New and Experienced climbers over 50 #21

phylp phylpwrote:

When Covid started I bought a Blue Air environmental filtration unit.  They are really great for allergens, mold, etc.  If your issues are dust related, this should help.  Good luck, I'm rooting for you to get to the bottom of this.

Ever since I had a gnarly allergic reaction to a medication (hospital for a week) I've been sensitive to many things. Not at the top of the list, but real annoyances, are household dust and dander. Basically anything airborne, indoors or out.

The Bobcat fire of Sept 2020 burned close enough to here that embers were landing on the house and property here. The smoke set off interior smoke alarms. It was a huge mistake for us to stay, but we felt compelled. 

I bought two stand alone HEPA grade air filters, with metering for air quality, and installed MERV 14 grade filters on the HVAC (I highly recommend you do the HVAC if nothing else). My HVAC filters are Filtrete 2500. For nearly two months after the fire the air here was awful. The filters made the day.

My stand alone filters are Oransi. Any HEPA filter like phylp's or these will improve your in home air. Since the fire and its aftermath I set aside the big Oransi filters until six days ago. I deployed them in advance of what I knew was coming. Every damn two bit town and city in the San Gabriel valley has to have a firework show. The day after the air is so f'd up that you can't see a mile. Out came the filters. On auto they ran up to orange, one level short of red, for two days. It stank outside but was fine in the house. Normally I just rely on the HVAC filters, which are great. I got mine through Lowes, but it took a while to fill the order. They're pricey, so they don't stock them. Most folks are happy with the $6.99 crap.

Do the HVAC filters asap. After that you may or may not feel the need for a big stand alone unit. My thought if is that it's windy out there with blowing sand, and all the stuff that comes off of the desert vegetation, and that crap gets in your house every time you open the door, a big unit might be a good thing. 

Well, it takes a village.  I don't browse much on the rest of MP, but I'm guessing the youngsters aren't discussing HEPA filters and phthalates.  BUT THEY SHOULD.   

Tony and I are like two different species (Kris, you know that).  I don't consider the outside to be 'dirty' and I didn't think I had allergies, but maybe I do.  I love coming home smelling of sage and tumbleweed, creosote, my hands and feet full of grit and rock, and I feel no need to sanitize from all that.  The desert is my safe healthy place, and the air some of the best in the world (imo).  But Tony can't wait to get everything in the washer and if I hadn't put my foot down, it would be Tide and some kind of smelly fabric softener.  And Spray and Wash.  He's a city boy and that is 'clean' for him.  But he has his cologne, (I'm afraid to google it because he would get rid of me before he'd lose his cologne).  And the interior of his car would not be complete without the pinetree air freshener hanging from his rear view. He stashes it in the glove compartment for me but "Tony, I still smell it!"   This is what happens when you cohabitate with opposing counsel. 

Phylp, how did I not think of testing Tony?  THANK YOU.  I was going about this the long and expensive way... ditched the Creon, tested, ditched the insulin pump, tested... then clean up bit by bit all the rest.  The tests are expensive and weeks in between.  Can you help me understand the real impact of phthalates?  If phthalates act as estrogens... what does that mean?  Do they block our own beta 17-estradiol?  Or amplify it?   Why does it suppress sperm production in men?  Does it interfere with testosterone in some way?  Plug into the same receptors?  I think I understand how a whollop of estrogenic substance can suppress thyroid hormones, or block them.  I am just trying to gauge what to expect (or hope for) when my phthalate levels are brought way down.  

One of my first wakeup calls was the study on cash register receipts.  "Cash register receipts represent the most significant exposure to BPA. The amount of BPA that shows up in the blood after handling receipts has been found to be more than if a comparable amount were consumed."  

