JULY 2022
Sunday 2022.7.31
Happy Birthday to Me
Thursday was my birthday. I am now 71 years old. I don't make much ado about birthdays. They are just another day on the calendar. However, it's a good time to think about buying oneself a present.
On Thursday I decided to make sausages again. I had bought the pork shoulder and my order for collagen sausage casings had arrived. I looked at my sausage videos on YouTube and Chorizo Sausages was the most popular of the four. So, I decided to revisit that one.
As usual, I cut the pork into strips and ground it using my meat grinder attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer. It works well. After seasoning the meat with spices and letting it rest in the refrigerator for a few hours I started filling a collagen casing. It was very difficult. I really had to press down hard to push the meat through the stuffing tube, using the same meat grinder. Maybe it was because I forgot to add the quarter cup of vinegar.
There had to be a better way.
I know of sausage stuffing equipment. I'd seen them on Amazon. After working up a sweat filling the casing, I decided upon a birthday present for myself — a dedicated sausage stuffer.
It doesn't use electricity. You grind the meat in advance, season it, let it chill, and then load it into the stuffer. Arrange a casing on the stuffing tube and crank away. The device clamps to the counter, leaving both hands free for stuffing sausage casings.
It holds 2½ pounds (1.1kg) of sausage meat, which is the same amount my recipe makes, and it cost only about $65. There are more expensive ones, some selling for thousands of dollars. For the occasional home sausage maker, this model was the most recommended. You'll see it in future videos because…
Still Researching
I continue to research sausage recipes on the internet and on YouTube. I've been curious about making my own bratwurst. Actually, I've never tasted bratwurst; so I was even more curious. I have recipes, but the spice mix looks a little complicated and it would require I do some shopping.
Then I watched a video on YouTube in which the cook used collagen casings and, more importantly, a packaged bratwurst spice blend. He said it was very good.
Having just ordered my sausage stuffer, Amazon grants free shipping on any additional item ordered with 24 hours, regardless of price. So I ordered a package of the spice mix for $11.
My next sausages and video will be bratwurst. However, there are spice blends for Italian sausages and breakfast sausages, among others. There is a new world for me to explore.
The spice blend envelope and the sausage stuffer both arrived yesterday. Meanwhile, I went to Costco to buy some pork belly. The last sausages I made seemed a little dry. Maybe there wasn't enough fat. There is a Mexican market nearby where I can probably find pork fat back, the typical fat used in sausages, but the pork belly was convenient, and I had to shop at Costco anyway.
Bratwurst
Yesterday I portioned the remainder of my two pork shoulder roasts, added some pork belly and vacuum sealed it in 2½-pound packages for the freezer. That will make it easier to make sausages in the future. However, I was so tired after all that prep work, I didn't feel like making any sausages.
And so this afternoon, feeling fully rested after a good night's sleep, I will make my first bratwurst using collagen casings and some of the bratwurst seasoning mix I ordered. To eat them, and to get a good final photograph, I'll toast a "gourmet" hot dog bun and place a sausage on it with some caramelized onion. I think it will be delicious. Although many people would put mustard on the sausage, I've never been much of a fan.
One other thing: I won't experiment today, but when I see a recipe that says to add some water, I can't help wondering what would happen if I added something with more flavor. Why water? The next time I make bratwurst I think I'll use a little bourbon instead.
Wednesday 2022.7.27
Recovery
I was scheduled to meet with the doctor again this morning. There has been no change in my functionality as regards my bladder. However, when I got to the office they told me they tried to call me (I didn't have my phone with me) to cancel and reschedule my appointment. The surgeon tested positive with Covid this morning.
Naturally, that throws a big disruption into his plans. He had five surgeries scheduled for today.
I ordered another 30-day supply of catheters. I have enough for ten days. If the surgeon is out for ten days with Covid, I will definitely need another supply.
Meanwhile, I wait for a new appointment to speak with him. When will the prostate ordeal end?
