mdlbear | Done Since 2023-10-01 (Reply)

This week was mostly dominated by medical problems. I'm feeling considerably better than last week -- much less pain. Waiting for biopsy results from Thursday -- that will take until later this week. Took me until last night to figure out how to cut down on the pain. Took me long enough.

CW: The notes this week are mostly medical crap, so unless you want to read about urinary problems and laxatives (I said crap, and some of that is literal) you probably want to skip the notes, or at least skim past everything but the links. To save you the trouble, some of the better ones:

Some historical notes from Sunday: Linux: it's exactly 32 years to the day since the 0.01 release. What the Luddites Can Teach Us About Artificial Intelligence | Time
An amusing video from Monday: Animation vs. Math - YouTube
Another historical notes: The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fair. But it feel wrong to call stuff that happened in my lifetime historical.
A health note about 'fit but fat' research finally validates what women [...] knew: being obese does not mean unhealthy
A science note from Friday: Scientists have finally worked out how cats produce purring sounds
And from Saturday, Epic Games’ Sale of Bandcamp Has Left the Artist-Friendly Music Platform in Limbo.

Notes & links:
1001Su
& awake twice, second without mask. Left phone in house
* up 10:30ish; S=7:40, p=3.5-5.5; G knocking on my door with phone.
% acetaminophen 11ish dulcolax 12:30ish, Senna 12:52
& sent G to Bart's; will ask about cath supplies
@ Linux: it's exactly 32 years to the day since the 0.01 release.
@ What the Luddites Can Teach Us About Artificial Intelligence | Time
% lidocaine helped a little.
~ ask about bags etc. at Bartell's when I pick up the lidocaine scrip. -> don't have
% there's some pus. -> 1400 grab some brunch, give the laxatives time to work
-> then go to ER
@ Rep. Crockett has 5 minutes of mic-drop moments during impeachment hearing
& 15:54 checked in and triaged. Waiting for a bed.
* 18:44 back home. Not much got done, but reassurance is good too. Got a hand-out on
bag cleaning etc., a night bag, a syringe for cleaning it, a new leg bag with
properly-trimmed hose, a spare leg bag and statlock, a small stack of alcohol preps
! grieving, that's what it is.
% lidocaine seems to help, but it seems to take a while. Or maybe I'm just not tracking
the pain well.
% 21:58 1g acetaminophen - next dose in >= 8 hours -> 6am
* switch bags; wash leg bag. Really needs different equipment: squeeze bottles
-> ordered; will arrive 10/3

1002Mo o litter boxen
* up 7:30ish; S=6:39; 300ml in bag; Dutch
% p=4.5-5.5 all morning
% 09:57 1g acetaminophen -> next dose 6pm; 11:11 lidocaine
% 11:52 2 tablets senna, 2 tablets phenazopyridine, miralax
% 13:06 neosporin+lidocaine
: 14:46 call from Mandi - void trial tomorrow 10am
% 17:15 some leakage around catheter (the dye makes it easy to see). lidocaine.
% 17:35 miralax, senna
: email from $buyers - we will probably not be able to close until spring
@ Animation vs. Math - YouTube
Oxford University Mathematician REACTS to "Animation vs. Math" - YouTube (andrewducker)
@ Asking AI to create a SUPER WOMAN for each country of the world - YouTube (ysabetwordsmith)

