what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[Meadbh]

Went to see the sockeye salmon run at Adams River. It's a dominant year, which happens every 4th year. There were many thousands of bright pink sockeye with green faces and tails thrashing about and laying roe and smelt, as well as some large dead salmon which had lost their pink colour. The birds were enjoying the culinary delights and the area smelt like a fish market. The interpreter said that the peak run is behind schedule. I guess the salmon didn't get the memo.......

It was a lovely drive, over 300 Km round trip. There were hundreds of people and the park was set up with food and art vendors. I had a delicious bison burger on a bannock bun, as it seemed a bit cruel to eat a salmon burger.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Yesterday I went to two library book sales and got two bags of books for all my hobbies and upcoming projects, like cookbooks and native plant gardening.

Today we went to a native plant gardening event in the morning and attended a space lecture at a planetarium in the evening.

 

[DFA]

Updating spreadsheets for SSA planning; looking at all the strategies available and breakeven date. Found breakeven is about 81 years old; only a couple of people in my family made it past 81 and they were my grandmother and great grandmother who lived into their 90s.

The only benefit for delaying SS would be to increase DW benefit when I go, but that only adds about $1,000 month to her income which already covers living expenses without touching savings or investments based on plan. We will need to discuss this to see what she wants to do.

Other benefit for delaying is taxes if we are living in Ireland as planned, we would need to pay taxes in Ireland on SS income only since Ireland does not tax US Government pensions which both mine and DW's are.

 

[aja8888]

Went to visit BIL in the hospital who has been given 1 - 3 months to live from heart failure. He is trying to get on the transplant list but lacks some tests. He is 74 years old. Apparently, his pacemaker is keeping him going but the additional medicine being pumped into his heart is becoming ineffective.

 

[Sea Kayaker]

Yesterday evening I was cooking burgers on our deck, sipping some red wine when about a dozen orcas came swimming by. For a moment I thought about handing BBQ duty off to someone else and putting my kayak in the water to get up close and personal with these creatures one last time before Winter sets in... But it seemed too ambitious, so I continued cooking and enjoying my wine.

I'm really enjoying ER BTW.... Have I mentioned that?

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Went to visit BIL in the hospital who has been given 1 - 3 months to live from heart failure. He is trying to get on the transplant list but lacks some tests. He is 74 years old. Apparently, his pacemaker is keeping him going but the additional medicine being pumped into his heart is becoming ineffective.

I'm so sorry to hear about your BIL. That would be a pretty tough diagnosis to receive.

 

[NW-Bound]

... so I continued cooking and enjoying my wine.

I'm really enjoying ER BTW.... Have I mentioned that?

+1

One can find the joy of life in simple activities like BBQ'ing. I simply cannot relate to people who have to be constantly on the move, to stir things up to keep themselves busy.

Went to visit BIL in the hospital who has been given 1 - 3 months to live from heart failure. He is trying to get on the transplant list but lacks some tests. He is 74 years old. Apparently, his pacemaker is keeping him going but the additional medicine being pumped into his heart is becoming ineffective.

It is sad, but unless we die a sudden death by kneeling over from a heart attack or a stroke, a day will come when we are told in full consciousness that our days are truly numbered, that nothing more medicine can do for us, that it's time for us to leave. Some people prefer to not think about it, but I do. I do not want to be in denial mode to the end, as some that I have seen.

 

[pb4uski]

....benefit for delaying SS would be to increase DW benefit when I go, but that only adds about $1,000 month to her income ....

Guess you're right - its not worth it for "only" $1,000 a month.

Have you asked your DW if she wants to pass on the $1,000 a month benefit? She could mourn your passing in much better style.

 

[DFA]

Guess you're right - its not worth it for "only" $1,000 a month.

Have you asked your DW if she wants to pass on the $1,000 a month benefit? She could mourn your passing in much better style.

We have not discussed it yet; she never wants to discuss me going before her, $1,000/month is a lot, but in the whole scheme of things she will have enough to live high on the hog and with no one to leave the savings to as it is it may make sense just to forgo the money and live it up when we are both here by taking SS sooner then later. I am going to give her all the information and let her decide what she want me to do.

