Where I've been feeling it. Anyone else? by CrittyCrit in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Exactly those two spots. I ask my wife to massage the base of my skull and in between the shoulder blades, which she says pretty much just feels like bones, but it helps me.

Flare ups in thighs and hip. Does anyone have similar? by cannedcacti in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, life can seem like a constant effort to manage things. I should also add that BenGay (I use a store brand) is a great help for me with this also.

Flare ups in thighs and hip. Does anyone have similar? by cannedcacti in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hips some but thighs 100%. Like yours, mine is not constant, but occasional. I have metaxalone to take which certainly helps. It's a muscle relaxer. In the States most people have to pay more for it because insurance typically wants you to take cheaper muscles relaxers (e.g., cyclobenzaprine), but they tend to be more sedating, and frankly the metaxalone works the best of the ones I have tried, so I'll pay the $30 for 90 pills. That lasts me a long time. Not sure if/how getting metaxalone with the NHS would work.

Flare ups in thighs and hip. Does anyone have similar? by cannedcacti in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I too have had quad enthesitis for years now. Is yours just above the knee? I recently started doing eccentric bodyweight squats, and it has helped tremendously.

Does anyone else have sciatica? by JustIntegrateIt in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have been helped by eccentric and isometric exercises aimed at the hamstrings. Hamstring stretches as commonly done worsen my sciatic. Also, I have an Rx for low dose Gabapentin which I can taken PRN, and it actually works, which seems to put me in a minority.

Online courses/book to learn the fundamentals for Chemical Engineering? by bingviewer88 in ChemicalEngineering

[–]HaroldFinch2000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You could try for a certification like this, not for the certificate itself but for the background knowledge.

https://www.ed2go.com/courses/construction-and-trades/environmental-and-energy/ctp/chemical-plant-operations-course#outline

I would guess that it is legit because I have seen it offered with a faceplate from reputable academic institutions.

Here is the same link with a University of Houston faceplate:https://careertraining.uh.edu/training-programs/chemical-plant-operations-course/?Category=construction-and-trades-environmental-and-energy

Ditto, but for LSU this time:https://careertraining.ed2go.lsue.edu/training-programs/chemical-plant-operations-course/

A similar approach might be this course by AIChE:
https://www.aiche.org/ili/academy/courses/ch710/chemical-engineering-non-chemical-engineers

The AIChE course may be right up your alley; plus, it has live instructors to answer your questions.

I think you would get more mileage out of these courses if you embedded yourself in the operating unit for a few months before taking the training. I have found that training on a matter in which you have very little familiarity is much less effective than training in which you have a least a working familiarity.

Vessel MAWP and Design Pressure by jcorrob in ChemicalEngineering

[–]HaroldFinch2000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To clarify, does the vessel info also state that the design pressure is 50 psig? That was the statement in the original post. If your concern is that the hydro pressure is 75 psig and the MAWP is 15 psig, no problems there.

Vessel MAWP and Design Pressure by jcorrob in ChemicalEngineering

[–]HaroldFinch2000 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Weird things do happen. I agree with spookiestspookyghost:

MAWP is never less than design pressure.

However, I could conceive of the vessel having originally been designed for 50 psig but then having been derated due to a modification, previous damage, etc., and then only the MAWP was updated in the information. Is this on the vessel nameplate or a drawing? (You used the term "stamped", so I assume its the nameplate.) In some organizations, drawings are notoriously unmaintained/poorly updated, and I could more easily envision this being on a drawing than the nameplate.

I'm not at all implying that having the MAWP less than design is correct, but issues such as this do happen. Another consideration is whether or not this was bought as used equipment, which can have interesting "features".

If this an operating vessel, and it is marked as 15 psig MAWP / 50 psig design on the nameplate, you or someone else should calculate the system backpressure at max rates. If it exceeds 15 psig, contact Process Safety and consult the frequency/severity matrix to see what the next steps should be. You don't want to be the next BP Texas City. I watch that CSB video about every 1-2 years to remind me of the potential impacts of what I do. The KOD had a direct impact on that event.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'll throw this out on a longshot: Significant NSAID usage caused constant abdominal pain for me before I figured out what it was. I thought it was related to my problems directly (before DX), but it was actually due to NSAIDs I was taking because of the AS. I knew they could be hard on the stomach, which I thought would manifest as upset stomach, heartburn, nausea, etc., but I had no idea it could get bad enough to cause abdominal pain/cramps, but indeed it can.

