Coffee with a Co-Op board member, with Games in the evening

 

Right now, I would rather have the above team of clowns running our government than the clowns currently in charge.  At least President Firefly (Groucho Marx) could be a success when he fights a war against another country.  In the real world, our president can't win a war against Iran, and keeps trying to shut down any press agency critical of his mismanagement of our country, our military, and its resources.  And we're lucky that he still grudgingly follows the dictates of our court system when they rebuke him.

Today, I had only two things on my docket: Coffee with a co-op board member, and Game Night.  So, I set my alarms to wake me up early, in order to be at the coffee shop by 11.  We talked about many things, including her problems with the co-op.  (No, I won't go into them here.  And, no, I only gave her some ideas which she could look into to help resolve her problems.  I still have fiduciary duties to the co-op.) This board member knows that I'm a member of the LGBT community, and I noted that I'm seeking out a new doctor.  She said that though her doctor wasn't accepting new patients, she would ask for an exception for me.  I said that I'd like to find a doctor that I could visit as Marian, and add one more place that I can visit as Marian, and drop one more place where I'm stuck having to go as Mario.

After I returned home, I decided to take a nap and catch up on my sleep.  Although I could have done some laundry, I decided to leave this until tomorrow (in which I'll be stuck presenting as Mario.)  I must have needed the rest, as I was "out" for 2 hours and had a truly deep sleep for that time.

- - - - - -

6 pm came, and I ate leftovers from yesterday's lunch before driving to Yonkers.   Arriving at 7:30, I had a hard time finding a spot to park.  And then the gaming began.  It was nice to see the hostess and DS again.  Although I lost both games, it was fun.  Afterwards, I was able to talk with the hostess for a few, discussing issues that her son and I have in common.  At 10 pm, everyone was "chased" out.  That was just as well, as I needed to stop at the supermarket on the way home....

The weekend started early with a visit to the theater

 

I'm not sure how many of us will recognize the lead performer in this picture.  He has told the story about The Day the Music died (February 3, 1959), and has had an active career since then.  He still makes records today with musicians such as Eric Clapton, Marc Knopfler, and Paul Simon.  If you haven't guessed his name by now, this is Dion Di Mucci, the singer of such hits as "The Wanderer", "Runaround Sue". and more.  And in his mid 80's, he still puts on one heck of a show!

But first....

It's a Thursday, and RQS was scheduled to come up a day early for tonight's concert,. Our plan was for me to visit my doctor in the morning, to change into Marian Mode, and pick her up at the train station 3 hours later.  

First, I went to my GP/Internist, and he hectored me about my weight, while checking out my leg problems.  He was much more focused on my weight as if it were a moral problem, never having recommended a dietician to help me plan my food intake.  Yes, he did check out my muscle responses with his rubber hammer.  But I felt I got much more out of last week's visit to the podiatrist, with recommendations for physical therapy (for lower body strengthening) and to an Orthopedist (to check for Spinal Stenosis).  Needless to say, that if a foot doctor is giving me a better path for dealing with the problems I'm having with walking, then it's time I start looking for another GP/Internist.

Next, I went home and took care of some minor cleaning up I had to do (my place had become a pig sty due to my leg issues), then picked RQS up at the station.  Stopping to pick up food for the weekend, I met someone with whom I worked at the census.  We had a nice chat, and then it was back to my place to put the groceries in the fridge, and to rest before going to dinner. and the theater.

Around 5:30, we left for the theater, and I was very glad to have prepaid parking across the street from the theater.  (There was no way I wanted to hunt for a parking spot in Port Chester, NY on a dreary day.)  Then we found a nice restaurant across the street, Inca Gaucho, were we both feasted on seafood.  Around 7:30, we walked over to the theater, climbed up 3+ flights of stairs to reach our seats in the nosebleed section.

The show started at 8:15, with Chazz Palminteri talking about the music heard in his Bronx neighborhood - Dion and the Belmonts.  (BTW: Chazz would be performing his one man show the next evening.) And then Dion came on stage. Dion put on a solid performance, opening up with some of his newer music (great and mature stuff) before transitioning to his hits.  He closed with "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer", where people were either standing up or dancing in the aisle.  For a man in his mid 80's to get an audience rocking this way, it's a miracle.  But then, so is much of Dion's life. 

