Random 5 for November 19, 2023 – Hearing aids, vaccines, flu, communication, cat

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Well, Merry Christmas! – My new hearing aids came home this week. I’m a first-time user and trying to figure them out. I must have a small ear canal because I can sort of feel them in one ear (unless I don’t have it in right!). I got them so I can hear people conversations better but so far, I’ve heard the garage door opener, emptying the dishwasher and other sounds I’d prefer not to hear. My cat Gracie is a lot louder than I thought. This time around I’m committed to “getting used to them” and if you see me, remember I can hear you now!

Done, done, done! – This morning we had the last of our “winter” vaccines. We are of an age when it’s suggested you get the updated covid, the regular flu and RSV. We should be able to fly through the winter without a serious illness.

The irony – I feel strongly about the vaccines. My maternal grandfather died in the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 (at age 40) and my dad died in the flu outbreak in 1958. Personally, I’ve never had the flu. I didn’t start getting the vaccine until I was in my 60s. If I get a respiratory illness, it’s more likely to be bronchitis or a common cold and there isn’t much you can do about that.

Speaking about health stuff – I had a follow-up mammogram this week. During the summer I had discomfort in scar tissue from a lumpectomy I had 20 years ago. I’m not a mamo whiner but this one was uncomfortable because they were trying to get the tissue behind the scar. Scars don’t squish. When I got the report, the radiologist noted some things and added “it’s probably not cancer.” Really? You don’t know? I’m not too worried. If it was suspicious, they would have sent me for a biopsy. I’m scheduled to follow up in six months. I’ll see my gynecologist in the meantime and she what she says.

Poor kitty – This week I tried to help a friend who is looking for a home for a very friendly stray that is staying on her porch. I wasn’t successful. Everyone I know who loves cats, has too many. Last I heard she was going to our local shelter. Hopefully, good things will happen. If anyone in my area (northeast PA) is looking for a young, friendly companion, let me know.

So how was your week?

 

70 thoughts on “Random 5 for November 19, 2023 – Hearing aids, vaccines, flu, communication, cat”

  1. One, you’ll get used to your new hearing aids. You’ve gotten used to half throttle hearing. Now you’re in Dolby sound. Give it time. It will be great.

    That kitty looks so sweet. A Morris puss. I had one once named Mugsy. He was so macho but could turn on the charm in a heartbeat.

    I hope she finds a home.

    I never got a flu shot before last year. Had my second one along with a Covid refresher. I’m not thrilled putting all this stuff in one’s body, but they scare you so. Onward.

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      • If I were nearer, I would take her. Of course it’s easy to say that since she’s miles away. I need a pal. I’ve tried to tell myself a couch without claw marks is more important than affection, but now I don’t know.

        And I’ll say it again…we get used to everything, even hearing less. It’s how we’re designed. Don’t trade them in.

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  2. My goodness, Kate. Your grandfather and father both losing their lives to flu as young men? I can certainly understand and applaud your immunization schedule and it’s amazing to me how many people don’t recognize the potential vulnerability to influenza. By now you’d think everyone would diligently prepare against winter illnesses, but I have many friends who don’t. 🤷‍♀️ I hope you’ll adjust to your new hearing aids quickly, and I suspect you will.

    Thinking of you, too, with the medical concerns. I have such a tendency to panic, and so I’m really impressed with your reasonable approach. Follow ups and one step at a time. I need to learn that skill!

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    • I’m not all that laid back about medical things. I’m really a hypochondriac so usually think the worst of things. I have been through so many breast testing results that I’m confident if they had any real doubt, I’d be in for a biopsy (they’ve done that before). I’m not sure why she used that wording but it wasn’t all that reassuring and if I hadn’t been through a few false positives in the past 20 years, I’d be panicking. Ultimately, I’m waiting to hear from my gyno. I have a lot of confidence in her.

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  4. Best of luck with the hearing aids! I wish there was a way that they helped with conversations but didn’t make all the annoyance sounds louder as well. But perhaps it’s like wearing new glasses when suddenly you can see that there are leaves on the trees. Everything looks so different but you get used to it.

    I hope her royal barfiness is feeling better now.

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    • Her royal barfiness is still barfy and will always be like that. After several vets, blood tests, mucho dinero and less than helpful meds, I have accepted that she will barf most days and I have to clean it up. Looking to buy stock in Bounty! As I was writing this, my husband was emptying the dishwasher, it took everything I had not to yell “stop the noise!” Seriously, why are the stupid noises so much louder than voices? (rhetorical question unless you have an answer)

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  6. Hi, Kate – It definitely is vaccine season. I just had my flu shot and COVID shot as well. I haven’t had the RSV shot yet. That one is super pricey – atleast in BC. Still, I will get it but didn’t want to get three in a row! ❤

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    • The RSV is covered by medicare insurance here. I had the single vaccine several years ago (after I saw how ugly and painful it could be). At the time it was pricey but now it’s also included in the medicare package. It’s cheaper to cover vaccines than the treatments. We are (hopefully) done with vaccines for a long while.

