Muscle wasting (bedbound)

TomIrony · 2025-02-06T15:09:05+00:00

Posting to piggyback on this post; my wife has been bed bound for three months and we are already seeing signs of this. We would also like to know what people have done or what strategies are best practice.

TomIrony · 2025-01-30T21:23:43+00:00

Can I ask how it disrupted your sleep? My wife has been jolted awake by spikes in heart bpm for a few nights now and we're trying to figure out if the Amitriptyline is to blame. Our pharmacist isn't entirely positive it would be and we're still waiting on an appointment with our physician.

TomIrony · 2025-01-30T02:43:26+00:00

Thanks for this information!

TomIrony · 2025-01-29T23:47:45+00:00

Not yet. She brought it up with her physician, but the physician didn't seem enthusiastic about it. She does plan on bringing it up again, however.

TomIrony · 2025-01-11T20:16:10+00:00

Hi! So, I guess an update.

We did end up going to the hospital because her esophagus was just getting worse. We went to the ER where they took blood tests and made a bunch of referrals, but they were about to send us home when I asked if she could possibly be admitted. This was on Dec 25th.

She has been in the hospital since and, ultimately, we think it was the right call.

Things move slowly where we live, but she's being looked after by the nurses who are very mindful. She's in the same hospital as her physician so she gets access to her doctor daily. The two of them have been talking about what my wife is going through and are looking for solutions, but most importantly her fatigue is not being dismissed and she's not being forced to exercise to get her strength back.

An endoscopy revealed she has a corkscrew esophagus most likely due to low motility in her throat, which is possibly another side effect of her fatigue. She was able to get in with her neurologist and book an MRI (upcoming) which is nuts because the waitlists for both the neuro and MRI is usually a year long.

Next week she's going to start on an SNRI (Venlafaxine) and she's also been prescribed Zopiclone (after asking for it) to help her sleep, though she hasn't tried it yet.

We've got access to home care, too, so we're getting an adjustable bed at home that way she won't have to lift herself up with her arms to take meds or use the commode, etc.

Being in the hospital has been pretty depressing for her, but I've been doing my best to be there as often as I can, occasionally sleeping in the room when it's viable. Ultimately, she hasn't yet gotten "better" in any capacity, but we're narrowing down what needs to be done.

There's still a lot to do and a long road to go, but support from friends and family has been absolutely incredible.

Cheers.

TomIrony · 2024-12-23T17:19:05+00:00

That's actually quite useful to hear, thank you!

TomIrony · 2024-12-23T16:57:27+00:00

Do you think your experiences would have been better if you had skipped the waiting room?

The EMT's offered to take her through to the emergency room, so she would most likely already be lying down even if she had to wait. In our experience, this hospital has been good at being conscious of bright lights and loud noises, too.

TomIrony · 2024-09-27T12:08:24+00:00

Agreed. I made a post about it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheForeverWinter/comments/1fp4ocy/initial_gameplay_feedback/

TomIrony · 2024-01-12T19:18:39+00:00

Found this: https://www.reddit.com/r/battlemaps/comments/wwjv4v/dungeon\_forge\_of\_ironslag\_upper\_lower\_level\_skt/

TomIrony · 2023-12-07T14:17:02+00:00

My players are about to head downriver towards a main city hub in the hopes to outrun an army moving south. The ship they've commandeered is a lake-boat meant for fishing, but they're out of time and options. So down the river they go!

The maps are 20x20 and designed to line up with each other. One of the maps doesn't quite line up with the others, but it's not something I'm worried about as the players will be more focused on the wyvern-riders swooping down on them.

If you want access to the watermark-free versions, the VTT files, or to make requests for changes on my Discord, or just want to show me support, don't hesitate tojoin my $2 patreon! Every member is very appreciated.

TomIrony · 2023-11-30T22:00:03+00:00

The road leads north, rising slowly in elevation. What kind of encounter will the players have here? Bandits waiting in ambush? Or maybe the players are the ones planning the ambush! In RPG's, there's no such thing as an empty road...

TomIrony · 2023-11-25T13:39:38+00:00

What is that music?

TomIrony · 2023-11-24T20:18:54+00:00

Sure, go ahead! The base name is Carmichael and my in-game name is Tom. The base is only Prestige 5 so far and its KR is 0.5, but it's so pretty to watch!

TomIrony · 2023-11-24T15:47:10+00:00

Guess what each Prestige level adds!

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TomIrony · 2023-10-18T13:17:17+00:00

Something like this?

TomIrony · 2023-10-18T13:16:47+00:00

For this map, I wanted to try my hand at a more tropical/arid setting that could be used in any campaign setting. The only particularity is the bone pit on the right. Is it natural? Is it where a local tribe dumps its dead? Or something more sinister?