I Learned Something New
I have some cod fish filets in the freezer. I've been thinking of making a batter for them and then eating the cooked fish with tartar sauce. I saw a YouTube video in which the cook mixed the batter ingredients with a little baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). Just before coating and frying the fish she added a little vinegar to the batter. The acid in the vinegar reacts with the soda to produce bubbles for a lighter and crisper coating. I decided to try it yesterday. However, I made a slight change.
People often have their fish with a little lemon. What if I were to use lemon juice instead of vinegar? The citric acid should do the same thing as the vinegar. It worked fine. The fish was delicious.
I made one mistake, however. I forgot to dredge the fish filet in flour first to help the batter coating to stick. Next time.
Research
As mentioned in Sunday's blog, I am interested in making sausages again. That's why I put my recipe link and video link for Italian Sausages on the home page of this web site this week.
To be honest, the Italian sausages I really like are cheaper to buy at Costco. They're good. So why make them myself? Because I thought it might be fun and I believe it might make an interesting video.
I continue to do my research. I have three e-books about making sausages, the best (in my opinion) is Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage by Warren R. Sanderson. The book provides a lot of basic information. I have two other e-books, but neither of them discusses collagen casings, barely mentioning them. As this will be my first time using these casings, I want to know as much as possible before I start.
I went out to my shed and found the meat grinder/sausage stuffer attachment for my KitchenAid. I will also need a casing perforator/sausage pricker (to remove air pockets and thereby help prevent bursting when cooking); so I took an old wood dowel out of the shed and used a short piece of that with an old large sewing needle to make a pricker. It turned out so well, I impressed myself.
Meanwhile…
Out for Delivery
Yesterday morning I checked the delivery status of my latest Amazon order — the one with the collagen sausage casings in it. It was "out for delivery" and arrived yesterday afternoon.
Along with the casings, it included an order of bulbs for two of my desk lamps. They require a two prong halogen bulb. I never really liked those lamps, but I kept them after I replaced them with better ones. I prefer LED bulbs. The halogens burn too hot, making it difficult to adjust the aim of the lamp.
One corner of my living room is a little too dark at night. I've wanted a lamp in there, but I never found one I liked. So, I moved one of the desk lamps into that corner and aimed the light upward at the wall and ceiling. Once aimed, I should never need to adjust it.
Sunday 2022.7.24
I Learned Something New
Which is correct? "Boning a chicken" or "Deboning a chicken"? I learned from a TV show that "boning a chicken" is the correct phrase.
I checked the internet. "Debone" is used more often. One site with an attitude said that is incorrect. One example that was given: "Do you depeel a banana?" Although I don't disagree, there are uses for "de". Do you fat or defat the drippings from a roast? Do you glaze or deglaze a skillet when making a sauce? Do you vein or devein raw shrimp? My food encyclopedia uses "devein" but there is no entry for "debone".
On YouTube I have a video for "How to Bone a Chicken." In the video I use both "bone" and "debone". Does it matter? I don't think so. There is certainly no need for having an attitude about it.
Recovery
The recovery continues, although I can't empty my bladder normally yet. As mentioned in Wednesday's blog post, the internal bleeding has stopped. That was ugly and messy. My routine of self-cathing every four hours, regardless of feeling any need to void my bladder, has proven to be a wise choice.
The surgeon recommended I try to cath often enough to get 300 to 350cc of urine out. Cathing every four hours has almost consistently yielded 200cc. That's okay with me. The liquid is clear. No blood. I think that's a better goal. Having given my bladder another two weeks to heal, I'm going to try cathing every five hours this week.
I see the doctor again on Wednesday. As I've said before, I am fully prepared to be told I need another surgery to remove scar tissue before I can return to normal. Okay. It's not what I hoped for, but it's not tragic either. I'll do whatever is necessary.
My appointment is at 8:30; so maybe I'll wait to blog until after my meeting so that I can write about it.