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    • Me too. Believe me I thought long and hard but at the end of the day, with one barfer, there is a lot of work here. I’m hoping he’s chipped and reunited with his family.

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  9. I’ve had everything except the RSV shot. The pharmacy said it would cost me $300. My insurance wouldn’t pay for it unless I had it at the doctor’s office. So I guess I’ll have to make an appointment. I hope that works.

    My aunt died at about the age of 8 or 9 during the Great Flu epidemic, so agree with you about getting vaccinated.

    I’m sorry about your mammogram. They’re painful enough as it is without a scar making it worse.

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    • RSV is covered here under our Medicare plan. When I got the singles vaccine, that wasn’t covered and was pricey but I had a few friends get singles and I don’t every want it! Now even that vaccine is covered. After my breast cancer diagnosis, I had to both a mamo and MRI yearly. I was surprised they didn’t send me for further testing so I can only assume that the radiologist didn’t think it was necessary. We’ll see what my gyno says.

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  10. I just had my COVID booster yesterday but had my flu and RSV vaccines about a month ago. I have found if I get the flu/COVID vaccines the same time, by the afternoon I zonk out and that lasts about 24 hours, so I nos spread them out. I believe in vaccines as well. Might as well do what you can to protect yourself. My neighbor has Long COVID and had a heart attack last year as a result of it. He got COVID early on in the pandemic before it was a household word and long before any vaccines were available. I hope the hearing aids work for you – tell Gracie to tone it down a notch or two. I think your radiologist could have just left “probably” from the diagnosis … that’s a strange comment in my opinion. I’m with you that if there were concerns you would have had to have a biopsy.

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  11. Yes, I’m listening to my dryer right now, but I do appreciate hearing people better. I also love the app on my phone so I can do all the adjusting from there. Same with the shots here – we’re all up to date. Cancer and ‘probably not’ are not necessarily what you want to hear, but as you said they would have certainly sent you for further tests. Here’s to the shelter finding just the right family for the kitty.

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    • I didn’t download the app yet. The guy who fitted me is not a techie and didn’t give me any help with that part. It’s bluetooth and I’d like to sync up with some stuff if I can. I’m using ear plugs (on top of my aids) to hear my computer.

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  14. Yes, not all the sounds you hear with a hearing aid are welcome! I had never heard our Sheltie’s nails on the hardwood floor before. It was so loud and the washer, etc. But I did adjust. Your ears are in overload now! Hopefully soon things won’t seem as loud and overpowering to you.

    The kitty is so cute, hope she can get a forever home. I have a friend who is a big cat lover, but I think they will say they have enough cats. They have 7!

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  15. It’s great you have all your vaccines and set for winter. I’m the same. I haven’t had the flu since I was a kid, but not taking any chances. I’m sure the cat will find a home now it’s at the shelter.

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    • There are goods and bads about hearing aids. It elevates all the noise even the stuff you don’t want to hear. I was amazed at how noisy our washer/dryer is. Yikes! Hopefully I can hear people better. The ginger is currently slated to go to our local animal shelter. It’s not a bad place. They have cat rooms. He’s young and so friendly that I’m hoping he will be adopted soon. I was so sorry I couldn’t find a home for him. All the shelters are slammed. People seem to be surrendering the pets they adopted during the pandemic.

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  19. I’ve had ‘funny feelings’ along my scar tissue but the mammo turned nothing up. It’s on my notes though and any issues or concerns I can contact the breast clinic immediately. However, if it’s the other side, I have to go through my GP first. Can’t work that out, but hey ho. Shame about the puss. Maybe someone will offer a forever home by Christmas. Glad the shots went OK and I’m sure you’ll get used to the hearing aids before you know it.

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    • Scar tissue is a funny thing. It can be uncomfortable in many ways. Sometimes there is a “pulling” but this summer it hurt. It may have been the muscle pull on the other side of my ribcage had me “compensating” which irritated the scar. Anyhow, after being released back to “screening” mamos, they are putting me back on “diagnostic” which is a longer visit.

