I am very happy when people ask me about the g-suit. People very rarely consider that it may be for an illness. Some know it is a g-suit but do not know why I wear it. Others think it is for weight loss, fashion, hiding a puppy, floating, or a knee brace. They usually think it is for something very athletic and depending on the season, guesses include pants for parachuting, rock climbing, horseback riding, rodeo, motorcycling, bicycling, flying, hunting, or skiing.

This is a g-suit that fighter pilots wear. I found out after many years of having a chronic illness that one of the problems is that my blood is not circulating properly. The air pressure of the g-suit on my legs and abdomen pushes blood up to my heart and brain and I can be out of bed and feeling better.

I wear my g-suit all the time, anytime I am sitting or standing up, even to go out. The only time I do not wear it is when sleeping or bathing.

The label on the g-suit states: Do not iron or dry clean. Plug air inlet port securely. Wash with mild soap and with water not over 120 degrees F. The material of the outer shell of this anti-g garment is an inherent fire resistant material that will not melt or drip and can be laundered without losing its fire resistant properties. No retreatment is necessary.

A g-suit puts pressure on the abdomen and legs to return blood to the heart and brain. Pressure of 40-50 mm Hg can relieve symptoms of Orthostatic Intolerance (OI). Pressure of 250 mm Hg or more helps prevent blackouts for fighter pilots experiencing positive G's. A g-suit can be inflated manually and the pressure is easily adjustable.

Research has been done that shows successful use of a g-suit for Orthostatic Intolerance (OI). I decided to try it to see if it would work for me, also. It has definitely improved the quality of My Life, and I keep improving.

Although the g-suit is now used in the military for fighter pilots and by NASA astronauts, it was originally invented for medical use. It was first used during surgery in 1903 by the inventor George Crile. The Origin of the Anti-G Suit - A Link Between Clinical Surgery and Aviation Medicine by Dr. Wilfrid H. Brook has more information on the history of the g-suit.

The pages called Wearing the G-suit and Before and After the G-suit provide more information on my experiences with wearing a g-suit. I do know that some treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) have worked better for people who have a milder case (more hours of activity in their day). Depending on how much they are affected by Orthostatic Intolerance (OI), possibly a g-suit would give them the boost they need.

When taking the OI test at your doctor's office, be sure to discuss any possible problems with wearing a g-suit (or trying other OI treatments) that are specific to your health. For instance, your doctor may not recommend it, if you have pulmonary edema or congestive heart failure. (2) (These can be reasons not to use MAST trousers.) Also, discuss the possibility of decreased circulation to your legs and feet.

Yes, I wear the g-suit all day, both at home and when I go out. When I started wearing the g-suit in public, I was very self-conscious about it. It felt like everybody was looking at me and I had no idea what they were thinking. It seemed hard to go from a hidden illness to an obvious illness. When I considered not wearing the g-suit out, it was a very easy decision. It was working and I needed it.

It has been found in research that with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) blood pressure and circulation seem to be fairly normal while lying down. (That is probably why I feel the closest to "well" when I am lying down.) So I just need the g-suit when I am sitting or standing.

Fighter pilots need a lot of pressure, more than 5 psi, which equals 258 mm Hg. To check blood pressure, the cuff is usually pumped up to 200 mm Hg before releasing the pressure. A good blood pressure reading is below 120/80 mm Hg. By comparison, research on g-suits and MAST (Military/Medical Anti-Shock Trousers) has shown that the pressure required to relieve Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) symptoms is 40-50 mm Hg.

A standard g-suit is like a pair of chaps, with an air bladder that inflates over 5 areas of the body - at the abdomen, the front of each thigh, and the side of each calf - and cut-outs that allow for mobility at the knees and groin. See G-suit Pictures and G-suit Basics for more information.

Yes, research by Dr. Phillip A. Low et al. on g-suits has shown that the abdominal bladder is the most important single area of pressure for relieving Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) symptoms. The combination of pressure on the legs and abdomen with a g-suit had an even greater positive effect.

I have not had too many problems with wearing a g-suit, although I have lots of Design Ideas to make wearing a g-suit every day a better experience. There is especially a need for sizing for all body types including children. Color, zipper location, being washable and affordable are also important considerations.

Yes, my mom and I wore our g-suits but did not set off the metal detector at the airport. Even though the g-suit did not set off the metal detector, we still had to be hand searched. (It does not hurt when they push on the air bladders.) We try to tell the security guards what the g-suits are and why we need to wear them. I have a prescription slip from my doctor that I carry with me to travel. It says, "Must wear g-suit as medical device."