 

Another visit to my doctor (a short post)

 

This is going to be a short post, as I am frustrated for understandable reasons.  I went to my doctor today, and got some more hectoring about my weight.  

Normally, I will fluctuate within a range of two or three pounds at any given time.  Today, I was at the upper range of my weight when I went to see him.  He asked me about the GLP-1 drugs, and then said that his office doesn't have the time to track things down.  Yet, later on, chatting to one of his staffers, the staffer said that she had received information that I had been approved for the bridge program, and that I am not alone in people from his office that she has been working on paperwork for these people.  

In short, it looks like my doctor is starting to check out of much effort needed for his practice.  (I could be very wrong on this.)

It's frustrating to find out that a foot doctor, someone who casually saw me less than a week ago, gave me a script for physical therapy and a recommendation to see an orthopedist, and then to find out that my GP didn't even ask me about the visit to the other doctor.  

So, the big question is:  When do I make my move to another GP?  

A visit to the foot doctor, with more medical appointments to come.

 

Sometimes, I feel like the old lady pictured above.  I had one main thing on the docket for today, and I made sure to visit the foot doctor on schedule.

But first....

Although I'm feeling better than I have been feeling for the past few weeks, I know I'm operating at 50%. I've only had one opportunity to go out as Marian, and I'll likely be more limited in my outings due to appointments that have to be scheduled.

I started getting ready to visit the foot doctor around 1:00, and accidentally cut my big toe on a disposable razor.  AARGH!.  But if I was going to do some damage to my foot, this was the day to have it happen.  So, after a quick lunch at a local diner, I drove to the doctor's office.  And I couldn't find the office, as it was in a corner of the building that I hadn't been in before.

After checking in, I met with the doctor.  She told me that I might have spinal stenosis (based on other information I've given her) and said that I should see an Orthopedist. And whe prescribed a regimen of physical therapy to strengthen my muscles.  For my feet, she prescribed an antifungal, and scheduled an appointment for two weeks from now.  (I showed her a picture of me as Marian, and told her not to be surprised if she sees me this way next time.)   I'll discuss this and more when I see my GP next week.

This left me with a free afternoon.  I didn't feel like running off to the bank to change my account status.  I can do that tomorrow before I go to RQS's place for the weekend.  If I'm up to it, I'll do some laundry tonight. 

Calling the doctor (another short post)

 

Today, I felt overwhelmed by circumstance.  I had to call the doctor regarding my X-Rays, and other stuff also came up as well.

But first....

It took me a while to get moving, and my legs bothered me when I did.  I fear my trip to RQS's place with my luggage, as well as the trip to the airport and on the plane.  So I waited a while for my doctor to respond to my emails, and then called his office around 11 am.    They didn't have much information for me at that time, but they wanted to do a tele-health call at 2 pm.

Clearing my schedule for 2 pm, I still had to wait for over a half hour for the doctor's office to call me.  It took a while for them to straighten out an issue with the statin my doctor was trying to get me to take.  Now, it will be added to my daily regimen for when I come back from my trip.  Next, the doc told me that when I get back, we'll need to schedule an MRI for my lower back.  Finally, I'm on track for the GLP-1 drug.  My problem is that if I start paperwork now, that I won't be around to pick up my doses until I return.  So, I'm not sure of what I'll do with paperwork for the Medicare Bridge Program.

During the day, I got more calls and emails, with the net result that there was a prescription waiting for me at CVS.  I'll take care of that tomorrow, as I don't want to go out of the house on a dreary day.  With that being said, I was able (without much trying) to crick my lower back as if I were cracking my knuckles.  Since I haven't been able to do that in a while, I consider this a temporary good sign for me, as I didn't feel too bad getting out of bed after a nap.

Keep your fingers crossed for me - I might just be able to enjoy my vacation after all. 

- - - - - -

Returning home with an empty car. (A short post)

 

Whenever I think of the problems I now have in getting around, I should think of our former president (pictured above).  He had polio in middle age, and yet, that didn't stop him from becoming one of America's greatest presidents.  So, if he could do that, I can handle the aches and pains I'll encounter when RQS and I leave on our next cruise.

But first....

It's hard to believe, but it was the first day in ages that I woke up around noon.  My body is telling me something, and that is to take it easy.  And I'm trying to do this before my upcoming trip.  RQS cooked me some breakfast (she's a great soul!) and I proceeded to get showered and dressed shortly afterwards.  Unlike most days, I wasn't going to risk slipping and falling just to shave my legs and other parts of my body.  That can wait until I get home.

