EOS 2024 health report

From head to… knee

Here’s the EOS 2024 health report. EOS means end of summer, so no matter whether you think autumn begins on September 1st or September 22nd, you’ll agree we are getting to a change of seasons.

ITEM: I had cataract surgery on August 27th (left eye) and September 4th (right eye). It was a lengthy process. I had to go to the surgeon’s office and have several tests done about a month earlier. Then I had to get clearance from my primary care physician to  note that I’m healthy enough to have the surgery. 

The surgery itself which is actually relatively quick and efficient, probably no more than a couple hours per each eye. After each event, there’s a followup with the surgeon the following day.

I’ll still need reading glasses,albeit a different prescription, but I won’t have as many shadowy things. It’s interesting that there were two options, one of  which would have fixed my nearsightedness. Both would have required me to have glasses still. One of them was covered by my insurance in its entirety, and one would have cost $3500 per eye. Frankly, the difference didn’t seem to be worth seven grand.

The fact that we had laid out money for our daughter’s wisdom teeth removal and our cat’s medical tests shortly before he died might have colored my decision.

Drops

it was the worst part about the experience is applying the eye drops, two or three different products thrice a day for four weeks for each eye. My wife has some dry eye issues so she’s become expert at eye drops. I wasn’t so good at it, but I got better at it. I’m not expert, and it occasionally stings a little.

The eye process actually began back in January when I saw my ophthalmologist. They suggested that I needed to get a couple series of tests.  Because insurance is what it is, the simpler tests she could do and then bill it to my vision insurance. The more complicated ones she had to do six months later, in July, so she could bill it to my medical insurance. Everything is about insurance

What?

ITEM: I had a hearing test in the late spring. They determined that my hearing is actually quite decent. When they would test me for words, I could repeat them back clearly. The problem I am having is at the upper range of pitch, I might not hear certain things as well. That said, I can usually discern when my wife’s cellphone makes that buzzing sound when a new call comes in and we’re both 10 feet away. 

Regardless, I am considered a “good candidate” for a hearing aid. I’ve been reading a lot of literature about the ties between hearing loss and cognitive decline. I probably will get a hearing aid early next year

ITEM: I was having one of those First World Problems where I can’t use my electric toothbrush because it’s not working anymore. “My Sonicare won’t recharge, now I gotta brush my teeth like a neanderathal.” It’s true that I don’t brush as long as I should with a manual device. The electric toothbrush goes on for two minutes and I’m triggered to do that twice a day. It was worth buying a new toothbrush for another fifty bucks. 

I know, sad.

Pain in the… 

ITEM: My knees, as I’ve indicated before, are both bone on bone. My ortho doctor suggested back in June that I ought to do physical therapy for six weeks and see how that goes. If I decide to have knee surgery, the PT will make the recovery from a possible surgery much better.

I must admit that the physical therapy – heck, even setting up the PT – fell right off the table because of a bunch of other things, including vacations, the eye surgery, and other things mentioned here.,

So I postponed the follow up exam, but this fall I need to do PT on my knees in anticipation of having knee surgery, probably my left knee first since it is the one that hurts more.

ITEM: I am in the midst of figuring out how to either offload certain things or not worry about them. They haven’t necessarily gone away but I’ve recontextualized a little, More on that eventually.

ITEM: I got a COVID shot on August 28th at my local CVS. I’ve recently mentioned COVID in this blog at least a couple of times, and I am taking it seriously. Several people I know people IRL have experienced it in 2024, so I’m not one of those who’s pooh-poohing it. I’m pushing my wife and my daughter to do the same.

“Cases are surging in most areas of the country; emergency room visits are rising and hospitalization rates remain elevated, especially among adults 65 and older, the CDC says.” 

That’s it for now.

The EOY health report for 2023

The benefits of root canal

Sign by LP Green, 2021

Here’s the EOY health report for 2023:

Vision: I went for my eye exam on December 7. My doctor noted that, eventually, I’m going to need cataract surgery for both eyes, especially the left one.  I’m going to get a diabetic eye exam in six months. Why not at the time of my last visit? Because my eye insurance paid for one service, and my medical insurance will cover the other, I couldn’t do both simultaneously.

Meanwhile, I recognize I need more illumination. I couldn’t read the name of the third movie playing at the Madison Theatre from the Mobil station, which was far away. But it was after 4 pm, and the sun was on its descent.

Likewise, I was ordering a watch for my wife for Christmas because her extant timepiece ceased working. I could read the word TIMEX on her current item but not Indiglo below it. Well, not until morning, when the natural light from outdoors aided me. 

My wife told me that the last time she ordered glasses for our daughter at the same optometrist’s office, the spectacles were ready that day. Mine didn’t even start to be processed until the 13th, and it wasn’t ready on the 22nd when I called. I did not get them until after Christmas.

Heart: that thing is okay for another six months. No open-heart surgery THIS year. Yay. 

No children were harmed.

Knees: My always achy left knee has been particularly aggravating me. At church a couple of weeks ago, I was heading towards the loo when some small human unexpectedly zigzagged toward me. It was all I could do to avoid falling on top of said small human. That would have a headline: “Fat old man falls, crushes small child in front of church bathroom.” But not falling, I pulled something, not only in my knee but my left ankle.

I actively avoid falls. My insane cat, Midnight, runs in front of me into the kitchen two hours before he is scheduled to be fed. I don’t want a dead feline on my conscience, either.

Last week, my neighbors allowed a garbage can to be filled with water. Then they tipped it over, with some water puddling in front of our house, and then freezing. Fortunately, my wife put down rock salt. 

I’ve avoided getting a cortisone shot, determining that it only masks pain rather than truly treating it. But masking the pain may be the way to go if the discomfort continues into the new year.

Teeth: I had a cavity filled in November. When I went to the appointment, I misremembered it and thought it was just for a cleaning. The oddly comforting thing is that it didn’t hurt much after having a root canal in the area a few years ago. 

Thus endeth the report. 

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