogi]

The "black box" generates a random number value. That random value is then translated into a payout amount. Thus, in essence, the black box determines a cash payout value in slot machines, or an in game it's a value consistent with whatever the game scoring is based on. I suppose there could be a standard black box for slots, and the G-man merely makes sure that box is the right one. It has no calibration or other adjustments if all it does is generate random numbers. As you point out, however, those random numbers can be fed into a profit determining box which is something the casino can and does manipulate.

There is a lot to be said for a customized room such as your remote office. I've noted many times in the past that people our age should be focused on staying comfortable as possible. Not much else can be done to improve the quality of our lives. If your office is what does it for you, then you should be there. If you need to call 911 before you make it as far as your office, perhaps it is time to reconsider what makes you comfortable. I must admit that it is scary when the heart works overtime. I guess a little bit of that is good cardio-vascular exercise. But, when panic mode is triggered the plumbing has to be watched a little bit closer. I suppose that is what the ultra sound is all about. You don't want any hidden aneurysms to ruin your day.

[Kellemora]

When I was working on those machines, the government only inspected the little black box. Then sealed it up tight again.

Debi, with the help of her son making the payments, bought a device I wear around my neck. If I push the button, I get a voice response, and If I don't say anything, the'll send an ambulance to my address. If I do say something, it could be Testing, Call my Wife, or Summon an Ambulance. They have my medical condition so know I can't breathe and a bad ticker too.

[yogi]

I don't know for certain what you have for a necklace, but it apparently is exactly the right thing for you. I've only heard one criticism about those medical alert systems, and it was from an EMS person. They agreed it was a great thing to have but many people get into situations where they can't even press the button in time; heart attacks, for example. There are devices that you wear like a watch and which will detect a fall or a crash if you are in an automobile. They do work, but they are far from 100% accurate. Plus, most of those wearable watches need a smartphone paired with it in order to work. The device you are using seems to be the best kind available. Hopefully you don't have to use it very often.

[Kellemora]

Both of the two heart attacks I've had, I knew they were coming in plenty of time to call an ambulance on my cell phone, if I needed to that is. But I know a really bad one knocks you out PDQ. I was able to get to the car for Debi to drive me to the ER.
Long story behind both trips, hi hi.

Simply Amazing! Our electric has been out for a half hour, died while I was writing. Yet here it is, NOT LOST this time!

[yogi]

I guess heart attacks come in various flavors and people react to them in different ways. Mom had to have surgery to clean out an artery and during the surgery a cardiologist had to be called in. The long and the short of it was that mom's heart was damaged before the surgery. Nobody picked up on that beforehand, which pissed me off royally. Anyway, they claim she had a heart attack at some point in her past. She never realized it but it caused about 30% damage to the muscle. I was totally amazed that such a thing was even possible.

Browsers are getting better, me thinks. Then again this one I am using takes up nearly a gig of memory, but on the positive side I rarely if ever lose any text I'm editing here. It's in the browser cache somewhere unless I issue the command to empty the cache. That takes some effort and likely can't be done with keyboard bindings. I guess when you don't have enough RAM the cache is written out to your hard drive. Thus if you lose power it's still out there when you reboot. Getting it back could be a problem, and I'm very glad you were able to do it without incident.

[Kellemora]

Women don't have the same signs of a heart attack that men do, and it is possible she's had more than one and never knew it.

My grandma on my mom's side is said to have had several small heart attacks as she got older, but none of them ever sent her to the hospital until she was up in her 90s.

After a power outage, I usually just boot up and do not select the restore option Google Chrome gives us for the web pages we had open. I did this time to see what would happen, and boy was I surprised, everything was as it should be. Well, almost. One page I had open reloaded itself to upgrade the data, which I didn't want to do yet. But it was OK that it did that.

[yogi]

My wife has a brother-in-law who is prone to mini strokes. Just like those silent heart attacks, I don't understand how mini strokes can be tolerated. If it's so small that the damage it does is not recognizable, is it really a stroke? Or heart attack? Apparently there is some technical definition for all that. All I can say is that the BIL doesn't seem any different now than he did before the strokes.

When given the option I always restore the previous browser session. It always comes back too which is how I know the information is in non volatile memory and not in RAM. The times I've lost something I was editing involved me erasing the text by mistake. Well, the blank text editor is then cached and the former content cannot be reclaimed in that case. Google Chrome takes up the most memory from what I have read. I stopped using it a while back just for that reason.

[Kellemora]

Odd medical things in this world, that's for sure.

Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you about compression socks.
I wear mine during the day, but will often skip a day or two.
Never wear them at night.
How long and often do you wear yours?

I like Google Chrome and don't see it using any more memory that other browsers.