Around 2 pm, I dropped RQS off at the drug store while I drove home.  I wasn't feeling too bad, but I knew that I wouldn't walk much further than up my steps and into my apartment,  For the rest of the day, I rested, and ordered a pizza for delivery around 7:30 pm.  Yum!  But by then, I needed my cane to walk to the doorway to get my pizza.

As you can guess, I can't wait to call my doctor's office and find out the next step I need to take for recovery.  More tomorrow.... 

You aught tp be in pictures. OUCH!

 

Now, I know what's likely wrong with my legs, and it has nothing to do with my legs, save for the nerves that lead to them and signal pain.

But first...

Today, I woke up early (and with pain in my legs) to get dressed and go to the x-ray location of my health care network.  Getting there around 11 am, I had to wait a little bit, and got up when the x-ray technician called for another person with my same first name.  Then, a few minutes later, I was called, and I was hurting.  Once the x-rays were taken, I was told (not officially) that I will likely need surgery on my back.  AARGH.  I'll have to suffer for at least another month before a surgery date can be scheduled, and then be out of commission for another 6 weeks or so.  

Once out of the radiology area, I called RQS to tell her the news.  I didn't want to say to her that I might have to ask her to go on the cruise alone.  But I'll make up my mind on this within the next week.  Then I went home to rest.  Later on, I ended up chatting with Vicki for a couple of hours, and then decided to go to dinner at the local diner.  Initially, she wanted to go into problem solving mode, when all I needed was an ear.

Around 7 pm, I met Vicki at the diner and we continued the conversation we started over the phone. From what I said, she has a low opinion of my doctor, and recommended a different doctor to try out after work on my back is done.  Hopefully, all necessary procedures will be complete by year end, so that I can start cruising again in the spring.

 

The day started slowly and in a little pain, but....

 

There's a part of me that feels like I should have been in a hospital bed this morning.  The walking I did yesterday, coupled with transiting my staircase several times did me in.  My legs didn't want to support me when I got up, and I made sure that I was going to call for appointments to go to the foot doctor and get the X-Ray done.

- - - - - -

With the above being said, I decided to stay in bed much of the day, not snacking, eating or drinking.  That wasn't because I didn't want to do these things, but because my legs didn't want to do them.  Yet, by the time I decided to get up in the afternoon, things had changed a little.  So, I made my appointments and decided to cook something before taking a shower.  (As I thought about things, I realized that my weekend will be spent presenting as Mario.  But that's another story for another post.)

I exchanged a couple of emails with my doctor about the name of a drug that my pharmacy isn't filling.  All the doctor would do would have me contact the pharmacy to find out why.  I may do this, but I'm concerned that he's passing the buck on tasks he (or his office) doesn't want to tackle.  But I was able to set up a post-trip appointment with the foot doctor, and found out when I could go into the radiology practice to get my spine X-Rayed.

Even though I was feeling better later in the day, did I go out?  No.  Instead, I took it easy, and planned to work on packing my suitcase for the trip.  Did I even do that?  No.  I didn't want to be uncomfortable.

 

A visit to the doctor

 

A cruise ship's doctor - one of the few people I never want to meet professionally.  Both RQS and I have done so on separate cruises, and it's no fun.  In my case, I was lucky - I was prescribed an antibiotic to deal with my issue.  In RQS's case, she hobbled around for weeks after someone on the ship fell and injured her ankle.

Recently, I visited my doctor's office to discuss the problems I've been having with my leg, causing any attempt to walk to be painful.  I arrived before noon, and it took over 45 minutes for him to see me - he was backed up with other elderly patients.  When he finally got to see me, I discussed the problem I was having and told him how painful it was for me to walk this past weekend.  He instructed me to walk around, hit my legs with a medical hammer, tested my sensitivity to light touch in each leg, and examined my feet.  As a result of all of this, he wants me to see a foot doctor and get some x-rays.  (I have flat feet, and he wants to check out an issue I have with my spine.  Too bad that he wouldn't understand the joke which references American slang:With these flat feet, I should have been a policeman walking a beat.)