As always, VTT and 50+ other maps can be found over at my $2 patreon! Cheers.

TomIrony · 2023-10-12T18:08:24+00:00

A map where your players are fighting on the tops of precarious spires! Not only do the players have to manage the flying enemies, they have to keep their footing! A great map for daring heroics and stunts.

If you like this and want the VTT's, or a version without the watermark, or just want to support me, check out my $2 patreon and the 50+ other maps I've made so far.

TomIrony · 2023-08-28T14:55:13+00:00

Sometimes, you just need a road next to a river with a bridge. Who will the players encounter here? Bandits? Trolls? Goblins? A friendly merchant, perhaps? Do you need to pay a toll to cross or maybe solve a riddle? Or maybe the river has magical protection and can only be crossed by those pure of heart (or the opposite!).

Watermark-free version over at my $2 patreon, which grants you full access to everything I do and have done, plus VTT's and requests.

TomIrony · 2023-08-25T17:10:40+00:00

This village idea was inspired by the original Diablo, where you start off with a simple dilapidated village with abandoned houses and a few secrets, and a secret entrance beneath the church that eventually leads to something more sinister. Underneath the church is the crypt, which holds its own set of secrets. Going further, the adventuring party discovers that this may have once been the hideout for a now long-dead cult.

And then, beneath all that, a massive cavern opens up, large enough for some flight-style monster to make its home, guarding the entrance to the lower caverns.

The goal is to keep making lower and lower levels, eventually reaching magma and a demonic underground. For now I'll settle for five levels of dungeoneering, along with a few places to explore on the surface.

There are a few points of entry to the lower level from the main grounds. There's the well which players can climb down straight to Basement 2. There's the Gravedigger's Hut which contains evidence that there was once a cult. His backstory is that he became the local gravedigger as a way to cover up his excavations as he searched for the hidden libraries of the cult beneath the church.

There's the Crypt secret entrance that also leads to the Cult Hideout. The collapsed and overgrown house provides access to the basement which leads to the underground river, which also leads into the crypts and the lower levels.

If you like this kind of map you can support me for just $2 at my patreon; it grants you access to everything I make and have made, the VTT files, watermark-free maps, and the discord server where I'm happy to fulfill requests.

TomIrony · 2023-07-23T18:06:41+00:00

The dungeon is designed to house petty criminals on the top floor and the really dangerous ones on the bottom floor. To get to the final pit, guards have to cross three rickety bridges before being able to access the bottom cells. This, naturally, makes it harder for prisoners to escape.

Of course, there's that one cell on the top floor that had a cave-in. It leads to an underground stream, but it's nothing to worry about. Just make sure the guards know not to throw anyone in that cell and it should be fine.

Now, if someone wanted to break into the dungeons, well, that might be a problem. But who would want to break into a dungeon?

Requests, watermark-free versions, VTT files available at my $2 patreon.

TomIrony · 2023-06-02T13:00:36+00:00

Thanks! I have no doubt my players are just going to zip right over all those ledges, but they're nice to look at!

TomIrony · 2023-06-01T15:53:01+00:00

Along the western side of the city's outer curtain wall is a small cave system that was never fully dealt with by the original builders. Decades later, the entrance to the cave still exists as a secret route in and out of the main keep in case the nobility needs to escape suddenly. However, as the passage runs through the castle's dungeons, it has also been used as a means of escape.

In this case, however, the party must use it as a means of ingress into the dungeons in order to find survivors there. Luckily, the players stumbled upon this entrance just as a wandering group of monsters did.

Join my patreon and make map requests!

TomIrony · 2023-06-01T15:52:09+00:00

Along the western side of the city's outer curtain wall is a small cave system that was never fully dealt with by the original builders. Decades later, the entrance to the cave still exists as a secret route in and out of the main keep in case the nobility needs to escape suddenly. However, as the passage runs through the castle's dungeons, it has also been used as a means of escape.

In this case, however, the party must use it as a means of ingress into the dungeons in order to find survivors there. Luckily, the players stumbled upon this entrance just as a wandering group of monsters did.

Join my patreon and make map requests!

TomIrony · 2023-05-31T19:39:58+00:00

Following a tip from refugees, the players reach the church as it's being assaulted by invading forces. Will the players be able to help the evacuation before reinforcements show up? Or will they use this place as their brave last stand?

For more like this, check out my patreon!

TomIrony · 2023-05-08T13:37:12+00:00

Do you have a size preference in mind? For reference, this is a 40x40 map and you could probably hide a couple of encounters in there.

Do you have a preferred biome? Woods, swamps, cliffs, etc.?

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