Tour de France
I was pleasantly pleased while watching stage 18 of the Tour on Thursday. The two leaders, Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, were only minutes apart from each other. Either could have won the Tour. Pogacar failed to negotiate a curve properly and rode into the gravel. His bike slipped out from beneath him and he fell. He was quick to recover, but Vingegaard, in a true demonstration of sportsmanship, slowed down and waited for his opponent to catch up. That's class.
The fall evidently had some effect on Pogacar. On the final climb to the finish he weakened and Vingegaard was able to race ahead and win the stage, improving his lead by another minute.
Yesterday was the individual time trial. Rather than all the teams going onto the road at the same time, each cyclist goes out individually and competes against the clock. If no one gets hurt or is diagnosed with a Covid-19 infection, no change to the outcome of the Tour is expected.
Today is the final day, more of a promenade than a race. The leader, Jonas Vingegaard, is the de facto winner. No one will challenge him. There are some points to be gained, but unless they are really needed to win a jersey, no one pursues them. The end of the stage is the real contest for the sprinters; each of which would like to win the final stage in Paris.
There are four jerseys to compete for:
The green jersey goes to the cyclist who accumulates the most points in sprints.
The polka dot jersey goes to the one who wins the most points at mountain tops.
The white jersey goes to the best young rider in the Tour.
And the yellow jersey goes to the rider who is the overall winner of the Tour.
As I write this my cable box is recording the final stage. I'll watch it later today.
Sausages
I am taking an interest in making my own sausages again because Costco has pork shoulder roasts (A.K.A. pork butt or Boston butt) on sale at $5 off, no limit. The meat is most commonly used to make pulled pork. Because of its high fat content, it's a good choice for making sausages.
There are a couple experiments I want to try. One friend said he saw three choices for Italian sausages in a store — hot (spicy), mild (lightly spiced), and sweet (not spicy). The sweet sausages included chopped fresh basil. That sounds good. I also want to experiment with grinding a few chicken livers into the chopped meat for a slight pâté flavor.
One difference from my original Italian Sausages recipe will be the use of collagen casings rather than natural hog casings. As usual, I've been doing my research. Collagen casings do not have any elasticity like natural casings; therefore, when filling them I will need to be careful to insert only enough meat to fill them. Overfilling will cause bursting. Another consideration is cooking. The sausages will expand when cooking; therefore, again there will be the need not to overfill them to prevent bursting in the skillet.
I ordered the casings yesterday. On the way back from the doctor's office on Wednesday I'll stop at Costco and buy a pork shoulder roast.
Wednesday 2022.7.20
Counting Down
A week from today I'll see the surgeon again. Between blocked catheters and bloody urine, there will be a lot to talk about. Two questions come to mind: How much longer? And will I need another surgery?
I don't mind the self-cathing. That was going well and I enjoyed the feeling of self-dependence. However, when the urine became bloody, that left me worried.
Again, I'm trying to practice patience. I keep thinking of the guy who went through the ordeal I am going through and he's fine now. He's back to normal.
Some Good News
Starting yesterday, the internal bleeding stopped. No bloody urine; no blood clots.
I'm trying something new. I'm cathing every four hours, or even earlier if I feel the urge to void my bladder. My thinking is this: Maybe I was waiting too long. Maybe the pressure inside my bladder opened up one of the cuts from when the surgeon removed the stones with a laser. Maybe the cuts hadn't fully healed yet.
The ordeal was sickening. In some cases I had to remove the catheter, flush it out to remove the blood clots, and insert it again. Sometimes it took several tries to empty my bladder. And I wondered, is this the new normal? Will I have to drain my bladder of urine and blood for the remainder of my life? I try not to worry, but I can't help having occasional negative thoughts.
I'm using a typical number of catheters. The supply company sent me a 30-day supply. That assumes six per day. That's what I use, unless I sleep through the night and don't cath for eight hours. I'd like to avoid that, but I don't feel like setting an alarm to go off at three or four in the morning. I used to wake up every night around three o'clock in the morning to go pee. What with all this catheter stuff since the middle of April, my body's internal clock is probably all messed up.
