February 2024 chitchat

[agate]

It's February and time for spring! Crocuses, robins, time to put in an appearance!

How has life been treating you? There are people here who must be very shy or maybe very busy. Or maybe just not feeling well enough to chime in.

Today I cleaned the refrigerator but I didn't take out the racks and bins. They just didn't seem to need attention. I did remove quite a few things and wiped down the surfaces. I even got up on my stepstool that has a sturdy handle and wiped off the top of the fridge, which I can't reach but taller people can definitely see.

There is apt to be a general inspection any day now, and I don't want to have to do a lot of housework in a hurry. That is what inspired the fridge cleaning.

I received an odd card in the mail telling me that I "may qualify for a Medicare Advantage plan with a grocery allowance of $1140 for groceries." I very much doubt this. Has anyone received any notices like this? It also says that "those with limited income or a chronic condition may be eligible to enroll in a plan and use this allowance toward: groceries, utilities, household essentials."

I already have a Medicare Advantage plan and so far, the only such benefit I know about has been the one for "household essentials"--meaning nonprescription drugs, vitamins and supplements, etc.--personal care supplies, in other words. I get $40 a quarter to spend on such items if I order from a catalog that is provided.

And so now a grocery allowance is being added in?

Medicare Advantage plans have been getting a lot of criticism lately. Maybe the plans are trying harder to keep people in their plans by offering these added benefits?

[flatcap]

Agate, you and Virginia are downright industrious: it seems you are always busy doing one thing or another. In comparison, my life is one long lunch break. I wish I had the energy and drive to do more — not to mention the interest. I have such little interest in things nowadays that I can hardly drum up the energy to find a movie to watch. All I got done today besides posting here was taking my car in for routine service.

Anyway, as for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, I don't know much about them. I currently have a Medicare supplement through my former employer. The benefits are great, but so is the premium: it takes great effort to pay it out of my budget. I have the option of going on an MA plan, which would be essentially fully subsidized by my former employer, but I haven't gone that route yet. As long as I can afford to stay on my former employer's supplemental plan, I will.

Regarding 'free' groceries with an MA plan, I would be surprised if there were no catch. Like the old saying goes, "There is no free lunch." The phrase "may be eligible to enroll" in the mailer you received probably says it all. Your suspicion that promotions of this type are hooks to reel people into buying an MA plan has merit. I can only hope people are reading the fine print before signing on the dotted line. MA plans are a bonanza for the insurance companies. Their main interest is in cashing the checks they receive from Medicare and their customers, and last I heard, they aren't going broke. All I can do is wonder how they handle claims. My guess would be they deny them whenever they think they can get away with it.

As for your MA plan, Agate, I gather you are happy with it. I'm surprised it includes the allowance you mentioned, but like I said, I don't know a lot about MA plans. It sounds like yours is a good one. I thought you said you are also getting some support through Medicaid. If I have that right, I'm sure that helps, too.

On another topic, I recently mentioned I was having trouble discerning the dialog in the movie, Oppenheimer. Like a lot of the movies they make nowadays, there is a lot of noise in the background in many scenes.

It turns out I'm not the only one with this problem: a lot of people are reporting the same issue. Vox did a video on this subject about a year ago, but I only saw it this week. It is worth noting that the director of Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, is not only aware of the problem, he apparently doesn't care. He mixes his soundtracks to play in theatres with the best sound system there is, and to hell with everything else. Makes no sense to me, but there it is. The video runs about 11 minutes.


Why we all need subtitles now - Vox

ETA: I watched Oppenheimer again with the subtitles ON. (Doh! I should have thought of that before I saw the Vox video!) I still didn't like it (gratuitous sex scenes, among other things).

[agate]

Agate, you and Virginia are downright industrious: it seems you are always busy doing one thing or another. In comparison, my life is one long lunch break. I wish I had the energy and drive to do more — not to mention the interest. I have such little interest in things nowadays that I can hardly drum up the energy to find a movie to watch. All I got done today besides posting here was taking my car in for routine service.

But, flatcap, you're always going places!

I won't watch movies that don't have captions any more. Sometimes the captioning isn't very good but it's better than nothing. The background noise in all too many movies makes it too hard to figure out the dialogue. I thought all along it was just my diminished hearing but maybe part of the problem is with the movies themselves.

[Ikoiko]

In case anyone wants to know what I did on our unseasonably warm day last week: I opened a window and sat on the couch!

[agate]

In mid-winter that sounds unusual and impressive, Ikoiko! My windows usually wouldn't be opened until a couple of months from now. Did you see anything interesting when you looked out the window?

