We started the day with a 10,000 step walk, running an errand to pick up a workbench accessory. I was going to drive, but changed it to a walk when I realized I would have to scrape the car windows.
It was cold, but not raining. Our route took us through one of the little league fields. Carl can’t play for real right now, but wanted to relive past triumphs.
In other activities I met a friend for lunch. It was nice to catch up, and plan to repeat again in the future.
Seattle style 2026. Not much and not sticking. At least not yet.
It’s not much, but it’s ours.
The weather has convinced me to delay obtaining and planting a few raspberry canes. Looking at early next week now.
I had a very sedentary day. All of my trips started or ended at my desk.
For the last several months I have known I needed to get a handle on medical payments now that we’re on Medicare. I have maintained a tracking spreadsheet for years, but with only a few providers and generally consistent bill and Explanation of Benefit (EOB) formats I’ve been in a groove. Not counting chiropractors that drove me crazy. The figures they would include on their invoices never matched the figures on the EOBs. I avoid them partially just for this reason.
Now, not so much, in the groove that is. There are the Medicare “Not a Bill” statements, UW invoice information, EOBs from our Supplemental Plan Provider, and invoices from non-UW providers. The big starting charge is usually the same but the amount allowed moves around a bit, as does the amount paid by Medicare, for those bills that have made it that far through the gauntlet. The numbers don’t even always subtract properly on the documents, they seem to round. And then have we covered the deductible yet.
I did pay the bill we received yesterday, due Friday (I’m glad we were in town). The invoice only listed 5 of 6 items provided, and the $$ didn’t add up. But the amount owed is the deductible, so I just made the payment and moved on.
I may expand my columns further to have a section for each source of information to better understand why they are different.
Why do this, you may ask. Because we have a lot of regular bills, and occasionally some really big expenses. Understanding how the systems work makes it easier to predict future needs.
I actually got a check a few days ago from our pre-medicare provider. I’m not sure what they’re reimbursing, maybe a co-pay. We deposited the check.
Tomorrow I am going to add in prescriptions. This is important. Our first set cost over $600.
Over 17,000 steps before 2 pm! Of course that means there may be scant productive work for the rest of the day.
First up, errands. Grocery shopping, which begats steps, and food. I still accompany Carl due to his weight restrictions. I also added a few things for a new recipe I want to try.
Next up, a walk to a restaurant we had a gift card for and had not tried before. About 3 miles from the house and a bus ride home was anticipated.
After some uphill the walk to the restaurant was mostly flat or downhill.
Lunch at Local Tide was excellent. It’s a small space in Fremont. We had tried to eat there once before on a sunny weekend. It was quite crowded with a line and we ended up at a Thai place across the street. Tuesday noon is less hectic, hooray for retirement.
The weather was cool and sunny, great for walking and we both felt refreshed, so we set off towards home, roughly parallelling bus routes. This was the uphill climb. Fremont is at water level so anywhere not along the water is up. In the end we walked all the way home.
A relatively quiet day today. The only pictures I took today were of Carl’s incision site, and where bruising has spread. I do that to track that it’s not spreading too much. An alternative is to circle the bruised area with a marker. I prefer pictures.
I did pay a few bills and got more done on taxes. And watched some Olympics. We did have a chance to chat with our son in Richmond, VA. Due to the many snow an ice days off a few weeks ago, the public schools were in session today, even though it was a holiday.
In other exciting news we were successful in a drawing to get and pay for tickets to a World Cup game at the price set by FIFA! We know the game, Belgium vs. Egypt, but not exactly where our seats will be. They are in Zone 3, the light blue in the upper level. Quite a range of possibilities. I assume we will be in the back row on a corner.
It was the level in a price range we were willing to pay for the experience of going to a World Cup game. The tickets were not cheap, but not out of reach. Looking at Seat Geek, tickets in the same zone are being offered for about 3.75 times the face value, up from 3 times when I looked last week. To be clear, the prices shown on the graphic are not what we paid. If they get high enough it may test my resolve to go to the game.
We took another long walk today. Yesterday’s walk did me in. Today’s not quite as much. Are target was an office supply store in Ballard. About 3-1/2 miles to get there. Then a half mile to the bus towards home, and some more walking on the home leg.
The weather was reasonable so no complaints.
I should be paying bills and doing taxes, but I have so far just been watching the Olympics. And maybe pick up a few words in other languages.
Carl provided a lovely breakfast sentiment this morning. Say it with food.
Of course I had not stopped at a bakery on my way home from a meeting to get him a treat 🙄. I tried to make it up later with a stop at Starbucks on our long walk. 🥰
We did run into a hummingbird on the walk. So pretty, and it hel “still” long enough for me to get a picture.
For dinner we had potato soup and salmon cakes.
Finished off the evening by removing the dressing over Carl’s latest scar. It’s not pretty. I dont remember the scar from the first pacemaker being as ugly. But maybe it’s because this second is in the same location, or I was not seeing the first as much because he was still in the hospital for 10 days after that surgery, and I wasn’t involved in the wound care.
Whatever, I love him, scars and all. Happy Valentines Day.
Happy Birthday Jane
The three sisters, not the mountain range.
Which one is the tallest?
For getting only 2,000 – 3,000 steps yesterday we were both tired. I slept in a bit this morning, but Carl was up early. He was listening to KEXP radio and heard a song that struck a chord with him.
Harbour by Beverly Glenn-Copeland
The refrain lyrics include
You’re my harbour, my rainbow
My promise of tomorrow
And my heartaches when your tears flow
But then spring breaks and that’s all I know
After the stress of yesterday Carl was feeling perhaps a little sentimental. My last name loosely translates to Rainbow and the idea of a safe harbour resonated. Enough so that he looked up the song so I could hear it myself. It’s not Valentines Day, but I’ll take it.
Recovery is going well. We took a walk to the post office and then went grocery shopping. I’m pretty sure me “helping” with grocery shopping over the next month is going to drive Carl crazy. My help today included the blueberries spilling into the bag. In my defense he said there’s usually a piece of tape holding the plastic tub top in place.
I’ve always known that parades were hurry up and wait.
So are procedures in the hospital.
The Seahawks Super Bowl victory parade was today. Expecting 1,000,000 people the news was all about don’t drive, take transit to get downtown, you won’t be able to park if you try. We didn’t try either, conflicting plans.
We drove to the hospital during the parade, but had trouble finding parking in the lots closest to the hospital building.
12:30 Once we got in, things moved along. Two IVs, shaved, blood draws, and a check on the current pacemaker.
Now we need to see the anesthesiologist and doctor before they do the procedure. This is a pacemaker upgrade. Adding a third wire to the two already in place.
And we wait. It’s been about an hour delay, and Carl is understandably getting antsy. He was nervous before and hasn’t had food or drink all day.
The last bit of information is there is a possibility the vein with the 2 wires may have scarring or other issues that mean it won’t readily take a 3rd wire. Probably not, but … that would lead to Plan B, whatever that is, and is it today or some other day. Carl is now worried (and hungry).
Finally off for the procedure at 4:30
And back to the room at 6:30. All went well and we should be out by 8 PM.
So somebody literally screwed with Carl’s heart. They use a screw to attach the wire to the heart. This is the hardest part for me to visualize.
8 hours at the hospital, restrictions for 24 hours, 3 days, and 30 days. Pretty easy price to get some more good years. ♥️
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