Journeys 3.1

Reviewed my Explanations of Benefits (EOBs) for October, each of which corresponds to a medical bill paid fully or in part by insurance. I’ve received 14 EOBs so far for this month, with more to trickle in over the coming weeks. While each EOB used to arrive by mail as a thick wad of paper, I now receive them electronically. In this case, an uninsured patient would have been billed $1,039.00 for laboratory services; however, the rate negotiated between the provider and the insurer was just $144.26.

Today’s adventure: an MRI in a truck in a hospital parking lot. The hospital is remodeling its MRI suite, so I got to ride in one of Siemens’ latest systems. Fortunately, there’s a small changing area inside, so I didn’t have to parade across the lot in a hospital gown.

Well, that’s something new for me, and a nice nod to our local Nordic roots. Today, for the first time, I tried our building’s sauna to see if it might help with pain management. I was immediately struck by the warm cedar aroma as I laid down my towel. The heat felt great, and my perception of pain noticeably eased. As a temporary shut-in, I’m glad to have one more local destination to shuffle to.

Life is a bit more complicated now that I have to be driven everywhere and get dropped off at front doors where I’d normally walk. Lovely lunch with friends at a Hilton (0.6 miles), a beautifully repurposed farm machinery factory, for extreme comfort food: Swedish meatballs, mushroom gravy, lingonberries (mandatory) and horseradish mash. Tonight, Kunene and the King at the Guthrie (0.3 miles), a confrontation between a white and a Black South African.

Probably the best almond croissants in the city, plus steamed pork buns ready for the freezer, all from Trung Nam French Bakery. We met friends at Trung Nam over coffee and croissants. The almond ones are usually gone by mid-morning, so I called in an order yesterday. I love how Vietnamese culture so seamlessly absorbs other traditions, including French and Chinese.

Today I had a SPECT/CT scan. Friday’s Pluvicto infusion attached directly to the tumor, providing enough radiation for today’s imaging. As the drug decays, it emits gamma rays detected by two rotating cameras in the foreground. The scan finishes with a CT from the rear ring, which is merged with the SPECT data to form a 3D image. Pretty neat.

Checked a load of rutabaga, carrots, and parsnips undergoing the Maillard reaction; next up, potatoes. These days, I save cleanup time by only sautéing the onions and meat right in the main cooking pot before the braise.