Thread 18 - TalkLair: "That's no moon. It's a space station!"

[RasaSayangEh]

(Previous thread 17)

We've had our heatwave - is this it for the summer? All is lush and green in our LairGarden, flowers are blooming, berries are ripening...

In the TalkLair, all the windows are open, the Pimms is chilled, the MN massive salad is ready to serve. The denizens of the lair are a welcoming bunch, always eager for general chit-chat on all manner of topics. We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

There is the 'hygiene hypothesis' for why allergies are getting more common. With regard to intolerances, might be something like that? Or the increasing prevalence of ultra-processed foods triggering sensitivities? I expect there will be plenty of published papers about it, and maybe I'll bestir myself to have a look one of these days!

Other possibility is that intolerances aren't really increasing, but that we're just far more aware of them and how to modify our lifestyles to avoid triggers, whereas previously people might've been stuck eating/doing whatever the same thing and just accepting that they felt permanently unwell (a bit like how as age catches up, we just accept a general creakiness as par for the course). I'm thinking of books from Ye Olden Days where a character is described as always 'sickly' or similar.

One of my great aunts (so maybe born in the 1930s) had a problem with cow's milk so was fed goat milk until she was older.Then they appear to have done a rudimentary 'milk ladder' in a what doesn't kill you makes you stronger kind of way. She always blamed her lack of height on the goat milk.

I think the hygiene must have something to do with it. But also, some of these ails sound cyclical to me. My Mum used to suffer terribly with nettle-rash, if she ate any strawberries (and other foods, but I only remember strawberries), she really suffered for it. But you never seem to hear of nettle-rash these days.

just accepting that they felt permanently unwell

And if it's a mild one you may not actually realise. A few months after I totally gave up all forms of milk I suddenly felt 'weirdly well'. And, having ruled out tertiary syphilis¹, realised it must be the milk - or rather its absence. Lots of little niggles and itches had vanished, but until they went away I'd not really noticed they were there.

¹ On the basis of not having had the primary or secondary forms.

Exactly @NoBinturongsHereMate, in that scenario it's all just background stuff until you realise it's gone.

@moto748e Nettle-rash is hives, isn't it? Still a thing, only we now recognise it as an allergic reaction.

I don't know, I'll take your word for it, Rasa!

it's all just background stuff until you realise it's gone.

That how I felt when I stopped taking the Pill, which I'd been on for 15 years. Within a short time of stopping, I felt really well and happier than I'd been for ages. It had gone on so long I just hadn't realised I wasn't feeling that great.

That was my experience after giving up wheat. My obvious symptom was chronic cough and ashthma, but so many other small things resolved. Even though I loved bread and weetabix and all the good things, I've never gone back.

I don't want to even think about giving up bread! Or pizza!

I am very lucky and it's just wheat wheat that causes the trouble, I can use spelt flour, so pizza remains possible.

Sadly nobody has made speltabix yet.

You could invent it, @DeanElderberry - there might be a market for it.

It's a great name.

Speltabix - I'd try it!

Is this real? I want it to be real.

The attached sensors measure bio-electrical fluctuations in the mushroom. The fluctuations are converted into signals that control the robotic arms.

Mushroom musicians!

A fungal quartet...

Unpleasant news here, a 12 year old boy in my daughter's class had a heart attack in school yesterday. CPR and a defibrillator were used, we heard he's in intensive care. I hope he recovers.

An older girl she knew drowned at the beach in the summer, it's just so tragic.

That's very sad, SinnerBoy, I do hope he makes a full recovery. Tragic about the girl drowning too.

Oh that’s awful, SinnerBoy, hope the boy recovers fully and speedily.

How sad and shocking @SinnerBoy, only 12! Hope he recovers

That's dreadful. I don't think I've ever heard of someone so young going into cardiac arrest, unless with some significant and evident underlying condition. Poor child.

I can't think why a 12 year old would have a heart attack unless there was an underlying health condition. Poor kid - I hope he recovers.

Long QT often shows up in young people, and there are various congenital possibilities. Hormonal surges can affect some heart conditions so the onset of puberty and menopause both see a bit of a spike. Tragic thing to happen, whatever the cause.

And it really shows the value of that campaign to get defibrillators in all schools. They may not be needed often, but when they are they make such a difference to the chance of survival.

A school friend of my brother’s died of a heart attack at 19. No underlying health conditions as far as I recall. He was a lovely young man (and very popular with the girls at my school).

I have an update, he was resuscitated twice and in serious condition in hospital. The school had a gathering for the children most upset by it.

He collapsed in PE, doing circuits, after telling the teacher he felt ill and didn't want to do PE. Teacher made him do it... he performed CPR until the paramedics arrived. The same teacher made my daughter do PE when she felt ill last year, she was sick on the gym floor and his shoes.

Apparently, he broke down today and was sent home.

Bloody hell! The guy can't be feeling great about that. Just hope the lad pulls through.