1003Tu
* up 6:45; S=7:53;
% 7:50 1g acetaminophen -> next dose 4pm; 09:07 glycerine supp.
% p=4.5-5
* check in 9:45 for 10am void trial Urology McMurray Bldg
-> 150cc in, (normal at least 250), 100 out.
-> return 3pm if voiding, sooner if I can't get a stream going
@ 100-year-old origin theory of Stonehenge's iconic Altar Stone could be wrong,
scientists say | Live Science
Was Stonehenge an ancient calendar? A new study says no. | Live Science
" Stonehenge wasn't a prehistoric solar calendar but served mainly as a memorial to
the dead, according to new research by scientists who study ancient astronomy. "
* SL: magnesium citrate laxative
% dribbled while checking out; had to hit rest room fast.
-> not clear when to take it because it takes 1/2 to 6 hours. Now 13:00
% 13:01 bathroom ~5 minutes ago; will drink water and see how long I can hold and
whether I actually get a stream.
-> 13:18 weak stream (washing hands may have triggered0. aquaphor on penis tip.
-> 14:11 dribbles. No urge ubtil I stood up.
-> 14:26 urge. while sitting... dribbles
% How Google Alters Search Queries to Get at Your Wallet | WIRED
" The next time you Google, remember that you’re getting search results that have been
skewed—not to help you find what you’re looking for, but to boost the company's
profits. "
* 3pm return visit to urology for flow test. 405ml retained, so obviously I flunked it.
-> new catheter -- no pain! -> on _left_ leg, which seems so far to be _much_ better.
-> get it changed in 2 weeks
-> emptied bag sometime around 5:30, 18:54
* 4pm COVID Safeway 7300 ROOSEVELT WAY NE, Seattle -> Pfizer
% 16:52 magnesium citrate laxative. Maybe should have waited til tomorrow am?
@ How insurance companies fill their networks with ‘ghost’ therapists | Sea.Times
" When someone who’s worried about their mental health or the mental health of a
loved one finally works up the courage to pick up the phone and try and get help,
the last thing they need is a symphony of ‘please hold’ music, non-working numbers,
and rejection, " -> cf. (CW: depression, suicide) 521 | depression comix
* activate BECU debit card
@ Facebook Hosted Surge of Misinformation and Insurrection Threats in Months Leading Up
to Jan. 6 Attack, Records Show — ProPublica
% 18:52 small amount of poop (wet fart level). Emptied bag.
% 18:58 eyedrops - L eye, outside corner
@ #igotout [e.g. of a cult]
" Freedom of thought is a universal human right. / Share Your Story. "
" The mission of #igotout is to inspire survivors of high-demand environments who have
experienced cultic, religious, or spiritual abuse to tell and share their stories -
if and when it's safe to do so. "
% 21:53 no laxative action to speak of yet. And of course R. QL.
* put pad on bed in case of accidents
% 23:07 neosporin. Fiber cookie.
% 23:23 swap bags. Wash leg bag.
% 23:40 some loose stool Try again at midnight, then crash
% Ticia is turning into a bit of a lap cat, or at least a rests her head in my lap cat

1004We * litter boxen
* up 5:30ish; S=4:54, BP=119/78, P=76, W=189, 300ml in bag;
-> woke up with Ticia (still?) in my lap
-> the magnesium citrate did its work overnight -- lots of soft stool. okay, then.
-> feels considerably better -> more at 6:58 -> more at 09:50
-> 07:16 neosporin+lidocaine. ->
* went back to bed ?8ish up around 9:45.
: somewhere in there something smelled odd; suspected that my heating pad was losing
its magic smoke. Turned it off. Unplugged it.
-> Confirmed when I got up and sniffed the folded-over corner. Yup. RIP.
% 10:17 bag change -> cleaning
% debating coffee now or in house. -> now because bag needs another 15m
@ Vegan Cheese Is Ready to Compete With Dairy. Is the World Ready to Eat It?
@ The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fair | History | Smithsonian
@ How to Stay Warm When You’re Working From Home (Without Turning the Heating On)
* 11:20 (14:20 ET) approximately: FEMA is doing an emergency alert test on all TVs,
radios, and cell phones on October 4, 2023, at approximately 2:20pm ET.
If you live in the US and you have a phone you need to keep secret for any reason,
make sure that it is turned off at this time. (via @almaember@polyglot.city)
FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Oct. 4, 2023
% noonish lidocaine
% 13:57 headache -> 1g acetaminophen -> next dose 10pm
% 16:55 lidocaine
% 17:17 noticed that my leg bag isn't completely full (it's not supposed to get that
way) but also hasn't been emptied today. So I haven't been drinking enough water.
* Guitar: For Amy
@ IRS announces sweeping effort to restore fairness to tax system with Inflation
Reduction Act funding; new compliance efforts focused on increasing scrutiny on
high-income, partnerships, corporations and promoters abusing tax rules on the
books
* 8pm cipro
* load meds - some confusion over whether I took tonight's, but there's nothing there
that will cause trouble if I miss a dose.
@ The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fair | Smithsonian
* 10:23 1g acetaminophen -> next 6:30am

1005Th
& awake 5:30
* up 7am; S=8:11, p~=3, ~300ml in bag; no vax side effects
* 8am: cipro (in R jacket pocket in case of oversleeping)
* before 10am: Fleet - could do it Wed. evening -> 08:4; up to 4.5 getting seated
@ The 'fit but fat' research finally validates what women like me knew: being obese
does not mean unhealthy
* 12:40 leave for 1:15 check in for 1:30 prostate biopsy - NW urology Sandra J Hadjinian
% much less painful than I remember the previous one being.
% 14:54 lidocaine starting to wear off.
-> there's a 1-2% chance of infection -> go to ER STAT in case of fever or chills
-> results in 5-7 days. The device they used to guide the sampler is called a UroNav
-> I don't think the sampler has any chance of catching on as a sex toy.
-> Lyft both ways, of course
-> Prostate Biopsy Recovery: Time, Tips, and Things to Look For
" Stop taking blood thinners like aspirin or warfarin to help promote blood
clotting during healing. "
" Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can thin your blood, interfere with
antibiotics, and make you pee more frequently. "
% 16:11 1g acetaminophen -> ~16:30 miralax, senna
% noticed some rectal bleeding ~1645 -- so asking for a diaper was a good idea
* laundry
* pull aspirin from pm drugs for today and tomorrow
-> when I went to fetch the laundry I checked -- already done.
% 17:47 sleepy
* 8pm: cipro -- a few minutes late -- I must have deleted the alarm

