Cleveland Clinic/ NASA study (Humor a Mom!)

[cabbage]

I don't often brag to complete strangers about my kid...it seems rather pathetic...but hey, there have been a few pathetic topics (cough cough polls) here already! My 25 year old son George is spending three months in bed at the Cleveland Clinic for a NASA study in preparation for the flight to Mars. They are studying the effects of weightlessness on bone density,muscles, etc. He is nearly done with week three and is hanging in there ! Literally!
George was chosen to be one of the subjects who will exercise during his confinement to see if that will stave of bone loss and muscle atrophy. To do this, he is suspended in mid air while being pulled to a treadmill mounted vertically on the wall. If you are interested he has video of this on his blog. Type "stardust holiday" into Google and there it is. I think it's a pretty cool thing! Thanks!

 

[Martha]

Very cool. Here is the link: http://stardustholiday.blogspot.com/

Watch the video through to the end. It is interesting to see him stop running and relax back.

 

[LOL!]

You know they have already shown that one's heart muscle atrophies with extended bed rest. The thickness of the walls of the heart physically diminishes. If your heart wall is too thin and breaks, then ....

And of course, all the bone loss leads to kidney stones ... a well-known plague of astronauts.

 

[haha]

I don't often brag to complete strangers about my kid...it seems rather pathetic...

Not pathetic at all. It is universal, and IMO to be admired. Only reason I don't it much is my kids are so fantastic that I likely would not be believed. 

Congratulations on your son's achievements!
Ha

 

[Nords]

My 25 year old son George is spending three months in bed at the Cleveland Clinic for a NASA study in preparation for the flight to Mars.

Good thing he told you what he's up to, otherwise I can just imagine the phone calls:
"Hi, Mom. No, nothing-- I'm pretty much spending all my time in bed. But, hey, they're pretty nice to me and they cook my food and... uh, gotta go..."

Or telling his friends about it later:
"So, what'd you see while you spent all that time in Cleveland?"

I have to admit that Becca shows extremely high ER potential-- telling us what she does all day and then looking forward to the weekend where she'll be able to get some rest!

 

[2B]

Back in my NASA days (not many), there was a constant search for guinea pigs volunteers for various studies. JSC was looking for people to do this in Houston not long ago and the life science people were "discouraging" people they knew from volunteering. It sounds easy (lay in bed) but it will become physically and emotionally stressful. I don't want to sound negative but it will be very hard on all of the participants. If he bales, be real supportive.

 

[Nords]

If he bales, be real supportive.

Considering the physical condition he'll be in at the time, you'll be "supportive" in more ways than one.

Although if he bails after a couple months, is it likely that he's going to be able to leave under his own power?

It'll be interesting to see how long/difficult the recovery is.

 

[cabbage]

I appreciate everyones good wishes and concerns. They were ours, also. One of the tests George did involved him wearing a device that measured the total cumulative pressure that he puts on his feet during his waking hours. I guess they essentially measured his steps and factored in his body weight. During his daily exercise, he is pulled onto the vertical treadmill with the same pressure that he would exert standing up. One of the fellows in a previous group who was chosen to exercise said that with the exception of a little pain in the bottom of his feet, he was able to get right back to normal. A girl who was in a prior program and did not exercise had some lethargy for a few weeks but nothing horrible she said. They also give them two weeks of physical therapy after it's all over. I will hope for the best. Thanks all!