Thankfully my insurance pays for the catheters. A 30-day supply is more than $2,000. They don't cost me anything.
Last Shirt
This morning I finished my last shirt, stitching the buttons in place. There is no fabric left, and I have no plans to buy more bed sheets. I think I added 20 new shirts to my closet. Considering I am still wearing shirts I wore to work more than ten years ago, I think I have enough shirts to last me quite a while, maybe the remainder of my life.
I put away my machine. I tossed out the last remnants of fabric. I have no plans to use the leftovers to make another remnant shirt. I already have two of those. The extra pillow cases went into the linens drawer.
It was enjoyable having a distraction to keep my mind off catheters and bloody urine, but maybe I'll find something different to do now. I really should return to making cooking videos.
Sunday 2022.7.17
Something New
I am still cooking, but mostly for myself. On Friday I made another pot of Marinara Sauce. I portioned that and froze it. I also made a pot of soup, sort of a combination of Split Pea Soup and Lentil and Ham Soup, using some of the ingredients I've had out in the shed. I need to use those up.
I didn't have enough chicken stock and the local grocery store was out of Better Than Bouillon chicken base, which I try to keep in the refrigerator. I decided to experiment with something I never used before — Knorr Liquid Concentrated Flavor Base, chicken flavor. The store had "professional" sized bottles, 32 fluid ounces (1 quart / 946ml). It was a little expensive, $14.49, but not too costly for an experiment. In this time of inflation, everything is more expensive these days.
I made a test cup of broth using the base and the flavor was pretty good. So I used it to make the soup. The result was very good. To finish it, I used an immersion blender to purée the soup. The split peas break up on their own, but the lentils tend to stay whole. I wanted a smooth soup that I could drink from a mug. Again, I portioned the soup and froze it.
I haven't yet fully recovered from the TURP surgery; so having some easy and convenient comfort foods in the freezer is a welcome benefit.
Scary Events Yesterday
As I've been writing about in these blogs, I am still self-cathing to drain my bladder. Not much in the way of natural flow yet.
When I got out of bed yesterday morning I cathed as usual. What came out was bloody. That had me concerned, but during the day follow-up caths were clearer.
Then, during the evening I cathed, but nothing came out. That had never happened before. I felt a moment of panic because it was Saturday and the doctor's office wouldn't be open until Monday morning.
However, I saw what the doctor did the evening he had to come to the hospital and clear a lot of blood clots out of my bladder. That was the day he removed the stones from my bladder with a laser. Thankfully, I still have some syringes, still in sealed plastic packages and therefore still sterile. I also have some sterile cups and some of the sterile irrigation water.
I filled a syringe and fitted it into the end of the catheter, then I squirted water into my bladder. Nothing came out. I couldn't even pull liquid out with the syringe. I assumed the catheter was blocked; so I used another catheter. That worked. Some blood clots came out, but nowhere near what the doctor removed that evening in the hospital.
I repeated the procedure and the liquid came out more clear. Then I finished up with a third procedure and another new catheter. That appeared to work normally.
I don't have any explanation for what is going on. If I have problems today I'll call the doctor's office tomorrow morning. If at all possible, I'll avoid seeing Dr. Chacko. She'll do whatever she can get away with to rack up more billable procedures for charging my insurance. I much prefer the surgeon, Dr. Hueber, because he seems genuinely concerned with my health.
I still believe I will be back in the hospital again for another procedure to clear out scar tissue from my prostate. He warned me that might be a possibility before he even did the surgery. It happens. Someone I know had the same problem. So, okay, I can deal with that. That other person is fine now.
Wednesday 2022.7.13
Slow Progress
Tomorrow will be three weeks since my TURP surgery. Things haven't returned back to normal yet, but I'm seeing a little progress. Each day gets a little better.