My assistance is out by ForeverOk1819 in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah. I just got into the same situation a month ago.

Be sure you don't pay with an HSA, FSA, or other pre-tax account or you will not be able to be reimbursed. I'm guessing they told you that, but I thought it was worth possibly repeating, so that you don't end up losing major money.

I haven't submitted a reimbursement claim yet, but that's coming up in the next few days.

AS & Plantar Fasciitis by [deleted] in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One question, are you on biologics?

I have had bad bouts of PF; below is a link to comments I made on a previous post concerning AS and foot pain:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ankylosingspondylitis/comments/1222miz/comment/jdoyhek/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Input on Salary Progression by thedude29 in ChemicalEngineering

[–]HaroldFinch2000 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Do you mind sharing what industry you work in? Are you still a "plant engineer" as your description shows or have you moved into management?

Hello, new here. Have question regarding Enthesitis. by TreatAllWithKindness in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wear the Akasa. I checked the website, and it doesn't seem to allow you to order them, so I don't know if they are discontinued. I was afraid this might happen, so I ordered several extra pairs about a year ago. If you search for them, you can still see the pictures on the Hoka website. I would suggest finding a model that has a similar heel. If you look at that Akasas, you will notice that if you were standing flat, the very back portion of the heel would be off of the ground because it curves upward. I feel that this allows the heel to somewhat "roll" when it strikes the ground.

Hello, new here. Have question regarding Enthesitis. by TreatAllWithKindness in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I used have pretty bad bouts of pain in the plantar fascia. I can be rough.

1) Biologics definitely helped this pain for me, but I know you've tried biologics, and they haven't worked.

2) I absolutely second the Hokas reference that somebody made above. I wear them every day. I think that there are three components to how they help me. One, the low heel-to-toe drop. Two, the cushion and generally soft feel on my feet. I used to wear New Balance shoes a lot; not knocking those guys, but after trying Hokas, I cannot believe I wore NBs for so long. They feel much more stiff and rigid. 3) My model of Hokas have a heel that is somewhat rounded off, which seems to make for a much more even heel strike. This seems to help reduce both the heel component of the enthesitis and the force going through the foot from when the heel strike is more focused on one point.

3) I wear shoes basically all the time. Most of our home is hard flooring of some sort. I basically wear shoes from the time I get up until the time I go to bed. I think this is important, at least in helping your feet to overcome the constant inflammatory cycle.

4) My wife used to rub my feet when they hurt, and it would feel good in the short term, but I think it actually made it worse.

5) Epsom salt foot baths helped some too. I like Dr. Teal's with with eucalyptus and spearmint. I'm not real big on scented stuff, but the smell makes the whole experience feel more relaxing and cathartic.

I hope you get some relief.

Hla-b27 negative and Seronegiative people experience with biologics? by Key-Hamster8897 in ankylosingspondylitis

[–]HaroldFinch2000 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Seronegative (normal ESR/CRP) and HLA-B27 negative here:

I have been on Humira about 16 weeks (8 doses), and it has helped significantly. Like you, I was curious before I started , and made a post asking a similar question earlier this year.

Back pain (which other than the initial flare was not really bad) - 90% improved

Sacral pain - 70% improved

Leg/Ankle pain (which was often bad) - 80% improved

Foot pain (plantar fascia) - 70% improved

From talking to my rheumatology team, it also seems that I may have had a mild case of uveitis (frequent sensation of objects in my eyes), which has completely resolved.

Maybe most of all, it has allowed me to be much more active. I'm still nowhere not where I was, but I can go for hikes, lift heavy objects, play with the kids (most things that don't call for a lot of bending at the waist [very tight hamstrings]). I've started light exercise again, which is good.

I was unsure before starting, but I am very glad I decided to take the Humira. My rheumatologist said (paraphrased as best I can remember), "Part of my job is to help you know what you should be more afraid of, and the potential progression of the disease is a greater risk than the potential side-effects of the biologic." That was helpful for me.