 

[Ronstar]

Ran into President Lincoln at a civil war reenactment

 

[EastWest Gal]

Yesterday evening I was cooking burgers on our deck, sipping some red wine when about a dozen orcas came swimming by. For a moment I thought about handing BBQ duty off to someone else and putting my kayak in the water to get up close and personal with these creatures one last time before Winter sets in... But it seemed too ambitious, so I continued cooking and enjoying my wine.

I'm really enjoying ER BTW.... Have I mentioned that?

I envy your life. I like mine but yours sounds lovely.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[M Paquette]

We made our annual run up to Apple Hill, an agricultural area above Placerville, CA.

Bought our Thanksgiving apple pie (frozen, unbaked), fresh apple pie for lunch, assorted varieties of apples, assorted squash, and the usual haul of incidentals from scented candles to home decor items. The Thanksgiving apple pie is expected by the extended family, and is the excuse for everything else.

 

[FIREd]

Went on a long hike. Had a heart-stopping moment in the woods, when I heard some big animal running full speed towards us through the underbrush. We were in mountain lion territory, so I reached for the knife just in case. Suddenly, a buck jumped on the trail not 10 feet in front of us. He stopped in his tracks when he saw us. We stared at each other for a few seconds. And off he went. He was clearly running away from something.

Scored some seats for the 3rd game of the World Series on Friday.

 

[MRG]

Took DW to Endocrinoligist appointment. Two months of waiting, all she was told by PCP's office after bloodwork and sonogram is 'there's something wrong with your thyroid' prior to appointment.

What an experience, he explained "yes you have two very small nodules, normal for a 50 y.o. woman(actually 57). If we had a random sample of 50, 50 y.o. females, probably 49 of them would have the same or larger nodules. We'll check bloodwork and do a sonogram every six months, just to be sure".

Why the blue blazes do you have to wait in a highly anxious state for two months to hear your 'normal'. OK rant over, DWs taking a nap so all is well.

 

[braumeister]

Why the blue blazes do you have to wait in a highly anxious state for two months to hear your 'normal'. OK rant over, DWs taking a nap so all is well.

I've often thought this was a huge problem with the medical world.
Many years ago, I had a routine EKG as part of a physical, and the doc made me nearly panic over a couple of "abnormal" things he saw.

He made an appointment with a cardiologist, but it was over a month later.
When I saw the cardiologist, she glanced at the EKG and said "Oh, that's no problem. We often see those in healthy, athletic young men."

 

[Meadbh]

Took DW to Endocrinoligist appointment. Two months of waiting, all she was told by PCP's office after bloodwork and sonogram is 'there's something wrong with your thyroid' prior to appointment.

What an experience, he explained "yes you have two very small nodules, normal for a 50 y.o. woman(actually 57). If we had a random sample of 50, 50 y.o. females, probably 49 of them would have the same or larger nodules. We'll check bloodwork and do a sonogram every six months, just to be sure".

Why the blue blazes do you have to wait in a highly anxious state for two months to hear your 'normal'. OK rant over, DWs taking a nap so all is well.

I'm glad to hear all is well.

Why did DW have to wait two months for the appointment? Because the endocrinologist is busy. Could it be that he/she is spending a great deal of time seeing patients with similar non threatening issues? The endocrinologist's knowledge and experience is not available to the PCP, who is a "Jack of all trades and master of none". Most PCPs would be familiar with the fact that most thyroid nodules are benign and would follow them before referral to an endocrinologist. Perhaps there was something unusual that the PCP was concerned about.

Thyroid nodules Definition - Diseases and Conditions - Mayo Clinic

 

[Meadbh]

I've often thought this was a huge problem with the medical world.
Many years ago, I had a routine EKG as part of a physical, and the doc made me nearly panic over a couple of "abnormal" things he saw.

He made an appointment with a cardiologist, but it was over a month later.
When I saw the cardiologist, she glanced at the EKG and said "Oh, that's no problem. We often see those in healthy, athletic young men."

It's easy for an expert to say that. The cardiologist spent years studying to become an expert. The family physician cannot be an expert in every field. He or she brings value by a holistic approach to the patient and by coordinating care.