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  20. Good job on the fall vaccines! I didn’t get flu shots when I was younger, either. I got the flu several times, but was lucky enough to avoid secondary infections. Once I was a mom, well, there are no sick days. Plus, the husband has subpar lungs and has infection-induced asthma. So I’ve been getting my flu shot ever since, and my kid gets one, too, because I don’t want him to miss school. Kid still gets all kinds of colds and roto/noroviruses, as do I, but no flu. We’ve gotten our fall vaccines as well, except for RSV, which I should tell the husband to get. He also gets the pneumonia vaccine. Fingers crossed the tissue stays “probably not cancer.” Jeez.

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    • We don’t always get the vaccine for ourselves but to keep people we love from getting it from us. Sometimes I don’t think people understand that. My brother has asthma (and he’s 93!) so I don’t want to give him anything!

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  21. Our bodies are amazingly designed to heal, so while I was kind of sickly as a kid, into my adult years I avoided flu vaccines. I learned the body needs to build up immunity and I got bronchitis a lot in my early adult years so eventually built up immunity to a lot of seasonal bugs. I have researched plenty enough about what’s in vaccines including RSV, etc., so I prefer to strengthen my natural immunity through getting Vitamin D (sunlight) and/or nutritional supplements, and Vitamin C (enjoying lemons, oranges, and plenty of citrus fruits). An excellent natural immunity source is elderberry. I take chewy supplements (Sambucus is an excellent brand, and available at most health food stores or in health food sections of major grocery stores). Stay hydrated and get moderate outdoor exercise, plenty of rest, and most of us don’t need Big Pharma to help us stay well.

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    • Some of us are around immune compromised loved ones and can’t take the chance but whatever works for each of us is ok. Since I retired (and am no longer with tons of people daily) I don’t get sick. My dad died from flu complications (at age 55 with no other issues) so it’s closer to me than most.

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  22. Yay you for getting your vaccine booster and your yearly flu shot. I’ve done those, too, but not the RSV one. Oddly enough it is the easiest one to get, no appointment necessary at the pharmacy, yet I’ve dawdled. You’ve inspired me to get with it.

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  23. I have only ever gotten the flu shot once. At the same time, I was convinced to get a pneumonia vaccine as well. I have never had the flu. I also want to get the most recent covid booster, but the supply is still lower than the demand. The local pharmacy won’t make an appointment for us because people make the appointments and then cancel them (or don’t show up), and while they will eventually find someone to use that dose, they don’t want to turn away someone who is ready and committed to receiving it. You just have to show up and ask if they have any available.

    I have had the displeasure of having bronchitis but the last time was at least 9 years ago. I do not routinely go out and about for the heck of it, and I don’t openly go places where there are a lot of people who might breathe their germs on me. I want to continue with the covid vaccines, but I’ve never heard that the ‘normal’ flu is something that I can’t recover from, so I’m just not worried.

    I too had a mammogram less than a week ago, and I have a lot of scar tissue inside my pumpkins from having a reduction over 30 years ago. Results were clear, and because of that scar tissue, the always look at the x-rays from the previous one to the x-rays of this one, because that helps them in determining if anything is “new” since the last one.

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    • My last mamo was in June so they had a very recent one to compare. As you say, it’s the comparison. Maybe the radiologist saw something different but not exactly suspicious. We are fortunate in that our pharmacy makes appointments. They also fill in with walk-ins. Sundays mornings are a good time because it’s not busy with either.

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  24. I hope you’re able to adjust to the hearing aid. And good news, mostly, on the mammogram. Strange comment from the radiologist. It has been a horrible year for people dumping their indoor friendly cats. We get many requests every week to help them, and can’t begin to keep up with the needs. So sad, and so unnecessary. (Not to mention cruel.)

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    • I don’t know why people do that. Pet commitments are forever or maybe for a very serious reason. There have been a lot of sad stories of pet owners passing on or moving to a nursing home. Those I understand but some people lose interest as the cat outgrows the kitten stage. This cat is very people friendly so must have had a home at some point. They are taking it in to see it if is chipped.

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      • It is really unbelievable that folks just discard their cats outside. And way too much of it this year. My heart goes out to the poor kitty. People get angry at us at the rescue for not adopting kittens out to folks in their 70’s (and up!) but we know what happens to them a few years down the line when they can’t care for them anymore. We’ll adopt out an older cat, but not a baby to folks of that age. As a 68 year old person myself, kittens are way too much as we age! Tripping hazard among other things.

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        • Very true! I reached out to a friend who just took in her elderly mother and the first thing she worried about was the tripping hazard. It’s real. Unfortunately, the companionship would have been great. Maybe they would need an older pet.

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          • An older cat is ideal for older people. And they aren’t in high demand at shelters and rescues, so they would be very grateful to have an elderly human companion.

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