While in his office, he asked me about the GLP-1 process.  I was a little annoyed at him, as I said that the onus was on him to start the process of qualifying me for the Medicare "Bridge" program, not me.  He has to contact the pharmacy, get the Medicare form, fill it in, and hope that my GLP-1 drugs can be subsidized by the program.  Luckily for me, a couple of his staff were in the room, and they understood what had to be done.  (You can imagine what was running in my mind.  I had told him that HE had to take the next step, and he didn't - for reasons unknown to me.  How dare he hector me about weight loss and GLP-1 drugs, when he doesn't want to do his share of the paperwork needed for affordable drugs.)

Once done with the doctor's office, I went home to rest. Soon, I'll start getting my luggage ready to go to RQS's place, staged for our upcoming trip.

- - - - - - 

Later in the evening, I decided to do a light load of laundry - Mario's underwear.  Given how rarely I present as a male these days, I don't know for how long the earliest items of dirty laundry have been sitting in my hamper.  So it's going to be "fun" folding and storing what's been around for a while.

When I returned to my apartment, I found an email ostensibly sent from the daughter of a friend. It looked authentic until I saw the email address of the sender.  I was lucky NOT to go any further into the process of opening invite.  Instead, I sent an email to my friend's daughter, asking her if she sent anything to me.  (I'm also glad that this woman is a distant enough acquaintance to know that the only communication I can expect from her is when her mom dies.)  Hopefully, she can undo any damage a scammer has done to her computer.

 

A painful day at home (a short post)

 

It's the day after our drive to Hudson, and I ache. That's not an accurate description of what's going on with my body.  I'm not aching when I sit or lie down.  I'm simply in pain when I try to stand up or walk.  The muscles in the back of my calves simply do not want to support me.  There may be a set of pinched nerves in my back causing my problems, or it may be something else.  But I know that the doctor is going to ask me why I'm using a cane when I visit him soon.

Getting out of bed and taking care of myself lately has been troublesome at best.  I've put off doing a load of laundry for several days, simply because I'd hurt too much while going up and down the stairs. This weekend, RQS has been doing much more than I could ask of her to keep me out of pain.  And I'm grateful for that.  She has done all of the cooking, and a bit of the cleanup after meals - and more.

For the most part, for me to get around in my apartment, I need my arms for 3-point support.  At least, one of my arms needs to support my body in addition to the 2 legs that normally do so.  So, it hasn't been much fun for me to get around.  This is why I'm a little bit afraid.  I have a trip coming up, and I need to be mobile for that trip.  

But enough of my venting for now....

This morning, I received a delayed reply from my Canadian pen pal.  She's doing well, but is very busy.  She doesn't live with her wife yet, but visits her every so often.  When her parents die, she and her wife will find a way to live together - either in one city or the other,  Until then, my pen pal will be taking care of her parents.  And that's the sign of a good adult offspring.

My brother is likely going to be out of a job soon, and has started interviewing for a new one again.  He works in a place which is in receivership, and doesn't think that the banks will bail the firm out a second time.  This makes me glad that we've sold the family homestead, as my brother has a small financial cushion to tide him over until finding a new position.  It won't be an easy time for him - he suffers the from the discrimination our society has against older workers.

I'm still waiting on New York City to send me a copy of my grandmother's marriage licence.  That's the hardest thing for me to get to complete the requirements for the foreign birth registry.  I'm still going to see if I really need this document.  But, I need to get on an online chat to do so, and I haven't found the time for this task.

As a wise person said in four short words:

"This too, shall pass." 

Dinner at Lefteris - Even salad can taste good if done right (a short post)

 

Lefteris Gyro is a family owned chain of several Greek Restaurants, whose first store is pictured here.  It has been one of my go-to places when I want good Greek food and don't want to risk a bad meal somewhere else.  Tonight, RQS and I went to dinner at one of their other locations, and as expected, we had a tasty meal.

But first....

I finally changed the appointment I had scheduled with my doctor to take place one week earlier than planned.  My knees were telling me that I'm older than I look, and that I needed to have the doctor examine me while I had time to take care of things.  Yet, with uncooperative knees (and legs), I decided NOT to do a load of laundry.  Instead, I lallygagged until it was time to get showered, made up, and dressed.  And then, I picked RQS up at the train station.

The first order of the evening was to go out for dinner.  We saw the skies darkening, but chanced the restaurant in Hartsdale, NY.  We both had the Greek Salad with Chicken, and took home some leftovers. When we got in the car, we were lucky.  It had just started to rain, and we didn't get wet.  But that didn't mean we weren't affected by the rain.  Halfway home, the heavens opened up, and I could barely see the road I was driving on.  Luckily, I knew to drive slowly, and made it home without incident. 