 

[Walt34]

I've often thought this was a huge problem with the medical world.
Many years ago, I had a routine EKG as part of a physical, and the doc made me nearly panic over a couple of "abnormal" things he saw.

He made an appointment with a cardiologist, but it was over a month later.
When I saw the cardiologist, she glanced at the EKG and said "Oh, that's no problem. We often see those in healthy, athletic young men."

They can if necessary move more quickly at least around here. Perhaps he saw the abnormality on the EKG as something that "should be checked" but nothing to get worked up over right away.

Last summer I called my doc on a Monday, mid-day, because I'd had to stop and catch my breath a few times when mowing the hilly part of the yard. I called because I did not have to do that the week before and something had changed, not for the good. He called back a few hours later, asked some questions and said he'd schedule a stress test at 6:30 AM the next day. An hour or so later he called back and wanted to admit me to the hospital "out of an abundance of caution" that afternoon because things had changed so rapidly.

Stress test showed evidence of a blockage in the LAD. The next morning I had an angiogram and two overlapping stents put in to correct a 90% blockage of the artery.

I was released from the hospital the following afternoon.

So they can move fast if the situation calls for it. At least that was my experience. I guess YMMV.

 

[Meadbh]

They can if necessary move more quickly at least around here. Perhaps he saw the abnormality on the EKG as something that "should be checked" but nothing to get worked up over right away.

Last summer I called my doc on a Monday, mid-day, because I'd had to stop and catch my breath a few times when mowing the hilly part of the yard. I called because I did not have to do that the week before and something had changed, not for the good. He called back a few hours later, asked some questions and said he'd schedule a stress test at 6:30 AM the next day. An hour or so later he called back and wanted to admit me to the hospital "out of an abundance of caution" that afternoon because things had changed so rapidly.

Stress test showed evidence of a blockage in the LAD. The next morning I had an angiogram and two overlapping stents put in to correct a 90% blockage of the artery.

I was released from the hospital the following afternoon.

So they can move fast if the situation calls for it. At least that was my experience. I guess YMMV.

Exactly.

 

[aja8888]

DW messed up her wrist pretty badly. Had X-rays and was recommended a MRI. Dr's office scheduled the MRI at the hospital two weeks out. What?

I called the hospital and asked why two weeks out (since she is really in pain) and they say "don't know?"

She had the MRI the next morning.

 

[MRG]

I'm glad to hear all is well.

Why did DW have to wait two months for the appointment? Because the endocrinologist is busy. Could it be that he/she is spending a great deal of time seeing patients with similar non threatening issues? The endocrinologist's knowledge and experience is not available to the PCP, who is a "Jack of all trades and master of none". Most PCPs would be familiar with the fact that most thyroid nodules are benign and would follow them before referral to an endocrinologist. Perhaps there was something unusual that the PCP was concerned about.

Thyroid nodules Definition - Diseases and Conditions - Mayo Clinic

You're correct, he's a busy man. Part of the delay was he had a scheduled vacation to Georgia(not the US state). The other is he's the only DR. in that practice that takes Medicare.

There also seems to be, at least in this area, a delay in getting into most specialists. Maybe that's a normal first time patient delay, nothing to do with real medicine. But in this case the PCP and endocrinologist both work for the same public healthcare company, and can both see the electronic records. So that might mitigate the first time delays?

I don't know, just think there's a better way to inform patients sooner. I guess if I could solve that, maybe I'd get to hang with Warren and Bill.

Thanks for the input and link.

 

[sengsational]

Sued BlueCross BlueShield.

 

[Meadbh]

Sued BlueCross BlueShield.

Care to elaborate?

 

[sengsational]

Care to elaborate?

I thought they mislead me by not disclosing that the individual deductible would be ignored in the case of some policies they sold, and honored in the case of other policies they sold. The judge did not agree with me

http://www.early-retirement.org/for...d-coinsurance-copay-68965-10.html#post1506520

 

[NW-Bound]

Ran into President Lincoln at a civil war reenactment

Your Lincoln looked dejected!

I remember I had a photo of Lincoln in the auditorium of the visitor center at Mt Rushmore, taken on July 4th a few years ago. "My" Lincoln was giving a speech, and was more lively.