After all these days of work, I realize I am probably only at the 50% mark in clearing out my house/life.  I'm just trying to hit the big stuff. I do have a large air filter unit.  Today I will be working on the kitchen... and clearing out the fridge.  What do you do with a half watermelon, if not cover it with plastic?  What about all the produce?  It was sobering to swap out my emergency 7-ups in plastic bottles for aluminum cans... only to learn that the cans are coated on the interior with some kind of plastic chemical. I didn't want aluminum anyway, but was willing to deal with it.  So, maybe it's glass bottles all the way.  I wish someone would just come to my house, and do what needs to be done... swap out whatever crap shouldn't be there and replace it with what should.  I guess that person is me.  

I have 7 grandchildren.  2 of them are autistic.  I watch their parents struggle with all of the interventions, the extraordinary work and focus these kids require.  I had hoped that in some small way my kids would see me as an example of healthy living into old age, and perhaps understand some of the severe consequences of living in this chemicalized world, and opt for reducing the impact.    Maybe they will not have to reinvent the wheel.  

Shall we discuss brominated flame retardants next?    

Lori - try these instead of plastic wrap for your produce. They work great and are reusable. Not sure you could get a large enough one for the watermelon - I cut leftover watermelons into pieces and store in a glass container. 

https://www.beeswrap.com/?ref:MTcyMjIwLjI0NzIuMTczMjU1LlQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlK-WBhDjARIsAO2sErRj6WSnWtDOHBHOuQAOYgZvYJAAseXfZcWgn2DD_hc7fPas-vjWndkaAtHCEALw_wcB

ErikaNWwrote:

Lori - try these instead of plastic wrap for your produce. They work great and are reusable. Not sure you could get a large enough one for the watermelon - I cut leftover watermelons into pieces and store in a glass container. 

https://www.beeswrap.com/?ref:MTcyMjIwLjI0NzIuMTczMjU1LlQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlK-WBhDjARIsAO2sErRj6WSnWtDOHBHOuQAOYgZvYJAAseXfZcWgn2DD_hc7fPas-vjWndkaAtHCEALw_wcB

I have seen these Erika!  Do you buy the roll, or separate bags?  Does it wash well?  What would you suggest to start?

Lori Milaswrote:

phylp, I am SO glad you posted this, for several reasons. I need a science geek.  It is always with some reticence that I post anything about health issues here... but you never know, some lurker, or some friend here, might relate or have some thoughts.  

A few months ago when I was still feeling really lousy I just told my docs "Just test everything"... and I also did some sleuthing on my own.  One of the things we tested (twice!) was a panel for Environmental Pollutants.  I tested positive for some of everything on the panel--some at fairly high levels (Toluene Exposure), but the thing that jumped of the page was 'phthalates'... at the 97th and 100th percentiles, along with metabolites.  I've known about phthalates for years, and always make sure my hair and skin products are 'paraben and phthalate free'.  So where are these coming from?  One friend suggested they were coming from the one prescription drug I take, Creon, which is an enteric coated pancretic enzyme.  The enteric coating in Creon is hypromellose phthalate (HMP).  Other drugs have other phthalates, which are apparently more toxic.  Creon is supposedly not a problem.  I wish I were convinced.  

Study after study calls phthalates 'highly toxic endocrine disrupters', most especially blocking testosterone, and thyroid hormones, acting as estrogenic compounds, causing infertility in both men and women, loss of libido, etc. Well, I have a reason to worry about that, since I now have 4 new thyroid nodules to be biopsied in August and ever increasing thyroid meds... with no explanation WHY.  

The other possible big source of phthalates is the tubing and cartridge on my insulin pump.  I am serious enough about this that I got off my pump for a trial test.  Actually, it's turning out to be not so bad, maybe even a welcome thing.  But seeing studies on the phthalate exposure to IV patients who are receiving meds in the hospital through IV tubing was pretty shocking... even though that is exposure for such a short time.  24/7 for life is a different matter. 

"Talk to your pharmacist" was the advice I was given and got that deer-in-the-headlights stare.  I'm not going to get solid info from them.