Tomorrow, we plan to take a long drive.  Let's hope the weather cooperates with us. 

Some like it hot, but I don't.

Today and tomorrow are going to be brutally hot (again), and the wisest thing I can do is to present as Mario as much as possible.  If it weren't for the fact that the brain generates a disproportionate amount of a body's heat, I'd be comfortable wearing a wig and presenting as a female.  But, with temperatures bound for the upper 90's/low 100's, it doesn't make sense to risk getting heat stroke.

But first....

I had two things on the docket for today.  First was a doctor's appointment.  Second was a co-op board meeting.  Neither of these appointments were desired, as I  would rather have stayed cool and in my jammies and in my apartment.  Instead, I had to get dressed to see the doctor.

Around 11 am, I went to the doctor, and this time, he didn't hector me about my weight.  He must be a little glad that I am losing some weight.  I mentioned an issue I've been having with my legs (he didn't say much about this), and then we discussed a refill of a medicine I've been taking.  When he noticed how much the drug was costing me, he changed the prescription to a generic - and that will save me $150/month.  Yay!

Next, I decided to take a drive while I was out, and went to BJ's for some retail therapy.  I didn't buy anything I didn't need.  But I did buy some things I could have delayed purchasing if I needed to do so. And then, it was back home for the rest of the day.  The air conditioning was cranked up to the max, and it was tolerably cool inside.  But I knew that it would become unbearably warm in the afternoon, and that I'd stay in air conditioned comfort as much as possible.

Finally, it was time for the co-op board meeting.  Tonight, it was a quick one - most of our big problems are nearing resolution, and our next meeting won't be until September.  I was glad it was over.  Yet, it was the type of meeting we should be having every month.  I learned more than I wanted to about one board member - she couldn't even afford to turn on the air conditioning in this heat.  Her lights were off, and she was dressed in a way that allowed as much perspiration to evaporate as possible.

And yet, my day was not finished.  After finishing the bulk of this entry, I decided to take a rest.  And guess who called me....  TCL!   She has no understanding of electronic technology, and had to replace her Cable TV remote.  Around 10 pm, she called me with a problem.  After she replaced her cable remote, the volume control wasn't working.  It showed a different volume level bar on the bottom of the screen, and when she raised or lowered the volume, nothing happened.  I knew exactly what the problem was, and I was not in a position to fix it.  Instead, I directed her to call the cable company's support line and ask for help programming the cable remote.  Guess what...  They guided her through the process of fixing her problem, and I didn't have to spend an hour on the phone with her.  Yay!

 

 

 

I saw the doctor today, and....

 

I realize that doctors' visits aren't always good news.  But the more I see my doctor, the more I feel that he doesn't pay that much attention to things anymore.  It's as if he's preparing to wind down his practice, and he may not be as committed to serving his patients' needs as he once was.

- - - - - -

This month, my doctor visit was scheduled for the afternoon.  This way, I knew that if I had to drive back from RQS's place, that I'd have enough time to make it back home, change, then drive to the doctor's office.  However, I ended up coming home on Sunday, so I could have scheduled Monday's appointment for any time during the day.

What first surprised me today was my weight - I had lost 10 pounds since my last visit.  Only God knows why this happened.  I haven't been trying to watch what I eat as much as I've avoided stuffing myself to the gills.  (It scares me a little, as my wife couldn't explain her weight loss until she was diagnosed with terminal uterine cancer.  I want explanations, and I have none yet.)  

There is a US Government test program for Medicare involving GLP-1 Drug subsidies.  I'm not sure if I want to participate, as I'm not sure if my Part-D plan (Drug coverage) will cover GLP-1 drugs when the program ends.  Yet, to lose weight in a healthy way, it might be worth taking a chance on the program.  But first, my doctor has to apply in my behalf, and he hasn't lifted a finger yet.

- - - - - -

After my doctor's visit, all I did was to take care of laundry before going to sleep.  Tomorrow's lunch with Maria has been cancelled due to a medical issue.  So I'm not sure of what I'll do.  As Scarlet once said: "Tomorrow is another day."

Game Night - My only one this month

 

One thing I know about game nights - I usually lose the games we play.  I don't mind that, as this is always a good group of people to hang out with.