I'm a bit discouraged because a neighbor had the same procedure, but his surgeon used something called Aquablation (waterjet ablation). After the surgery he was fitted with a catheter and kept in the hospital overnight. The following day the catheter was removed before he was sent home. He was able to empty his bladder normally the day after the operation. Supposedly, that recovery is normal. If I had only known…
Evidently, it requires a specific piece of equipment, which the hospital might not have. But if my neighbor had it done, a local hospital must have it. I'm impressed with the procedure. After analysis of the prostate the parameters are programmed into the device, which then performs the surgery autonomously. The surgeon only observes, with this foot on the pedal. He can stop the procedure at any time, if necessary, by releasing the pedal.
Besides, I needed a second surgery to remove stones from my bladder. I doubt the Aquablation could have done that.
So, okay, I'm recovering more slowly than I might have if I had known back then what I know now. There is no going backward in time. At least I am seeing some improvement. All I can do now is practice patience. Someday all this will be behind me.
Spam
I'm starting to see a new trick in my email. Spammers are alerting me to some automated billing of stuff, charged to my checking account. Yesterday I received one, stating I was billed $431.11. For what? It couldn't have been anything related to my recent surgery because all those charges are processed through my Medicare Advantage Plan. Besides, I didn't authorize any charges to my checking account. So, I did nothing. I didn't even call the provided phone number to question the invoice.
The email, by the way, was from a Gmail account. If a company was indeed billing me for something, they'd have their own web site and they'd email me from their own domain.
By the way, the total "billed" amount for my recent surgery is now nearing $90,000. My insurance pays less, but, thankfully, I'm not responsible for more than my copayments, which have totaled only $140, so far.
January 6th Committee Hearings
Yesterday's televised hearing was one of the most striking so far. One person — I believe it was John Dean, former White House Counsel to Richard Nixon — said Trump would likely never serve time for his alleged crimes, but he was certain Trump would be indicted.
As I've mentioned in the past, I've been reading, off and on, the book This Will Not Pass by Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burner. Of course, it's not up to date with hearings, but it does provide some of the details leading up to the insurrection. I look forward to reading the books that will published in the months ahead.
An Undoubted Bargain
I've been looking for another desk lamp. I have two that I don't like. One has no bulb because it requires a two pin halogen bulb, which I can get by the dozen on Amazon. The lamps are touch sensitive, which is okay if you never move them. As a bench lamp they are annoying because every time I adjust them they turn off.
I saw in the latest edition of Costco Connection magazine a "Special Section" about lamps. It included an LED desk lamp, so I looked for it when I went to Costco yesterday. There were only six on the shelf and they were marked down to $15. That's amazing. On the Costco web site they sell for $60 each. So, I bought one at the clearance price.
The two I dislike will probably be located somewhere where I need a little light without any need to adjust the lamps regularly. As for the bulbs, the 12-pack costs about $10 on Amazon; so I added a pack to my wishlist.
Sunday 2022.7.10
First Flow
This morning I had my first flow from my bladder since my surgery 2½ weeks ago. It wasn't enough to empty the bladder, but it was more than a few drops. I still self-cathed to complete the task, which is okay. It's easy and almost painless. I'm being patient as I continue to slowly recover.
It appears the bleeding has finally stopped. I've been wearing adult diapers because I do not want that discharge staining my underwear. Also, when the pathway fully opens up I might not have full control of the flow yet; so a diaper might be necessary. After all, I was with a semi-permanent catheter for eight to nine weeks. My body might need to learn how to control that function again.
I still have a way to go. My next appointment with the doctor is on the 28th of this month. By then I hope to be fully functional again. I feel encouraged I'm on my way to a full recovery.
What's Else is New?
Not much. I've been trying to think of something to write about in this blog. Of course, some things have happened in the world.
The assassination of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, was a shock. Unlike the USA, Japan is a country that is not awash with guns. I saw one statistic that said only about one person in that nation dies of a gun shot wound per year. Here, it's thousands.