I am also learning that just because a bottle says "BPA free" does not mean it's healthy.  (unrelated to phthalates, but related to plastics in general)

I did contact Environmental Working Group and got alot of information... since I'm on a mission now to seriously get rid of all sources of phthalate and plastics in our home.  Ironically, some may be coming from the construction we had done here a few months ago.  I'm glad Tony is not here for awhile, because he would worry about how focused I've been on this (he's a stand in for Russ).  I've spent the better part of every day cleaning, mopping, wiping up dust, washing everything.  Tupperware is gone.  Single use plastic bottles are gone.  My special orange juice in the plastic container is gone... I juiced my own oranges today. My hope is that once this project is completed, I won't have to think about it again, and I'll feel bettert.  

Really, all of this is just to buy myself a little more time on the rock. In this sense, anything anyone here does to better their health is 'climbing related'.  I'm just pissed, is all.  What seems esoteric and woo woo is really just the desire to get back to the time when pollution wasn't everywhere.  There is one more urine test to be taken that will tell me a) if all my weeding out has done any good b) exactly which phthalates I have ingested.  Back to what I'm hoping to learn here... are the phthalates in Creon dangerous?  What about the plastic tubing on my insulin pump?  For now, both are history.  I think if I want a prescription enzyme that dissolves in the small intestine I'm stuck with Creon.  

Very sorry for this digression... I hope all disinterested persons have already moved on.  

  

I'm glad you discuss these issues, as I too am concerned about environmental exposure to chemicals and other health related issues. 

been fighting covid for a week. today was the first time i felt good enough to do my PT  slept a lot and read several books...   Re read Trancendant summits by Gerry Roach. its excelent and  almost finished with Andrew Lindblades expeditions. also excelent. 

Kristian Solemwrote:

Ever since I had a gnarly allergic reaction to a medication (hospital for a week) I've been sensitive to many things. Not at the top of the list, but real annoyances, are household dust and dander. Basically anything airborne, indoors or out.

The Bobcat fire of Sept 2020 burned close enough to here that embers were landing on the house and property here. The smoke set off interior smoke alarms. It was a huge mistake for us to stay, but we felt compelled. 

I bought two stand alone HEPA grade air filters, with metering for air quality, and installed MERV 14 grade filters on the HVAC (I highly recommend you do the HVAC if nothing else). My HVAC filters are Filtrete 2500. For nearly two months after the fire the air here was awful. The filters made the day.

My stand alone filters are Oransi. Any HEPA filter like phylp's or these will improve your in home air. Since the fire and its aftermath I set aside the big Oransi filters until six days ago. I deployed them in advance of what I knew was coming. Every damn two bit town and city in the San Gabriel valley has to have a firework show. The day after the air is so f'd up that you can't see a mile. Out came the filters. On auto they ran up to orange, one level short of red, for two days. It stank outside but was fine in the house. Normally I just rely on the HVAC filters, which are great. I got mine through Lowes, but it took a while to fill the order. They're pricey, so they don't stock them. Most folks are happy with the $6.99 crap.

Do the HVAC filters asap. After that you may or may not feel the need for a big stand alone unit. My thought if is that it's windy out there with blowing sand, and all the stuff that comes off of the desert vegetation, and that crap gets in your house every time you open the door, a big unit might be a good thing. 

Be sure to check the specs on your air handler before you do this.  The extra strain of pulling air through a MERV 14 or similar may damage the unit over time if it is not capable of handling the extra filtration. It is also very easy to create your own box filter using filters and a box fan.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw7fUMhNov8

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

been fighting covid for a week. today was the first time i felt good enough to do my PT  slept a lot and read several books...   Re read Trancendant summits by Gerry Roach. its excelent and  almost finished with Andrew Lindblades expeditions. also excelent. 

Same here.  Was only really bad for 2 days, fortunately.  But was visiting family at the time and had to hole up in a hotel in Franklin, KY for 5 days.  Mostly better now, cough gone, but I still get tired around 2000 every night.  Glad you're feeling better, Nick.

