Water, water everywhere.

[Ken Byng]

How many folks do you know who say they don't want to drink anything before going to bed because they'll have to get up during the night!!

Something else I didn't know ... I asked my Doctor why do people need to urinate so much at night time.
Answer from my Cardiac Doctor: Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright (legs swell).

When you lie down and the lower body (legs, etc.) is level with the kidneys, it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier.

This then ties in with the last statement!

I knew you need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body, but this was news to me. Correct time to drink water... Very important. (From A Cardiac Specialist!)

Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:

2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs

1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion

1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure (who knew???)

1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack (good to know!)

I can also add to this... My Physician told me that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp.

[WineRider]

Ken it appears that your Dr. and Cardiac Specialist didn't tell you the whole truth. Water is retained in tissue and cells but if you drink water abelow body temperature it stay's in the system longer than body temperature water. Also if your legs are seeking hydrasion at night insifficient fluids have been taken during the preceeding hours. Night time cramps come from different problems: Too much salt in the diet or too liitle salt in the diet or lack of potassium and or magnesium. Intake of fluids should be when the person feels thirsty and this goes against the idea that a person should have at least 2 lts of water per day. This has been disproved by both professional sportsmen and women's Dr's. it is also proved in non pro sports. Staying hydrated is usually fine but over hydration is very bad for the human body as it increases the possibility of being sick during hard exercise. Sweating is not a problem even though we loose some salts from the pores, but when your salt levels get mowered so the body compensates and does't excrete as much salt. Drinking before or during meals can act as a inhibitor or diet suppression...ideal for over weight people to reduce food intake. If you have good veus return from your legs then you do not retain much fluid in the lower extremetise. So a little exercise goes a long way to helping venus return. If you suffer from fkuid retension wearing special long socks helps keep venus return working...so no fluid retension.
Play you psg for longer using you feet and knees like an organ player and stop flying long haul...go by boat...slower with less stress on the dreaded deep vein thrombosis.

Some tongue in cheek, but I did pass physiology and anatomy in sports science with a distinction...although one hell of a long time ago.

[Ken Byng]

Maurice
The above advice was sent to me by a friend in the USA, not by my GP. I suffer from a complaint called Lymphoedema, which is a chronic and permanent condition causing extreme fluid retention in the limbs. Up until a month or two ago I had an ulcer in my left calf and was losing massive amounts of fluid each day. I had a severe outbreak with my last flight to and from the USA, where my calfs and ankles swelled to twice their normal size despite wearing compression stockings. I was advised against flying by my nurses, but wanted to get one last trip in to say goodbye to some of my friends in the States. Needless to say that Dallas was my last ever flight.

Lymphoedema is a gradual and permanent shutting down of the lymphatic system, caused by an under-performing heart. I use a pro exercise bike daily to help keep the circulation going in my legs.

My nurses are always expounding the virtues of drinking water with various temperatures. Hot water aids the digestive system at meal times and reduces the build up of fatty deposits.

[Malcolm]

A lot of you guys on here know Ken and I enjoy a good slagging match and most of you realise that it is mainly tongue in cheek , I regard Ken as a very good friend, and it saddens me greatly that his health has taken a downward turn over the last few months.There are very few on this forum who have such extensive Knowledge of all things steel and who are willing to pass it on to anyone who asks for help.I would just like to publicly thank him for all he has done,for me personally, and for everyone in our steel Family.
I have spent great times with him over at the Dallas show, where he is very highly thought of by many well known players and manufacturers, I was unfortunately unable to attend this year and sadly missed Ken's last visit, I know he will be missed by all in Commonwealth Corner( even though getting him to buy a round was a major event) , I am sure Ted, Ivor, Mark, Spencer, Billy, Paddy, Al, and myself, will all greatly miss him at the Dallas Shows.
We are lucky to have a guy of Ken's calibre, both musically and as a great person, and just hope he continues to play for many years to come.Keep on picking MR BLING, keep on that excise bike and get the old legs as good as you can.Take care my friend.

[Ken Byng]

Thanks Mr M. Yeah, the banter is fun but the friendship is serious. Good luck with your rehabilitation, and I hope you can get back to be fit enough for your Canadian holiday. The only upside with my problem is that several times a week I have to lay back while pretty young nurses massage both of my legs.

[Malcolm]

Take it they are male nurses?

[WineRider]

Ken, I'm sorry to read the complaint you suffer from, but I do know what it is like...the wife of a close friend suffers from it...it sure isn't the easiest complaints to deal with. As you say twice a week having some dollybird massage the lower limbs can be a suitable distraction...better than playing PSG Glad to hear that you will not be putting yourself through hell in the future, but as you say friendship is sacrosanct, and many of us would do anything for a friend.

Hey Malcolm I have some close Scottish friends who I have found over the years to have very deep pockets and very short arms...it brought tears of joy to my heart to think that Ken a mere Sassanach could play you all at your own game But I must admit that you have given me more than once very sincere advise, which has put my poor use of the English written word into context for others...thank you.

Ken my friends wife now makes her own Ginger tea (using fresh ginger) might be something to look into...cos what is good for one isn't neccessarilly right for another. Ginger has some great properties and can be used in man ways. You could always ask one of the dollies if it would be of any use? Great to see you also pedal every day, that keeps you from thinking too deeply, it has helped me tremendously, but then my troubles pale into insignificance compared to yours.

I must be getting human at last... I am actually thinking 'what I write' makes a first, but if I get out of step I hope my friends will put me in my place

>Maurice<

[Ken Byng]

Maurice
I do put my hand in my pocket where necessary. If a bargain steel guitar comes up for sale then I am not afraid to get my very thin wallet out. Likewise with amps, speakers, pickups, pedals and accessories. I was even thinking of paying one of my nursies to come over to Dallas to look after me, but for some strange reason, wifey wasn't particularly overkeen on that idea. I pay a guy to come in every week to do the garden, and my missus thinks he does a good job so I couldn't see anything wrong in having a specialist come with me to look after my legs very day.

Re the ginger idea - I don't drink tea or coffee, but I don't dislike ginger beer so I might explore that. (Not the male nurse idea Mr. M !!!) I am definitely not turning ginger beer.

[Malcolm]

Glad to hear it Mr Bling, had me worried there.

[Ken Byng]

Just get back to counting your money Mr McMiser. I should use a calculator, as it gets a little complicated once you get past 7 figures.