Medical News, Travel Prep

 [Note: this is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.] 

4/17/21

 Medical News, Travel Prep

Aloha Everyone –

I see from my daily weather reports that you seem to be into some nice spring weather.  Our rainy spell has at least temporarily let up, and we’ve had a string of gorgeous days, highs in the low 80's and a cranking PV system.  The pool has been a comfy 80-84d and we’ve really been enjoying it.  Of course, during our trip we will leave the cover off for our pool service to have easier access, and that will likely drop it down into the chilly range by the time we return.  Another reason for leaving the cover off is that we are due for a new one – they last about 3 years here and it has to be handled delicately. I’ve been having trouble this time finding one locally and online.  This will be a top priority project when we return. It’ll work out somehow, I’m sure.

Last Saturday I had my eyeball exam, about 6 weeks out from my last injection.  Nothing but good news, I’m happy to report.  Absolutely no sign of edema, low pressures, and I even picked up a couple of lines in the acuity test for my right eye – 20/60!  I did a central visual test this time – like the usual field test but the gazillion little dots of light appear in the center of your vision rather than out to the side.  Naturally it showed my right eye is a mess, but my doctor said that even so it looked a little better than the last time I had it done, not because the cells have come back alive but because the absence of goo allowed the ones that are left to function as well as they can.  Next exam will be May 23rd, and by then I am likely to need another shot, but I’m delighted with the longer intervals this new drug, Eylea, seems to allow.  On that front I also received good news this week – my insurance (Medicare/Aetna) has once again approved coverage for 6 months, until October. Good news for the wallet, since the uncovered cost to me could be north of $1k.

Also in medical news is that I had a pretty strong reaction to that shingles shot, and it took a few days to recover – mainly fatigue and a sore arm.  Karen wasn’t as bad as I was, but it definitely put me down big time – even more than the second Covid shot.  The alternative of getting Shingles, though, is way, way worse, so I’m quite ok with it.

Most of our time this week, aside from Karen’s golf and our workout at PF, has been dedicated to getting the house ready for our trip.  This mostly means getting our monthly trimming and cleaning done now so we can do it again when we return.  The gardening stuff is essential – to leave it for that long would produce a jungly mess, even though we have a gardener who works on the front area every couple of weeks. I’m also concerned that while I’m gone the coquis will move in without me here to catch them.  Of course I can get them when we return, but I don’t want to give them time to mate and start producing little coquis that I’ll have to deal with.  The best I can do is make sure we’re free of them at the moment and then be extra vigilant when we get back.

Ok, that’s about it.  I’ll try to write a couple of quick updates while we’re on the road.  Take care, stay healthy, and enjoy your spring flowers!