Many people choose not to tell their co-workers about this, because unfortunately there are people who do not understand what bipolar disorder is, and it may cause friction. People who love you, like family and friends, will probably know. They may notice you are acting more yourself lately after you have begun your medicine. We are all tempted to stop taking the medicine once we start to feel better. Unfortunately we end up back where we started.

You raise the question of how Americans are viewed in the Caribbean. Once again, it is dangerous to generalise, but I feel that in general they fit in less well than average Europeans (if there are such creatures!). Perhaps Europeans are more accustomed to cultural diversity? Most Caribbean Islanders judgement of Americans is probably based on the masses of cruise ship passengers that descend upon them.

How I found out about using a g-suit for Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) is explained on the page My Life and OI.

While there has been a lot of research that shows the successful use of a g-suit for Orthostatic Intolerance (OI), not many people (doctors and patients) know about it. I hope this website will provide the information needed to lead to greater use of g-suits. I would like to give other people the opportunity to have the improved quality of life that I have experienced. I would not have wanted to miss out on all of the fun things I have gotten to do these last few years.

The length of time is individual. Some people wear it for a few months and their bodies are able to maintain the improvement; I have worn mine for years (since August 2001) and I have continued to improve. I wear the g-suit whenever I am not in bed. It has seemed to help me "catch up" so that taking a bath (without the g-suit on) has been easier than it used to be. I have worn a g-suit since August 2001 with extremely good results. I am no longer bedbound.

The research seems promising; I have not found any information that says a g-suit does not work for Orthostatic Intolerance (OI). Each person's results with a g-suit will vary because of differences in illness, symptoms, level of disability, expectations, and fit. It is possible that people who are bedbound could at least sit up better with a g-suit. Including a g-suit, there are many ways to treat Orthostatic Intolerance (OI). It may take some trial and error to find what is right for you.

Talk with your doctor to find a treatment that is right for you. It may require a combination of therapies. Check prescription and over-the-counter medications for side effect of Orthostatic Intolerance (OI). (5) Wear compression garments (g-suit, MAST, elastic support stockings, girdles, abdominal binders). (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Medications may be prescribed that treat low blood volume, treat blood pooling, or raise blood pressure.

Many people who say they are too poor to afford cryonics manage to afford nice homes or cars, vacations or expensive hobbies. What those people really mean is that cryonics is a marginal expense and they would rather buy the other things than spend money on life insurance. For young or middle-aged people in good health the cost of life insurance is no more expensive than a cigarette habit.

All the time, but that's paranoia. You really have to whack them over the head. Nominating Ed Meese for President isn't enough, nor is inflating a 3-foot golden penis. The trick is to avoid talking to students or other people of active curiosity. The movie will make it harder for the two of us on the poster to show our regular faces in certain places. But we have plenty of irregular faces that we've saved up over the years.

The style is sexy and attractive; is desirable in a range of colors; and both men and women are especially pleased by the soft, silky feel of the latex. In focus groups conducted in Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and South Africa both men and women overwhelmingly viewed the all-latex condom as safe, easy to use, and very appealing. Adolescents were an important target group; teenagers liked ZEBRAS, could easily understand how it works, and would use it.

Can they run a tank on their own or is some mechanical filtration needed as well?" Mechanical is needed also Having said that the sand is removable, I think it defeats the purpose of running an FBF. The idea of the sand is to create a massive surface area volume for the bacteria to live on, which I doubt you would get with any other media with out increasing the amount of space the filter takes.

These have been mentioned to me several times, when I talk to people about the g-suit. I do not know what they are called. I do not know what they look like or how they work. I also do not know if a person can walk around in them. It would be difficult to get even pressure and could be dangerous with too much pressure that causes decreased blood circulation.

Body CanvassThere are basically 2 types of canvass used, each type has a like medium & hard grade. Depending on the original consultation & the cloth, this would depend on what canvass would be used & what grade. The basic 2 grades used are woolen canvass & lining canvass There are several different types of hair cloth used of numerous grades.

I've read pretty much every G-Man theory out there and believe me, they can get pretty darn wacky. Please don't send me your G-man theories because there's no way I can validate it or invalidate it because they're all valid at this point. We simply don't have information on our favourite blue-suited friend to make an informed decision on him and his motives.