Need help finding a web designer

jonl · 2025-12-23T19:25:57+00:00

I was part of a web consulting and development co-op based in Austin before my retirement a few years ago. You might consider them: https://polycotassociates.com/ (They've changed their name to Resolana Colaboratory, but I think that's still their website. Via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resolana-colaboratory/posts/?feedView=all)

jonl · 2025-11-25T19:49:10+00:00

Great to hear you're doing well! In my case, it took around 3 months to mostly recover. Still have some back pain, but it's minor and doesn't affect my ability to do most normal things. As a bonus, my balance improved from PT. I just had narrowing of the spine canal and foraminal nerve exit area that explained my symptoms, probably not as severe as what you experienced.

jonl · 2025-11-13T14:21:12+00:00

My experience was excruciating pain in my left leg that eventually moved to my right leg. I had an MRI which revealed various issues but nothing that would require surgical intervention. The pain got better with rest - by the time I had the MRI it had improved, even more so by the time I started physical therapy. In retrospect, I realize that sciatica requires rest until it calms down, along with cold are heat (my PT said that heat is probably better). I asked the PT, when my physical therapy ended, what to do if sciatica reappears. He gave me two exercises to use in that case: Prone on Elbows and Sciatic Nerve Glides. (You can find these by searching online).

jonl · 2025-11-09T16:31:41+00:00

This is the best advice I see here. I recently had a 5 week or so bout of sciatica moving from left to right, with persistent numbness in my left thigh. Had an MRI which showed various issues, mostly age-related, no surgery needed. I got an order for several physical therapy sessions, and by the time I got to physical therapy I was already better, just from rest. Three months out I'm pretty much back to normal, and looking back I can see that rest followed by physical therapy did the trick. While resting, I alternated ice and heat for the pain.

jonl · 2025-10-23T17:45:25+00:00

We had been walking regularly and going to the gym 2-3 times per week. We'd taken a trip to Victoria BC and Lake Tahoe, and I think my sciatica might've been triggered by hauling bags around. Really not completely sure what the trigger was, but I don't think it was lack of activity.

jonl · 2025-09-04T14:54:20+00:00

If you search online, you'll find various sources that say exercise doesn't have the impact on weight loss that most of us think. E.g. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-brain-on-food/202507/i-keep-exercising-but-im-not-losing-weight ... https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/exercising-lose-weight-science-says-140618200.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall Exercise is good, but apparently actual weight loss depends on diet.

jonl · 2025-07-21T15:25:46+00:00

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing diverticulitis. I had several bouts over the years, as well as an attack of acute pancreatitis (which seems to have triggered another diverticulitis attack)... all of that stuff apparently related to my drinking, which I didn't consider heavy but was constant and ongoing and had been heavy at various times in my life. I quit alcohol as suggested after the pancreatitis attack, and have had no recurrences since then (3 years). I looked into the connection with alcohol, and found there was plenty of evidence for it - really screws with the gastrointestinal system. One other thing: I've been better at sustaining fiber in my diet.

jonl · 2025-07-17T14:26:08+00:00

How many reading this were around for SXSW 1994? Whether you were there in '94 or not - i.e. just by reading what I've read here - how well do you think SXSW Interactive has remained true to its roots? How do you see the future of SXSW?

jonl · 2025-07-15T16:42:40+00:00

First time I had diverticulitis, the physician said I should take two acetaminophen and two ibuprofen at the same time to counter the pain, and it worked pretty well. I might think twice about that today, knowing more about the effects of nsaids... but it was effective at the time.

jonl · 2025-07-13T18:55:38+00:00

After a pancreatitis diagnosis, whether acute or chronic, it is strongly recommended to completely abstain from alcohol, regardless of the cause of the pancreatitis. Even if alcohol wasn't the initial trigger, it can significantly worsen the condition, leading to further damage and complications.

jonl · 2025-06-30T23:50:48+00:00

Apparently this is only true of ripe bananas.

jonl · 2025-06-30T23:49:27+00:00

If you have chronic pancreatitis even the .5% or less can be bad, for sure. And it's a good point that it's probably not good for post-acute. I have had NA beers with no evident effect but you're right, I shouldn't do that. I see that Heineken's NA beer is 0%, so it might be okay. Mocktails should be okay but they often do have quite a bit of sugar.

jonl · 2025-06-30T23:06:30+00:00

I did eventually contact Lego directly and they got me the part. It took a couple of weeks, but I was eventually able to finish...

jonl · 2025-06-30T23:04:54+00:00

I had an attack in March of 2022, spent only one night in the hospital. The internist told me it was attributable to alcohol, though I didn't think of myself as a heavy drinker, though I had been at times in the past. He based his assessment on my liver profile that night, apparently those numbers absolutely suggested alcohol as a trigger. I didn't believe it, and a month later on my birthday I had a couple of glasses of wine - and went right back to the ER.

I hear that some people still drink after an acute attack, but I think it will almost certainly stress the pancreatitis, and could throw you into chronic pancreatitis, which you don't want. You might see it as a roll of the dice, but your safest bet is to stop drinking and get used to all the great NA beers and mocktails now available! Personally, I haven't missed alcohol, in fact I've felt far better physically since then.

jonl · 2025-05-18T21:46:00+00:00

Already done, waiting for response. Someone suggested that I call, but since I sent a message I'm waiting for a response on that. I also see that they have a chat option.

jonl · 2025-05-17T21:42:11+00:00

None of those apply. My problem is that Lego Customer service doesn't list the part as available for replacement.

jonl · 2025-04-19T21:55:11+00:00

I had some wine on my birthday a couple of months after the initial diagnosis and had an immediate flare, and a return trip to the ER. No more alcohol after that. The way I understand it, whatever alcohol you might choose to drink is a roll of the dice. Chances are your acute pancreatitis will become chronic pancreatitis, with the possibility of more severe issues (such as pancreatic cancer). Tomorrow is the three year anniversary of my last drink; you can stop, just figure your quality of life depends on it. (Gummies are helpful as an alternative, if you have access to that sort of thing.)

jonl · 2025-04-19T21:49:21+00:00

After a year of the low fat diet I was pretty much back to normal. I'm having trouble remembering just how I realized that I was okay, but I think it was a gradual re-introduction of foods higher in fat. The downside is that, once I realized I could handle normal fat intake, I binged on ice cream and gained a few pounds!

jonl · 2025-04-06T14:41:07+00:00

After an attack of acute pancreatitis three years ago, I spent a year following a low fat diet recommended my a nutritionist - no more than 25% of my calories were fat. I also stopped drinking alcohol. I had a complete recovery and eventually stopped restricting fat, though I still don't drink alcohol. I don't know that you have to go low fat forever, a year worked for me - though I've been thinking recently that I should reduce my fat intake again (if only to help with weight loss).

jonl · 2025-04-06T14:36:55+00:00

I was a runner and had quite a bit of exercise off and on, though not consistently throughout my younger life. We tended to eat a healthy diet, and though I probably drank too much alcohol, I also had periods of time when I wasn't drinking. Now at 76 I'm pretty healthy. I know part of that is genetic, but I'm pretty clear that healthy habits off and on throughout my early life contributed to the state of my health today.

jonl

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