response 454 of 475:

Jan 4 19:55 UTC 2006

I told you, the washing machine has a manual control.  Jim made it from a
large computer power supply case, added three toggle switches and a 12 minute
mechanical timer (which cost money - I used to use it to time my electric
frying pan so I would not forget it and burn things).  Turn on the big red
switch, which starts it rotating, then the first toggle, to feed in water,
and the timer for 12 minutes.  Go back upstairs.  Come down and turn off the
water-in switch and turn on the second switch to pump water out, timer for
3 minutes.  Upstairs.  Downstairs.
Leave pump switch (#2) turned on, also flip up #3 to spin.  Stick around for
a minute to make sure the machine is not going to walk off the platform, with
timer set to 3 minutes or so depending on load size.  Upstairs, downstairs
(or use the bathroom, which is also in the basement, or bring a book).  Turn
off #3.  This is a wash cycle.  Repeat twice for two rinses.  If you want
spray rinse, stand there and turn #1 switch on for 5 sec, off for 5 sec,
repeatedly, during the spin cycle.  If I stick around during the spin cycle
instead of going upstairs, that is two trips each for wash, rinse, rinse. 
If I don't spray rinse, it is 9 trips.

The trampoline is a small one we found at the curb and Jim fixed and it is
in the basement because it is cooler there, and next to the piano, and I can
use it to warm up while practicing piano.  How much do I get paid per minute
of exercise, klg?  This basement is not the one with the washing machine, that
is at my apartment.

I should get back to doing pushups.  I started by standing, leaning against
the wall, and progressed to doing them on my knees, 50 of them.  In high
school we had to do 15 each situps and knee-pushups to pass a fitness exam.
When I started in 2005, I could only do about 3 against the wall.  

response 456 of 475:

Jan 4 21:27 UTC 2006

re #454
That sounds wild with all the switches.  I'd totally forget what cycle was
next.

How long have you been playing piano?

response 458 of 475:

Jan 5 06:25 UTC 2006

That's alot of grease and carbs.  I've been having wraps for breakfast (if
I have breakfast.)

response 460 of 475:

Jan 5 16:55 UTC 2006

What is 459 in reference to?  I have several shovels.

response 462 of 475:

Jan 6 14:48 UTC 2006

My washing machine does not use any more water than hand washing and possibly
less, because it spins them dryer than I can wring them and can wash in colder
water than I want to handle by hand in the winter (for rinses).  My dishes
don't need to be sanitized, they are not infected, and the detergent and water
remove any food that bacteria cold grow on.  And I find it takes no more time
to wash and rinse a dish that to put it into a dishwasher and take it back
out, and it takes up much less space, and I don't need to own as many dishes
because I don't need to have enough to fill a dishwasher, and I can use milder
detergent that does not degrade the glaze or smell bad, and listen to the
radio while washing, or wash dishes while waiting for the pressure cooker to
reach pressure or the microwave oven to cook potatoes.  

I once lived in an apartment with a dishwasher that was broken, and they took
it out for a while and we could store our potatoes and onions in the space.
THey put in a new one, which was harder to store potatoes in.

response 464 of 475:

Jul 13 12:54 UTC 2006

I passed another CT scan late April and the doctor said since all my results
were good so far, instead of switching from every 4 to every 6 months I could
go 9 months, which will save me the cost of a CT scan or two (and some IVs).

I found a desk chair with spring that are sprung and if I sit on that instead
of just thin cushions most of the day it does not hurt and I am getting better
quickly as long as I don't sit on other things.

I went swimming twice, the second time got a ride with a neighbor and swam
a mile, same as my maximum last year.  So we took her 6 year old step
granddaughter to play on the really nice equipment at Independence Lake and
she happily swung across one arm at a time on a set of bars that I could not
even hang from with both arms for more than a few seconds.  So Jim put up a
bar for me that I am exercising on.  At about 5'.  I can do diagonal pushups
and pullups and also hang from it, and some day maybe do a real pullup.

I can also run a block slightly uphill, or two on a level surface, before
getting too out of breath.  One of the chemotherapy agents (adriamycin) causes
heart damage, maybe that is why I get out of breath?  I will try to run every
day and some day get around the block, but probably not do a marathon.

This year I only have to pay for one CT scan.  $3200 plus $400 for the
doctors', after the insurance gets its large negotiated discount.  THe second
scan in a year puts me over $5000, at which point the insurance starts paying
70%.  A neighbor says Washtenaw County has free health insurance for anyone
making under $17,000/year that has very cheap doctor's visits ($25 copay) and
practically free drugs ($3 copay) and free emergency room service and free
preventive care.  (I get 80% of up to $400/year paid).  You have to prove you
are not eligible for Medicare, he said (Medicaid?).  Does Medicare provide
free preventive care?  