Tour de France
I continue to enjoy watching the race. Not much happens each day — just a bunch of guys riding bicycles, but the sport fascinates me. One of my friends, who is not an enthusiast, gets hooked. When he comes over he wants to watch the latest stage with me. He likes the strategy, how the cyclists position themselves in the peleton to gain an advantage when there are points to be won.
I was pleased with yesterday's stage winner, Wout van Aert. Tadej Pogacar, who is a very gifted cyclist, was hoping to win his third stage in a row, but van Aert just edged him out at the end. Pogacar is still in the yellow jersey today and he may very well win the Tour again this year, his third victory — and he's only 23 years old. It will be fun to watch him during the next few years.
Shirts
I finished my latest shirt yesterday. I cut the fifth and final shirt this morning, with two pillow cases left over to put in my linens drawer. And for those of you who might not know what that means — the fabric for these shirts came from some 100% cotton Cal-king bed sheet sets I bought at Costco for about $25 per set. Each set yielded five shirts. Cotton material sold in a fabric store can easily be more than $10 per yard. One man's shirt typically requires 2½ to 2¾ yards. $5 for a custom tailored shirt, and a project to keep me busy, is a good bargain.
So, okay, that means I have five shirts all the same color. But, I can only wear one at a time; so it's not like people are going to stare at me wondering why I have five identical shirts.
Wednesday 2022.7.6
Fireworks
I am beginning to believe the local community has discontinued 4th of July fireworks indefinitely. They used the Covid pandemic to cancel the celebration two years ago. Last year, they didn't give a reason. And this year there has been no information at all.
Down in the city there was a display, but that was too far to drive and walk, especially with the need to recover from my recent surgeries.
I stayed home, as I did last year, and watched the fireworks on TV. It's not the same, but there were some magnificent displays in big cities like New York and Washington D.C. One enjoyable benefit is seeing the celebrations well before it gets dark here in SoCal. By 6:00PM I was sitting in front of my TV, ready for the festivities to begin. I really enjoyed the evening.
Besides the fireworks, there were musical performances. Those began earlier and I enjoyed some of those too.
Tour de France
Monday was a "rest day" for the cyclists. It was actually more than that. The fourth stage was to begin in a city about 800 files away from the ending of the third stage. They had to move all the trucks, buses and support vehicles all that distance. Some commentators said the trip could take as long as 16 hours. The athletes, thankfully, were able to fly to the next stage destination.
As usual, I record each stage because I don't want to get out of bed at 5:00 in the morning to watch the race live. The recordings are so much better anyway. I can fast-forward through all the commercials.
Recording isn't quite the same this year. The race was broadcast live on NBCSN (NBC Sports Network) and they showed the entire stage each day, from start to finish. NBC has since shut down their SN channel, evidently in favor of their payment based subscription channel Peacock, which now carries the race live.
I did not subscribe. Thankfully, the USA network broadcasts the race live each morning. I record those.
TURP
I looked online for the typical recovery time from prostate surgery. Supposedly four to six weeks is normal. Tomorrow will be only two weeks since the surgery.
I can report one improvement: Inserting the disposable catheter is less painful now. Formerly, as the tube snaked through the prostate there were some small but sharp pangs of pain. I'd stop, take a deep breath, and then continue. The last few times I self-cathed there was almost no pain at all. I don't like self-cathing, but it's a vast improvement over the rubber hose and bags I dealt with for eight weeks.
Fish & Chips
I learned something new this week. There is a seafood restaurant close to where I live. It's witin walking distance — certainly an easy bike ride. A friend told me about it. Yesterday he and I met for fish & chips. I have my own recipe, but ordering it in a restaurant is so much easier. No prep, no cooking, and no cleanup. The price, $14.25, is fair too. And I rode my bike for the first time since my surgeries.
We also tried their fried clams. They were okay, but not anywhere near as delicious as those in New England where I grew up. For one thing, they fry them too long. The coating was dark brown. As I remember, the fried clams in Connecticut and Rhode Island were lightly browned. They were delicious.
