The Week in Review

This has been the week of the doctor's visit.  Monday Jim went to see his local dermatologist.  He's the best so far in keeping the bad things at bay.  He also confirmed that yes, Jim really does need to get that Mohs procedure done.  

Tuesday the refrigerator guy came and "realigned" the switch for the water dispenser, which failed five minutes after he left.  I guess we'll be getting a new part.  It's not really clear to me what the next steps are.  We're also getting the missing ice shield replaced so that the ice maker stops shooting my bare feet with ice, which is painful. He's coming back Friday, perhaps things will be better.

We did solve the mystery of why the stove grates do not sit level.  They are missing some rubber feet.  No they don't sell the feet.  No they don't sell replacement grates.  The stove is too old.  It's a stupid stove, it has a side oven into which NOTHING will fit,  not even a 10.5 in plate.  It's a wide stove, because of the side oven, which meant two banks of drawers had to be removed.  I fail to see the advantage here.  If we weren't worried about becoming paupers due to the orange menace, I would have the stove replaced with a normal one, restore the two banks of drawers and replace the counter top.  But who knows what will happen, and so we'll just live with it. But I digress.

Wednesday we saw the GP.  I love this woman.  She has seen us through some rough patches.  She, the dentist, and the cardiologist are reason enough to move here.  Health care in Spokane is surprisingly awful.  My lipids continue to be good.  Exercise and genetics to the rescue.  Jim is holding up well, his numbers are also good.  Tuesday, Jim called for an appointment with the Mohs guy; they'd had a cancellation, and so we were scheduled for the next day after the GP appointments.  It was a long day.  In a Mohs, they go to the biopsy site and make it bigger.  Then slides are prepared to see if the margins are clear.  The slide prep takes an hour, so it's not a quick visit.  They got clear margins after the first scoop, to that was good.

This, my friends, is the mother of all pressure bandages.  It has to stay on until Saturday.  Jim will need a bigger hat.

Today we are off to see a hand surgeon.  We want to know if anything can be done about Jim's finger which is curving and  the joint is locking, and also if he performs the Suture Suspension Arthroplasty for Thumb Carpometacarpal Arthritis.  It's better than the old way of doing reconstruction which involved two incisions, tendon harvesting and a longer recovery.  Jim's first hand guy was older, and he did the older procedure and would not discuss the new one.  

There has been some riding this week, in between seeing the medical fleet.

A large cactus in the front yard.

Here we go - to the dark side, with the orange menace.

Dr. Oz has been appointed to run Medicare and Medicaid.  RFK Jr, the anti-vaxer, proponent of raw milk consumption, and eater of road kill, was given the NIH, which oversees all things medical.  The two of them are having bro-spasms of joy talking about how they're going to suspend much of cancer treatment, preventative treatment and boost supplements.  What could go wrong?

Linda McMahon, of the WWE, who has a BA in French, and zero experience in the education field, despite once lying about having a degree in education, will be running the Department of Education, should it still exist.  

The House Republicans still refuse to release the records of Matt Gaetz having sex for money with underage girls.  There are videos of him doing it, they're on his phone.  However this does not seem to be disqualifying for the post of Attorney General.  The republicans are truly spineless shameful worms.

Late breaking news!  Gaetz withdrew!  And he gave up his seat in Congress previously. 

They are going to break the country.  I wonder if the people who voted for him will mind.  I mind greatly.