Once in a Blue Moon

Well, anyhow, that seems to be about how often I am posting on this website. I have never been particularly good with keeping a diary or journal, online or off. Well at least I have one or two good excuses for not posting last year. During the early months both Guy and I were involved in going to doctor appointments. I continue to have health issues and as Guy also ages so does he. Last August I was having some difficulties being able to breath well when I was sleeping. I was checking my oxygen meter and saw that my oxygen had been dropping when I am lying down. I also was having some nasal congestion and drainage at night. Once in a while I would hear whistling or wheezing sounds coming from my chest. I was concerned that I could be retaining fluid in my lungs or around my heart. At that same time I noticed a significant gain of a few pounds quickly. Thus I called a nurse from an agency that is owned by the same parent company that owns our medical insurance company. The nurse came out to our house mid-week. She didn’t stay long. She did listen to my chest and said she didn’t hear any fluid. I noticed while she was examining me that she didn’t seem to be feeling well. She appeared to be hot, sweating, and it wasn’t warm in our house. She wasn’t wearing a mask, and although we usually mask when someone comes into our home, this time neither Guy nor I wore a mask. The next day Guy started exhibiting Covid 19 symptoms. He took a home test that appeared to show a positive result. We couldn’t tell because the test kit was old and the result “line” displayed very faint. The next day Guy went to his doctor and was re-tested with a positive result. The doctor gave him some medicine and sent him home. He took the medicine and within a few days was recovering. We think that the nurse may have spread the Covid to us. I rarely ever leave the house except for doctor appointments. Guy does go out for errands and grocery shopping, but he wears a mask when he goes out.

For me, it was different. Within another two days, I had a positive test result for Covid 19. I couldn’t take the same medicine Guy had taken because I am unable to swallow pills. This is medicine that does not come in a liquid form nor can it be crushed. It must be swallowed whole. On the same day that I tested positive, I was trying to decide what to do about getting treatment since I couldn’t take the medicine. I had gone to bed for a while. Guy put the oxygen meter on my finger and saw that my oxygen level had dropped into the 80s (it should be above 90). Guy immediately called our neighborhood rescue squad (ambulance), and they took me to the hospital. They didn’t give me a choice. I had Covid 19, hypoxia, and bronchitis. I was also low in my protein. So I was put on an antibiotic for the bronchitis and 2 medicines for the Covid. I was also fed extra meat servings to help me build up my muscular strength. I spent 3 days in the hospital, and then I was sent to a skilled nursing facility. for physical and occupational therapy. I did not leave the skilled nursing facility until October 13. The insurance company wanted me out before then, but Guy and I went “private pay” and paid for the days September 30 through October 12, 2024, out of pocket. After leaving the skilled nursing facility, I had home health care providers for a while. The nurses have been still coming from home health but I am no longer getting the physical or occupational therapy. I still need it though and will have to ask my doctor for another referral.

Since Guy and I went “private pay” we also filed the usual round of insurance appeals. Guy and I had been gathering medical records and other documents and compiling the “notebook” I usually put together every time I have to fight an Administrative Law Judge appeal. Our Judge hearing had been already scheduled. We were very shocked when the Judge’s office called Guy to say that the insurance company had decided to cover the medical expenses after all! The Judge ruled fully favorably for us. Now Guy and I have to wait to see what money that we had already paid will be refunded to us. Not all of it will be refunded because of copays that we will owe on the extra days. However, since we will have met our out of pocket expense limit, we should get some money back.

Guy and I have both have more medical appointments for this year. I will likely have one or two skin cancer surgeries, a couple of cardiac tests, a follow-up visit with my neurologist since I still am dealing with damage from my ischemic stroke that I had in January of 2022, plus a pulmonary evaluation. Guy had cataract surgery recently and I may be having laser surgery on my eyes to remove scar tissue from my cataract surgery.

In the middle of all this health stuff, I am trying to add items to my Etsy shop for sale. I need to find the time and (enough relaxation) to do some art just for the sake of creating art. Period. Not Etsy or Red Bubble. Not anything AI. Art just for me.