I wish there were a closer place to swim without chlorine.

response 466 of 475:

Jan 30 18:19 UTC 2007

I hope you get good news about the results of the CT scan, Sindi. Let us know
when you find out.

response 468 of 475:

Feb 5 19:53 UTC 2007

She forgot to answer.  Today she apologized.  Everything normal.  I was
supposed to have the IV/contrast dye part of the CT scan but she forgot to
tell the radiologist so they skipped it.  Instead of every 6 months for the
last three years, I had last week's scan after 9 months and the next will be
in December (11 months, same calendar year so the insurance will pay a bit
of the $6000 total, maybe $500), and the one after that at 13 months, and in
exchange I only need to get a general checkup and blood tests in between
scans.  This is saving us three CT scans at $4000 each.  The doctor told me
my chances of recurrence were now very very low and I made his day.  I hope
he tells lots of people that today.  We finished off the hospital trip by a
nice chat (in Russian/Ukrainian) with an 80 year old man from near Kiev
waiting for his wife.  They know 10 words of English and were delighted to
talk to a real American.  We know one of their four regular interpretors.
He told us how 3 years ago before they came here they could easily afford,
on their pension, to stock up for the winter on potatoes, onions, cabbage (to
make sauerkraut), cukes (to make salt pickles), and tomatoes (also to
preserve) but prices have doubled since then relative to pensions.  There are
serious economic problems in Ukraine.  They came because their son in law's
brother somehow got a visa and they can all invite immediate family.

response 470 of 475:

Jul 5 21:17 UTC 2007

The cancer doctor is letting me get CT scans every 12 months instead of every
6 months for the last three years of checkups (out of 5 total).  After 3 years
of checkups the chances of recurrence are very low.  But I need to get blood
tests every 6 months so I had them done when I had my annual physical. The
doctor told Jim he did not need annual checkups (at least not PSA tests) and
then checked my lymph nodes.  He diagnosed my soreness in sitting as ischial
bursitis, an inflammation involving a sac where the tendon and bone connect
(?).  One possible cause is pressure.  One possible treatment is stretching
exercises (probably won't help in my case but I tried them anyway, however
they aggravate the pulled muscle or tendon that I developed a few years ago
while sitting on my left foot to relieve the pressure on my sitbones).  For
some reason the bone doctor who gave me an X-ray and an MRI never thought of
this.  It sounds reasonable.  The doctor said I could have the physical
therapy dept show me exercises.  I looked them up online instead, much much
cheaper.

A treatment is to sit on a foam cushion with cutouts.  I will try styrofoam.

The cancer doctor said I should not be getting more frequent viral infections
after chemotherapy, but both my neighbor and I seem to be sick about 3-4 days
out of every week, generic infections.  

This week I have been sick for 6 days with something that Jim had for 3-4 days
so I called the general medicine dept asking why, and the nurse there said
after chemotherapy, maybe forever, I can expect to be sick 3 days longer than
anyone else.  This is a virus that is going around and I should be better in
a day or two.  Generalists often have a better overall picture.  So do nurses.
I wonder if my immune system memory was affected (fewer memory cells).

response 472 of 475:

Feb 10 21:14 UTC 2009

Glad to hear the good reports, Sindi.

response 474 of 475:

Apr 24 22:22 UTC 2009

We got the forms for American Community Mutual Insurance and they now have
higher deductibles, up to $7500 after which you pay 40% of up to $20,000 for
$15,500 out of pocket.  A $5000 plus 40% ($13000) policy is only $190/month
and pays for nothing at all until it hits $5000, except for accidents if you
get treated within 30 days.  (Maybe they figure this is cheaper in the long
run for them).  I am not eligible because I have a preexisting condition. 
We had a long list of conditions to check off or not for Jim  - he has not
had any miscarriages, or embolisms, but he did injure his knee and was tested
for Lyme Disease.  You only need to list conditions within the past 10 years
so when I am 63 I can get cheaper health insurance again for a year and a half
before Medicare.  

How do sick people come up with $7200/year for BCBS insurance while also
paying their medical bills (the deductible)?

Until April 1 BCBS had a $190/month policy for anyone of any age and medical
condition (but would not pay for preexisting conditions for 6 months).  I
should have researched this sooner.