Not so long ago I noticed an odd heap of some white substance, about 2 feet in diameter, under a tree when I looked out my windows. I went over and inspected it and still had no idea what it was. Neighbors and I speculated about it for a while, and finally one of the dog-walking neighbors concluded that a piece of someone's house insulation had blown into our back yard.

You just never know what you might notice out there.

[Virginia]

Sounds as though Ikoiko had a great, relaxing time on that warm day in January. I can tell the days are already much longer. I went to the doctor yesterday, then to the grocery store and then to the pharmacy inside this time. So, I got in a little walking. I enjoyed being out. When I got home at about 5PM I didn't have any problem loading my grocery cart and getting the groceries in the house because the sun was still up.

Trip to the doctor didn't go too well. I just got this doctor. I think this is my 3rd visit and he is leaving. It is difficult for me because I am a complicated case. I read on line in my chart that I am even more complicated than I realized. I saw that in addition to every thing else I have chronic heart failure and chronic kidney disease. I sent him a message today, and got an answer. It seems I was diagnosed with the chronic heart failure when I was in the hospital. They failed to tell me. And the chronic kidney disease was diagnosed by doings urinalizes I think. He says both were most likely caused by having high blood pressure for a period of years. Thyroid was low last time and went and even lower this time. Potassium was low so he is putting me on potassium pills. I had UTI so antibiotic pills are waiting for me at the pharmacy. Some other blood work was off, but I think y'all get the picture. With the exception of MS and all this stuff I am quite healthy!!!! I said that, he did not.

So how has everyone else been doing? I hope you are all well and enjoying yourselves.

It is midnight here once again, so I must prepare for bed.

[agate]

I'm so sorry you got hit with bad news about your health, Virginia! And this new doctor is already leaving??? What's with these very mobile doctors these days?

I've known of quite a few people with chronic heart failure. It apparently sounds worse than it actually is because they just go on getting along with it--not sure just what they need to do to cope with it.

I've been taking potassium pills for many years, always the maximum dosage. I take 2 potassium pills 4 times a day. If you're getting something similar, I can recommend them as having no side effects. I do always take them with food. My potassium level is apt to get low and I need to make sure I take those pills.

Will you be able to get the antibiotics promptly?

It must be hard to have found all of this out by consulting your online record. Don't doctors tell anyone anything at the time when they find out a problem exists?

Maybe it's a good thing that this doctor is leaving. Maybe you'll get a better one. Is there a replacement on the horizon?

[Virginia]

Agate, I think the chronic heart failure was diagnosed when I was in hospital in 1921 and I didn't know this doctor back then. The chronic kidney disease I believe was diagnosed by charting something over a period of time, but not much during his time.

I don't know what the potassium pills are (named). I have not been able to get my prescriptions, so I am still not on the antibiotic or the potassium. When I find out the name of the potassium pills and how I am to take them I will let you know. Would appreciate you guiding me through this since I do not know anyone who is on anything like this. I am on hydrochlorothiazide due to high blood pressure, and he said because I was on that he better put me on potassium pills since it was low. He said this in a message to me, not a follow up visit, so it would be hard to ask many questions.

I think it kind of irritated him that I questioned the chronic heart failure and kidney disease. He replied and explained it in language I pretty much understood, but at the end of it he told me if I had any other questions, I would need to set up a video appointment. The way that video appointment went with the neurologist I hope I don't have to do that.

It makes me feel better to know that I can turn to someone to ask about the potassium pills. It had always been my understanding that they were kind of hard to take.

As MS progresses and effects more and more parts of the body and kind of dictates that you go on more and more medications it really does complicate things. He indicated to me that he felt that much of the medication I have been given due to the MS is a lot of my problems. But since I can't change that there is not much I can do.

The sun is shining bright here today, and it looks like a beautiful day, but I have not been out to see how warm it is.

While typing this my two brothers came. They had picked up my medication. So, I can now tell you that I was prescribed Potassium CL 20MEQ ER tablets - one a day. I know the ER is extended release, but I know nothing about the rest of it.

[agate]

Virginia, I'm on hydrochlorothiazide too but for swelling and to prevent more kidney stones. I've been taking it for many years, and it's a very safe medicine as far as I can figure out, but it can lower a person's potassium level--so I've been taking potassium chloride for many years too. It's also safe, or at least I've never had a problem with it but I do make sure to take it with food.

I looked at the rx bottle, and it says potassium chloride ER 10 mEq tablet. I take 8 of these a day, or 80 mEq total in a day, which I believe is the maximum dosage. Bless your brothers for being willing and able to pick up your rx's!!!