- - - - - -

This morning started out with a visit to my doctor.  As usual, he hectored me about my weight and tried to prod me to taking a GLP-1 drug - no matter what its cost.  That goes against my core philosophy - avoid expensive subscription items, when they are most in demand.  Would I mind taking a GLP-1 drug?  No.  But when the does will end up costing over 10% of my after tax income, the answer will be NO.  Yet, I will call my drug insurance company and find out whether (given my health) I can get it at a lower co-pay.

Next, it was back to my house to relax for a couple of hours, and then go for coffee with one of the board members.  We talked about the Orange Monster, Co-Op business, and her financial health (what little of it that's left.)  Sadly, I see her forced into less hospitable senior housing.  But that's what happens when a person never had the chance to save much during her adult life.

Finally, after another 2 hours of rest, it was time for game night.  I arrived just before 7:30, and got a call from the host - did I want him to save a place for me in the game they were setting up?  I said yes, and walked in to the house a minute or two later.  It was a pleasant evening, and though I lost (as usual), I had a good time. 

- - - - - -

Sadly, this would be my last day in Marian mode for a while.  This weekend, I'll have to present as Mario, as I'll be meeting 2 of RQS's friends. 

As I write this, I can't sleep

 

First, as I write this, I can not sleep for some unknown reason.  My relationship with RQS is going well, and we are scheduled to go on another cruise in a few weeks.  So, what is going on?  I described how I'm feeling as like a cisgender male version of a female's hot and cold flashes.  She said it might be hormonal, and to bring it up with my doctor on my next visit.

With this out of the way, I'm not sure if I was individually contacted by my former cruise partner, or whether it was a broadcast to an entire meetup group.  Although I might have responded "Yes" to an invitation to join the meetup group at a local restaurant, I would be busy that same night with co-op business - and the co-op comes first these days, due to the importance of my attendance at meetings.

My brother is flying out of town for his final interview with a firm.  If he's hired, he'll be moving to another state.  And I'll miss him, in spite of him and I seeing each other less than every 3rd month or so. I don't want to get stuck managing the family homestead, and I don't want to deal with the paperwork of paying bills, etc. to keep this joint venture going.

Tomorrow, I'll look up the phone number of the place where my doctor wants me to get an ultrasound, and schedule it for next week.  I'm at the age where my body is likely to betray me, and I don't look forward to its series of betrayals.  

Yet, none of these things can fully explain why I can't sleep right now.  Maybe, after I'm done with this post, I can get back to bed, cuddle up with RQS, and finally fall asleep. 

I could have gone out, but....

 

I stayed home much of the day, when it was a perfect day to go outside.  Today's focus was on the spreadsheet (see yesterday's post), but I didn't have any real plans for the day.  

- - - - - -

When I got up, I realized that I could either get showered, made up, and dressed.  But if I did so, I'd be spending money I don't need to spend to entertain myself.  And that's something I don't really need to do.  So, I decided to finish work on the spreadsheet, and add two more cruise lines to the options available for use.  It was easy to get lost in the tedium, and time passed as if hours were just minutes.

Around 5 pm, I decided to get showered and dressed.  It was nice to be able to apply makeup again, as I won't be able to spend much time as Marian next week, as I'll be stuck as Mario for both a Doctor's visit and for a pair of Co-Op board meetings.  (Once they are over, I can switch back to Marian mode for a while.). At 6 pm, I drove to the local Chinese take-out to pick up dinner, and I got a call from Vicki - we both forgot about dinner at the local Japanese restaurant.  So, we postponed again, and will likely go to a Brazilian BBQ sometime in the next couple of weeks.  

After I returned home, I got things set up for the Zoom meeting with our Texas friends.  It was a good meeting, as both of our friends were more animated than usual.  When I mentioned that I may have to set up my own Zoom account subscription, one of the gals volunteered to help pay for it.  Now we know how much this one person wants to keep up our monthly Zooms.

- - - - - -

Tomorrow, it will likely rain all day, making it a perfect laundry day.  I'll bet that I find excuses not to do it until late in the day. 

Seeing the Doctor for a checkup and Vicki for lunch

 

Today, was a half and half day - seeing the doctor as Mario and Vicki as Marian.  I'm glad that I had the time between these appointments to both change my clothes and to do some more work on updating my cruise related blog.

- - - - - -

But first....