Shirts
Three down, two to go. I started another one this week. What will I do when the last one is complete and I have no fabric remaining? Maybe cooking videos again? Certainly not more shirts. By my estimate, I added 20 new shirts to my closet in the past several months. I'm set for a while.
Sunday 2022.7.3
Recovering
The recovery from my surgeries continues. I was told to be patient. This could take a while. Meanwhile, I continue to do what I need to, such as self-catheterization.
I saw the doctor on Thursday. The only progress I could report is now I know when I need to empty my bladder. That sensation has returned. He was satisfied. He had done the TURP surgery only a week earlier. He scheduled me for another appointment in four weeks. Hopefully that will be enough time to recover my functionality.
If not, he'll want to scope me. But that will hurt, a lot. I'll offer an alternative. If I can't void my bladder naturally, we both know what the problem is. It's probably scar tissue. He warned me about that possibility. So, schedule an operating room, put me under general anesthesia, do what's necessary, keep me overnight, and send me home the next day. I'll keep self-cathing, if necessary. I can always order more catheters.
Meanwhile, I am practicing patience. I wear a clean adult diaper everyday. When I can wake up in the morning without seeing any bloody discharge in my diaper, I'll know my prostate has healed. Again, that could take a while. Poking through it five times a day with a catheter probably isn’t helping it heal.
Catheters
Initially, I was a little disappointed with Coloplast. They scheduled me for a shipment of catheters. But first, one positive note. I received them by UPS the following day. However, the woman on the phone asked if I wanted a 30-day or 90-day supply. I told her 30 days would probably be enough to get me through my recovery. They sent 30 catheters. That's a six-day supply. I average five per day. They are single-use catheters, to be disposed of after one use, not to be used again.
It turned out the first shipment was an overnight package to deliver a starter supply. A second box arrived a few days later with the remainder of the catheters, quite a large box because there were 150. 180 should last me quite a while. But I'm concerned about one thing.
What do I do with the extras when I don't need them anymore? I know neither the doctor's office nor the hospital will want them after they've been in my possession, even if I don't open the box. Then I thought about the hospital. They dispose of all kinds of hospital waste everyday. Some catheters discretely bundled in my trash will probably be okay. That's where I've been tossing the used ones.
Some Numbers
I received a summary of costs for my surgeries and related doctor visits. The total amount billed to my insurance is $46,000, so far. That does not include the second hospital stay and surgery for the TURP. I expect the final total to be over $100,000. That also does not include prescription medications and visits to my primary care physician. Thankfully I have good medical insurance! My out-of-pocket expense has been only $140.
And, by the way, those disposable catheters mentioned above were billed at $11.30 each. My insurance paid for them.
So far, no invoices arrived in the mail.
Tour de France
It's that time of year again. Friday was the first day of this year's Tour de France. The first day was an individual time trial. The cyclists go onto the course one at a time, a minute apart, to race against the clock.
The day was made more interesting by a steady light rain. As it is, the time trial bikes have very little grip on the road. With rain, the roads are slippery. Thankfully, only two athletes fell and their injuries were minor. Because of the weather, they weren't racing at top speed. When they fell and slid into the barriers, there wasn't much of a collision.
About six years ago I assembled a new home theater system — TV, receiver, Blu-ray player, cable box and all new speakers. My cable box lets me record shows to watch later. The Tour is broadcast each day from France early in the morning. I record it. No need to get out of bed early.
I was a little disappointed that Mark Cavendish wasn't selected to be a part of the Tour team this year. He is the world's best sprinter. I was also not surprised. He is a pure sprinter. He struggles through the mountain stages and if he doesn't complete a stage within the time limit, he is eliminated. That happened last year. So, there is too high a possibility he won't be there to help his team though the entire 21-day competition. With each team now reduced to eight, they can't afford to lose any members.
Shirts
The project continues, albeit slowly. Yesterday I assembled two sleeves and attached them to the body. Today will be the side seams and the hem.