Those pills--I'd call them caplets maybe--aren't small but they're not as large as the multivitamin I take every day. Yours probably look different as they are for a different dosage. I've never had a problem taking them. I do try to eat a lot of bananas and other high-potassium foods just in case. Sometimes, even with all of that extra potassium, my potassium has been low, and then I have to cut down on the hydrochlorothiazide. I've already reduced that from 100mg/day to 50. As we get older, I guess we have to adjust our meds, usually downwards. It doesn't sound as if you're in desperate need of a potassium supplement--just a bit of a boost.

You could probably check in your patient portal where there may be a graph showing just how low your potassium is compared to the normal range.

Did the doctor have anything to say about your recent fall?

I don't like the idea of a video appointment with a doctor. I don't know if I could get used to such a different situation.

When I've been at my doctor's lately, there has been a "scribe" on a laptop sitting on the counter, and sometimes I'm introduced to the scribe. A person appears on the screen and introduces herself. She's listening in on the entire conversation and (I think) transcribing it.

[Virginia]

Agate, the 20M eq tablets must be quite a bit larger. They are like horse tablets almost. I read where you can cut them in half which I did tonight. You must have to drink quite a bit of water every day to take so many.

I do remember now that my hydrochlorothiazide is for swelling as well as high b/p.

I think all of it was just a bit much for me to take in at one time.

It was nice of my brothers to bring me my medication. I was especially glad to get the antibiotics. He had also phoned in a larger dose of the thyroid medication I take, though very little larger. I don't think it will get my thyroid into normal range. However I am to go back the middle of March for a recheck on that.

I am going to start my dishwasher and go to bed. It is 12:15 now. See y'all tomorrow.

[agate]

You're getting the same dosage I get but all wrapped up in one pill while I get to take it in two pills. Surely your doctor could change the rx so that you get 2 10mEq pills instead of the one 20mEq pill? Or maybe you just need to ask that of the pharmacist? It's a pain to have to cut pills.

I take 2 potassium pills 4 times a day but since I eat 4 times a day (including a snack at night), I just take them with food. I've never noticed any problems.

[Ikoiko]

Oh my, Virginia! All these health problems cropping up! A few years ago, I asked my new PCP about elevated creatinine levels and he nonchalantly said, oh yeah you are in early kidney failure. What?!

Well my creatinine is fine now.

[agate]

It's too bad that the medical world uses words like "failure," words that tend to depress people possibly far more than should be happening. I understand that people with early kidney failure live on for many years. Chronic kidney disease is divided into stages, and it takes quite a while to get to those later stages, as I understand it.

The word "failure" is the problem. I don't have any other words to offer, though.

That's probably very good news about your creatinine, Ikoiko. And maybe the new PCP got something wrong?

[Virginia]

Ikoiko, I concur with Agate that it is good news your creatinine levels righted it self. So glad to know that can happen.

Agate, the doctor gave me 90 of those big pills. When they are to be refilled I will ask the pharmacist about giving me twice the amount in the lower dose.

I think I was just feeling kind of down because it was so much at one time. Plus there are other things that were off on my labs, but since he doesn't see me to go over them there is no chance to ask any questions. The doctor before this one didn't stay long either. The last time I saw her she said my sodium levels were down. She said why are you losing sodium? The sodium level is still down. I wish I had a doctor who went over things with you. My brother said the newer doctors don't do that anymore. They just read test and diagnose a person. Then tell them by telemedicine or on their message center.

I am feeling better today. I think it is due to having taken 3 antibiotics. A UTI can make one feel kind of bad.

My brother, Eric, came today and replaced my phones. I have two receivers and one had broken long ago and then I dropped a glass of water in the other one, so I didn't have any good phones other than my cellphone. He brought me a Greek salad and it was so good. I can go a few days then I start craving something green and fresh.

It was a beautiful day out, but I didn't go out other than to the trash. I probably will stay in until I get more antibiotics in me.

[agate]

A UTI can make a person feel perfectly terrible. Like death warmed over. Or, as an old friend of mine used to say, like the wrath of God.

The drugs that are prescribed usually work pretty well but sometimes take quite a while to kick in. Or maybe it just seems like quite a while because you feel so awful.

Whenever I have lab work done, I get the results in the patient portal, usually by the next day, and there are always a few items that are flagged as too high or too low. I look at how high or low they are, and unless the result looks really weird, I don't mention it to the doctor, and the doctor doesn't mention most of them to me. I know that any slight problem with the potassium is always going to be mentioned, though. The doctors watch that one pretty carefully. There are others they don't see to be very concerned about.

For instance, once I had a high bilirubin and asked the doctor. I was told that was probably just a one-time-only problem and not to be at all concerned about it. It never showed up again.

That Greek salad sounds great. It's good that you're still eating--and getting some things you like to eat. I used to make a Greek salad--with huge black olives, feta cheese, and sliced green pepper, among other things. Was that the kind of salad you had?