I didn't get much sleep the night before, as I had lost track of time.  So, when I woke up at 8 am, I knew I wasn't going to even to start moving until 9 am.  When I finally got moving, I shaved carefully (it would make things easier later on), and got dressed as Mario for my visit to the doctor.

Arriving at the doctor's office, I was surprised that they were running on time.  He had a new Nurse Practitioner (NP, in training rotation) in the office, and I was the guinea pig for the day.  The doc (as expected) read me the riot act regarding my weight, and I mentioned my headache (financial) in picking up the starter doses of both Mounjaro, then Ozempic at CVS.  (I will not spend $500+ for this drug, when it should be covered for a lot less on Medicare.)  So, they did some research, and found out that I should be paying $50.  Now, they are trying to determine whether my mail order pharmacy covers it, and at what cost.  Sadly, the NP was telling me to fight the insurance company on this, when I tried to get her to understand - I can only deal with so much frustration before anger takes hold.  She needs some real world time to understand deep seated psychological issues that I manage to keep from getting into serious trouble.  But I digress.

After leaving the doc's office, I went home to change into Marian.  It took me 30 minutes to make the change, and I left for the Chinese buffet "on the other side of the world" at 1 pm.  Arriving at 1:45, I sat down in the restaurant, and waited for Vicki.  She surprised me by choosing a buffet instead of a traditional restaurant.  She noted that both the appearance of this place and the quality of its food was very good - and she was right.  I'll go there again soon, when I can afford the calories.

Once we finished lunch, I drove home for the day, and was able to rest.... 

RQS had to go home today

 

It's been a long time since I went to the theater with the above ceiling fixture.  It felt like RQS was here for a long enough time for her to become a fixture here.  (And that made me feel good.  I wish she could be here even longer.)

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Unfortunately, RQS had to go home today.  She had a doctor's appointment in the city, and I had a lunch appointment with CCS up here.  We both got up early, and I got showered and dressed in my cold weather outfit - tunic dress, leggings, all covered by a stadium coat for warmth.  RQS was a little surprised that I owned a woman's stadium coat for cold weather, when she bought be a men's stadium coat for Christmes.  But I always make sure that I wear solely female clothes when presenting as Marian, and male clothes when presenting as Mario.

Around 11:30, I dropped RQS off at the station, and had 90 minutes to kill.  So I went to the bookstore to kill that time.  When I got there, the first thing I did was to fix a zipper malfunction with my coat.  And then, I went and read some magazines for an hour.  After that, I drove to Starbucks to get something to drink, as I was falling out due to lacking enough sleep.  Then, I killed some more time before meeting CCS at the restaurant where we had lunch.

Neither CCS nor I had a lot to say today, but we both enjoyed seeing each other. The food at this place was very good, and I was surprised about how good the hamburger I had tasted today.  We left the restaurant at 3 pm, and I went home for the day.  Arriving home, I sat on the sofa and fell asleep for a couple of hours.  And then I was awake, watching videos for the rest of the evening.

A visit to the doctor - something I never like.

 

This is not a photo of my doctor.  Only when I started living full time as Marian and moving towards a medical transition, would I switch to a female doctor.  (As long as I  have my original equipment, I'd feel a little uncomfortable with a doctor who doesn't have my "plumbing configuration."  With that being said, this is not a discussion about doctors for transgender people.  We need to choose doctors with whom we are comfortable, and advocate for the best treatment we can get in our healthcare system.

Today, I visited my doctor.  I knew that he was going to be upset that I gained a couple more pounds since I last saw him.  But he was surprised to find out that the pharmacy was going to charge me $500/month for a Mounjaro (GLP-1) prescription.  There was no way I was going to pay that much for a drug, when there are others that Medicare has approved and is covered by my prescription insurance plan.  

What I forgot as well as my doctor did was that I was supposed to get my yearly physical.  So, after my visit was "done", I was asked to stay a while to get my blood drawn and for an EKG to be taken.  I again mentioned the problem with the GLP-1 drug that was prescribed, and he said that his assistant would look into this for me.  Guess what?  I got a text from his service that an Ozempic prescription was now on file, and also got a text from the pharmacy that the prescription was ready for pickup.  I'll have to call up the pharmacy to ask how much this prescription costs before I start with it.

