Ophelia, is that question for me, or for Omar? If it’s for me, the surgery went fine, I am recovering, and hope to be off pain pills soon. If it’s for Omar…or anyone else…I guess I can’t answer.
Omar! If it’s not the very next comment then I say the name, but if it’s right under then it’s a reply. Sorry I neglected you but Omar said it was heart surgery…which must mean something a good deal less drastic than I thought, since he’s on the computer two days later.
Happy to report that I have had a heart pacemaker successfully installed, involving electrodes implanted into heart muscle tissue, and I already feel much better and more alert than I was before. My medical advisors tell me that its internal power source should last at least 10 years before needing replacement or service of any kind. The non-monetary cost of it will be that I have to keep some distance away from sources of electromagnetic radiation, eg electric motors and such appliances as they power; drills, angle-grinders, airport metal-detectors, loudspeakers, etc.
But as I will be 86 next birthday, (May 11, 2026) it will probably see me out..
iknklast @ #8: You would most probably be aware of the following AI stuff, but others maybe not. Interesting stuff IMHO:gallbladder, function in various animals
The gallbladder’s function of storing and concentrating bile is consistent across most vertebrates, but its presence and exact role can vary significantly depending on an animal’s diet and digestive system
Some species have no gallbladder at all, while others have unique bile ducts or gallbladder features.
Species with a gallbladder
Animals with a gallbladder include humans, carnivores, and many herbivores. Their digestion, particularly of fats, relies on a timed release of concentrated bile.
Humans: The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver. When food containing fat enters the small intestine, a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) is released. CCK signals the gallbladder to contract and release bile to aid in fat digestion.
Carnivores (e.g., dogs and cats): Because they typically eat large meals infrequently, carnivores benefit from having a reservoir of concentrated bile ready for use. Their gallbladders contract in response to a meal to release bile into the intestine.
Birds (e.g., chickens): Most birds have a gallbladder, though some, like pigeons and ostriches, do not. In birds with a gallbladder, bile helps in the emulsification of fats, activates pancreatic lipase, and contributes to the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
Fish: Most fish possess a gallbladder that stores bile to help with fat digestion. For many fish, which swallow food whole, their digestive system must work harder, and the gallbladder’s ability to reabsorb water helps maintain homeostasis.
Species without a gallbladder
Some animals have evolved without a gallbladder, which is often an adaptation related to their specific diet and digestive processes.
Rats and horses: These animals lack a gallbladder. Instead of storing bile, their livers secrete bile continuously into the small intestine. This adaptation is well-suited for their diets, as they are continuous feeders.
Ruminants (e.g., deer): White-tailed deer do not have a gallbladder, likely because their herbivorous, low-fat diet does not require large, intermittent pulses of concentrated bile for digestion.
Other animals: The absence of a gallbladder is a trait found in a few species of artiodactyls [ …roughly 270 land-based even-toed ungulate species including pigs, peccaries, hippopotamuses, antelopes, deer, giraffes, camels, llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats and cattle.] Many are herbivores, but suids [pigs] are omnivorous, and cetaceans are entirely carnivorous. Some species, like giraffes, have variation within their population, where some individuals have a gallbladder and others do not.
Unique gallbladder variations
Beyond simply its presence or absence, the gallbladder can show other significant variations in different species.
Avian biliary tracts: The structure of the bile ducts in birds varies by species. For example, the common bile and pancreatic ducts may share the same duodenal opening, or they may open separately.
Rodent variations: Among rodent species with a gallbladder, there are variations in the arrangement of the biliary tract. Some species have branched ducts, while others have separate openings into the duodenum.
Adaptations for diet: Research shows that differences in gallbladder and bile morphology across vertebrates are often related to diet, with carnivores needing a storage organ for high-fat meals and continuous feeders needing a steady, lower flow of bile.
But your medicos have probably briefed you pretty fully on all this already.
Mr. Styles is blaming gender-critical women for the tragic deaths of young people:
https://x.com/bydarrenstyles/status/1925445004136202302#m
Ghoulish bullying.
Who’s doing the dehumanizing here? The woman calling a man a man, or the man calling the woman a cow?
Sumi, I guess that depends on if you believe men are human (I do, FWIW).
Could be a voice of experience. He could have been horned over a cowyard fence by an outraged and indignant bovine.
It has been known to happen.
Hey how are you? I take it the surgery went well?
Ophelia, is that question for me, or for Omar? If it’s for me, the surgery went fine, I am recovering, and hope to be off pain pills soon. If it’s for Omar…or anyone else…I guess I can’t answer.
Omar! If it’s not the very next comment then I say the name, but if it’s right under then it’s a reply. Sorry I neglected you but Omar said it was heart surgery…which must mean something a good deal less drastic than I thought, since he’s on the computer two days later.
Yeah, mine was just gall bladder.
Well that’s not a walk in the park either.
Happy to report that I have had a heart pacemaker successfully installed, involving electrodes implanted into heart muscle tissue, and I already feel much better and more alert than I was before. My medical advisors tell me that its internal power source should last at least 10 years before needing replacement or service of any kind. The non-monetary cost of it will be that I have to keep some distance away from sources of electromagnetic radiation, eg electric motors and such appliances as they power; drills, angle-grinders, airport metal-detectors, loudspeakers, etc.
But as I will be 86 next birthday, (May 11, 2026) it will probably see me out..
Glad to hear you’re ok, Omar. B&W wouldn’t be the same without you :)
Thanks Bjarte. Same to you.
Excellent news. Feeling better is a v good thing.
Excellent news, Omar! May the pacemaker keep you going for at least the next two decades!
I’m delighted to read that your surgery was successful too, iknklast. I keep reading about acquaintances having gallbladder surgery recently.
I’m glad that that so many health issues can can be fixed.
iknklast @ #8: You would most probably be aware of the following AI stuff, but others maybe not. Interesting stuff IMHO:gallbladder, function in various animals
But your medicos have probably briefed you pretty fully on all this already.
Good luck with your new arrangements.