Tim, Nick... I've been wondering if I had COVID too.  During the 3 weeks that I was coughing, sneezing and feeling very sick I took several at-home tests which were negative.  I'm still pretty wiped out, slowly regaining strength.  Maybe the home tests aren't 100% accurate?  So glad you are both recovering.  

I headed out for my hike this morning, cut away from my trail to get some shade, and wound up behind the Sentinel.  I glanced up between some trees and saw Tumbling Rainbow... made every effort to find a shortcut over the boulders and walls so I could get a closer look at the Right Formation.  It is to me an astonishing rock.  While I understand the Left formation, I have no idea what I'm looking at over to the right.  As close as I can get to it, I cannot identify a route, just that it's the most majestic rock in the Park. 

Our Ambassador of Light, Peace and Love, Russ Walling put up a route here, but I cannot identify it.  Does anyone have a sketch of the routes on that Right formation?  

Fortunately I believe Brandt has offered to throw a top rope on this so I can attempt to climb Tonic Boom.    

You clearly have me confused with someone else.

Lori,

The at home tests are reasonably reliable for symptomatic people. False negatives still happen, although they are much less common than in non-symptomatic folks.  

Lori Milaswrote:

I have seen these Erika!  Do you buy the roll, or separate bags?  Does it wash well?  What would you suggest to start?

I haven’t tried the roll type, but it might be nice to cut sheets to size. I have a set of square wraps in different sizes - could always use more larger ones. I hand wash with warm/tepid water snd dish soap. Being wax, they will melt in hot water and are not dishwasher safe. I haven’t tried the bags, but I like the sand which wraps (not sure which brand makes those). 

Lori, something like this.  A Brother Gaines route goes up the Rainy Day start and moves up the arete I think.  Ask Bob.

Here is the crux move on Tonic

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

been fighting covid for a week. today was the first time i felt good enough to do my PT  slept a lot and read several books...   Re read Trancendant summits by Gerry Roach. its excelent and  almost finished with Andrew Lindblades expeditions. also excelent. 

Get well Nick.  I know more people who have had COVID in the last six weeks than the entire rest of the pandemic, though all cases seem to be relatively mild.   So far our family has avoided it.  Fingers crossed. 

Got this old photo I took of Werner Braun published in Alpinist Magazine today to go along with their feature on Werner. It's an interesting read. 

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web22c/wfeature-werner-braun-50-years-in-yosemite

Russ Wallingwrote:

Here is the crux move on Tonic

Jimi Thornburg photo

That is a damn fun move to try to hit when you are 5'3".  I ended up taping the crap out of my right hand and did the dyno to a jam.  There was zero chance of doing that move static.  I think I got a pretty good payoff from Waugh when he bet me I couldn't do it after he led it.

Ward Smithwrote:

Get well Nick.  I know more people who have had COVID in the last six weeks than the entire rest of the pandemic, though all cases seem to be relatively mild.   So far our family has avoided it.  Fingers crossed. 

Same here, Ward.  But is is unnerving.
BA.4/BA.5 sub-variants are very infectious. Doesn't take much to catch it. Symptoms are mild and last ~1 week for folks who are triple- or quad-vaxed. Of course, YMMV.
Be safe.

here in VT our health commissioner recommends the antigen test over the PCR test  for symptomatic customers or anyone who has already had covid once. I also got really sick several times last winter and tested negative those times with PCR tests and home tests..   this time it felt different and it tested possitive. kicked me hard enough I slept for 36hrs only getting up to pee and take showers to wash the sweat off and  try to ease the body ache enough to lie down again... 

Russ Wallingwrote:

Lori, something like this.  A Brother Gaines route goes up the Rainy Day start and moves up the arete I think.  Ask Bob.

Here is the crux move on Tonic

Jimi Thornburg photo

Holy moly, Russ.  This is about where I thought the routes would be.  Wow.   Thanks for the pictures!  

Nice seeing Russ on something that's not 12" wide.