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Unfortunately, there was 2 inches of snow on my car when I left for the doctor.  When I returned, I found that my parking space hadn't yet been plowed.  So, when I heard the plow a hour later, I was out of the house again to kill some time for the plow to do its job.  With the expected slop to be on the ground for tomorrow, I'll have to give up on the idea of wearing a fancy dress to Christmas Eve dinner and  to church, and simply wear a sweater dress over leggings for practicality.

This is the kind of problem many of us have to deal with during winter in New York.  It could be much worse.  But I'd rather have the problems I have in a TG accepting state, than to live in Florida where we are treated like dirt.  And some people wonder why I stay in my high tax state....

By the time you read this, I'll be back home and running at full speed.

 

This would be a short weekend with RQS, and a last chance to prepare for the above cruise.  I would need to drop off my bags at RQS's place, and then go home to park my car before going back to RQS's place before cruise day.  Any business I needed to take care of before the cruise had to be done now, as I couldn't do it while on the cruise.

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My plans for the Friday before the cruise were to see my doctor, finish my packing for the cruise, and then drive to RQS's place for a "short" weekend.  ("Short" means going down on Friday and driving back on Sunday.)  The first think on my task list was a doctor's visit.  We discussed things I need to do (lose weight, having gained 5 lbs.), as well as getting a prescription for a GLP-1 drug.  Well, he put thru the prescription to my local drug store (probably without checking first to see if Medicare covered the drug) and I balked at a $500/month price for the prescription.  There is no way that I am going to spend that much on a drug to help me lose weight (and get my Type-2 under better control), and I will tell him so when I see him just before Xmas.

Next on my list of things to do was getting money from the bank, as I'll need some folding money to take with me when sailing between the islands.  (Now, I have to get small bills, so that I can make buy small value things in ports.)  That took place without problems, as I got to the bank before the ATM shut down before weekly replenishment.

Finally, it was time for me to drive to Queens.  I was out the door by 2:30, and I made good time until I reached the Van Wyck Expressway.  There, traffic slowed to a standstill without reason.  So, I bailed, and went on local streets to keep moving.  (If I bail at Jewel Avenue, I pass by a former acquaintance's apartment house - someone who is better lost than found.)   I was able to snake through local streets to get to RQS's place, and asked RQS to meet me where I parked to unload all the stuff I had with me.

Once back at RQS's place and having a chance to rest, we ordered a pizza and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

- - - - - -

Saturday came, and we walked to the supermarket to take care of food shopping that will last RQS until the day we leave on our cruise.  I pointed out the Porterhouse Steak that we both drooled over, then selected the salmon we had for dinner.  (This was the first time that RQS did everything right - the salmon was perfectly cooked, and the rice was tasty; She gets in her cooking practice when I'm around, and I'm sure to always show my appreciation for her efforts.)  

After dinner, RQS finished up most of her packing, and we were able to relax again.  Both of us were exhausted from what went on during the prior week, and we were glad to have each other to relax with.

- - - - - -

On Sunday, I had to go home to take care of things.  I had an Amazon package being delivered, and I needed a break - I'll be with RQS for almost 2 weeks, and wanted some alone time that I couldn't get when she's around.

Neither of us got moving until noon.  I took my time getting showered and dressed, as I didn't want to rush home.  RQS had to drop off some goods in a donation bin, and then pick up prescriptions at the drug store.  So, I dropped her off at 3:30, and was home before 5.  It was nice to be home, and tomorrow I'll likely book a cruise on NCL that will give me double loyalty points and take care of the "gratuities" as part of the fare.  If I can couple this with another discount, this cruise will be relatively cheap - which is important, as I'll be the one paying for everything.

- - - - - -

I woke up early on Monday, alone in my bed and I'm glad I did - I was about to get some calls from my doctor's office to schedule a test, and then a call from the lab which was to perform the test.  By the time noon came around, I was tired again, and took a nap.

For those of my readers who are unfamiliar with the description of my apartment, the place needs to have windows open in cooler weather, as I get too much heat.  (There is a flaw in my building's design - the central heating core runs through my apartment and the apartment below me.  Being on the top floor, I get extra warmth both from a Southern exposure and from the heating core.)  So, I feel that my nap was triggered by the apartment's warmth. But I digress....

When I felt rested, I got online and booked a cruise, this time solely at my expense.  It was a long delayed treat for RQS.  All she has to do is correct her loyalty awards number, and we both get our credits for this cruise.... 

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Since I'll be too busy over the next couple of days, the next post here will be the start of my latest cruise related entries....