Legendary Raider Q B.

RIP Snake
He was great in Oakland
The trade for Pastorini damaged both teams and both careers

Spent many great Saturday afternoons watching the Raiders.

Great advice about the colonoscopy, but you have to MAKE SURE that the referral from you PCP is coded as "routine" rather than "diagnostic." Due to some vague wording in the law and some highly dubious interpretations by insurance carriers, many procedures wrongly coded as "diagnostic" (that is, "something's wrong and we're going in to take a look&quot are not being covered if you haven't met your deductible. "Routine" (as in "you're 55 years old, Mr. Smith, and we should start monitoring you.&quot colonoscopies are fully covered as is any further work performed if polyps or cancerous tissues are found and removed.

get their shit together.

First of all, the patient doesn't get to determine whether a colonoscopy is screening or diagnostic. If a patient comes in to me at 50, (that's when we start screening), has no family history of colon cancer, no adverse symptoms, and his stool occult blood panel is negative, we refer for a screening exam across the board.

If he has symptoms (regardless of family history), such as gross bloody stool, black, tarry stool, or long thin, "pencil" stools (indicating possible obstruction in the colonic lumen), and/or his stool occult blood panel is positive, he's referred for a diagnostic colonoscopy. If a patient of mine had all of these factors, and I didn't refer for a diagnostic procedure, a medical ethics board would want to know why.

By and large, insurance companies know it is much cheaper to pay for a colonoscopy, screening or diagnostic (once the procedure begins, it becomes a distinction without a difference) than it is to pay to treat a patient for colon cancer. So they should not be splitting hairs over the coding of the referral.

I just have such a phobia of hospitals....I can go to my primary physican's office (whose not in a hospital) without any issues, I'm relaxed, etc....But when I go to cardiologists office, I get worked up...Pulse 110-120, BP 150-80, etc...In my PCP's office, my BP is typically 115-75...I had an echocardiogram done in March, I actually settled down after starting off nervous, but that is as simple a test as you can have....And it was normal, "normal LV size and function", along w/no valve issues...

My mom was diganosed with colon cancer when she was 59...She lived to 78, died of a pulmonary embolism...I'm 45 now, my PCP has said to do the colonscopy because of the family history...I just need to summon the courage...

Especially considering the trade-off. Some discomfort, and a couple of days out of your life in return for a screening exam that has reduced mortality from colon cancer by around 70%. Patients tell me the worst part is actually the bowel prep; the strong laxative they give you to clean out your colon. I'm told it's very salty and tastes terrible. Not to mention the hours you'll spend on the toilet afterward.

But once that's done, it's pretty much smooth sailing. The procedure can be uncomfortable, of course. They're sticking a long, thin camera up your butt and passing it along through your large intestine until it reaches the jejunum. But they give you a couple of powerful narcotics, such as Versed and Fentanyl; you'll be under what's called conscious sedation - you'll be awake during the procedure, aware of what's going on, you can ask and answer questions, and even see the inside of your own colon on the monitor. But after the procedure, you'll fall asleep (like I said, those medications are powerful). When you wake up in the recovery room, likely the first question you'll ask the attendant is: "When do we start?" You will probably have forgotten the procedure by then. During the procedure, they pump your bowel full of air in order to expand it and take a good look around. You have to fart all that air back out before they'll discharge you. Once that's done, have a family member take you to get something to eat, and then drive you home.

Nothing to it...

Colon cancer and having to use a colosctomy bag...I'm guessing that bag is awful X 100??..

If one gets too nervous with the pulse and BP up, will they give you something for it, or can one have this test as long as say the heart rhythm is sinus tachycardia?...

I listen to Howard Stern and he has talked about having a colonscopy, he actually thinks its no big deal...He thinks its worse to get on a plane and fly cross country than have a colonscopy, lol..

and again before the procedure. If you've got persistent sinus tachycardia, he/she will probably put you on a beta-blocker.

Over the years, Holter monitor, event monitor studies showed MOSTLY normal sinus rhythm...But I've had episodes of accelerated junctional rhythms as well as sinus tachycardia...No A-Fib, or anything ominious....And I've had 3 echos and even a cardiac MRI over the years, and yearly blood work - all checks out good from a cardiovascular standpoint (my dad died of a heart attack at 48 so couple MD"s I've seen have been somewhat aggressive w/testing)

He was the best.

Great player. RIP

He was one of the very best.

I was a Steelers fan, so naturally the family loved to hate the Snake. The 70's would not have been the same without him.

-- Mal

The classic Raider, gave this long-time fan many great memories of when the Raiders were a force in the NFL.

Steve Young was the other.

Roll Tide

QB for the Foley High Lions.
Undefeated in his junior I believe.

He had an entourage when he came to the restaurant and it was always after a home town game in Oakland, California. Yes, the Raiders belonged to Oakland back then and our restaurant in Jack London Square was a popular place for both football and baseball players.

Stabler was always a gentleman to the wait staff and left a good tip. He was laid back and quiet while his friends partied, but he enjoyed being there. Some of his friends though, were loud and pretty demanding and needed constant attention. But I always thought Stabler was a nice person.

Just my little anecdote.