1006Fr * litter boxen (E')
& awake 3:30ish;
* awake 4:40; S=6:08;
-> catheter twisted -- should replace the statlock with one that doesn't pivot
or maybe put bag closer to the foot of the bed
* up 9:20; no mask;
~ reschedule? Might be a good idea, given 10lb lift limit -> N can drive
& breakfast in Lair - Kind bar and ramen
@ Scientists have finally worked out how cats produce purring sounds
@ Can you melt eggs? Quora’s AI says “yes,” and Google is sharing the result | Ars
* 2pm rabies shots for the boys at Fremont Animal Hosp.
-> got a parking ticket because first character of plate didn't register
-> sent picture of ticket and receipt to impark.com -- we'll see.
# Signal's note-to-self with attached photo is good for this sort of thing
% UTI: some bacteria in the urine culture from the ER -> scrip for (more) Cipro
% 17:01 neosporin, lidocaine; Some catheter leakage
17:25 fart with a little blood.
* 5:45 or so - pick up cipro at Bartells 17:08 call; ready in 20m
-> cipro interacts with many supplements, mostly ones with metals (Ca, Mg, Fe)
-> reduce caffeine
% 18:26 cipro - next dose tomorrow am.
* verify that property tax is set up to be paid by $lender. -> YES. BUT NOT CAR INS.
% 20:19 miralax, senna
@ Why NASA Chose WordPress for Revamping Its Flagship Website – WP Tavern

1007Sa
x 1pm Healing Center ceremony of remembrance oct 7 1pm swedish club
& awake 3:30; S=5ish?; couldn't get back to sleep; gave up 4:30
-> worried about house. Need to order a dumpster (should have two months ago)
-> drank a little water
-> computer probably won't help but it' all I'm up for.
... but reading DW was probably not helpful
-> CPAP not uploading -- WTF? -> server down apparently
@ 4chan users manipulate AI tools to unleash torrent of racist images | Ars
@ A
prehistoric cosmic airburst preceded the advent of agriculture in the Levant
" evidence of a widespread simultaneous destructive event, consistent with a
fragmented comet that slammed into the Earth's atmosphere. The explosions, fires and
subsequent impact winter, [...] caused the extinction of most large animals "
@ How a chatbot encouraged a man who wanted to kill the Queen - BBC News
* take cipro this morning; avoid dairy for 2 hours
time not logged but before 6am because last commit on panther was 5:47
# n.b. cipro can cause photosensitivity
@ Alexa says the 2020 election was stolen. What does it mean for 2024? - WaPo
% 10:07 neosporin, lidocaine
* pack: night bag, cipro, bag-changing tub, syringe, lidocaine tub
syringe because the squeeze bottles are annoyingly slow
@ The latest maps of the world's eighth continent - BBC Future Zealandia!
@ The Case For Leaving Twitter
* drive up to Whidbey. Take k's charger.
* g"'s plates have been located, and N or G is going over to the dealer to fetch them.
He told me TWICE that he was going to mail them. FFS.
% catheter giving me a little pain, but manageable. [retrieves lidocaine; finds swabs]
@ Epic Games’ Sale of Bandcamp Has Left the Artist-Friendly Music Platform in Limbo
@ Home | endoflife.date
-> my pixel 5 is unsupported as of _next week_. Bletch.
* SL: RE: Mongolian fire oil, ~ Q-tips or swabs (kids going out without me)
% 18:13 cipro
* order CPAP supplies -- delayed from 10/1 mask, nosepieces, tubing, SKIP paper filters
% 20:08 polyethylene glycol (miralax), senna
* sort mail.
* CRAP CRAP CRAP - insurance billl past due -- pay by 10/13, so ok. $712
Somehow I took it to be a property insurance, which I knew was paid by lender. IDIOT
* Also paying a water bill by check 292
* ensure that USB checking contains about $2k -> currently $3440, so okay
* 15min: change bags. A little pain from the jiggling around.
& taped the tubing to my thigh to prevent movement -- worked perfectly