A serious medical discussion about heart treatment options between a patient and his cardiologist.
This has taken me so long to post because I am still trying to process a lot of stuff and weighing a lot of pros and cons. I went to my HCM Cardiologist (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Specialist) recently. I had an ECHO first then saw him. It was not good news from the ECHO. Even though I feel no symptoms with the Camzyos, I will need to take drastic measures in the future, though the timeline wasn't really given. But my gradients are not improving. Last time my gradient at Valsalva was significantly elevated with 100% obstruction. This time it was still elevated and still 100% obstruction at Valsalva.
An engineer lost in thought, surrounded by a maze of circuits and the glow of futuristic interfaces.
Lately, I’ve been swamped with projects and short on energy to tackle them, partly because of my worsening eyesight. I have glaucoma, but thankfully no loss of vision. My treatment includes twice-yearly eye pressure checks and nightly latanoprost. Even so, my glasses prescription seems to need constant updates, and I’ve always had a lot of floaters. My ophthalmologist reassures me that the floaters and eye pressure are fine, but my vision keeps changing, which is frustrating. After a recent visit to an optometrist for new glasses (an immediate improvement at first), I quickly found myself struggling again. It’s baffling how fast my eyesight shifts.
This ongoing vision issue is a big reason I’m putting off other projects. Other medical concerns, like my heart health, are actually improving. I have two SunFounder Pis to build, a few minor tasks, and I’m refining my blog and social-event posting software. I expect these projects to be fully functional soon, and I’ll update my blog as they progress.
Despite having plenty to work on, my motivation is flagging.
I don't typically blog about every anniversary or special date. However, I have a soft spot for “this day in history” and similar themes. Yet, some memories from my youth, like Space: 1999, truly resonate with me. Watching it on Saturday afternoons or evenings, I always thought it was an incredible show. I even bought the 30-year complete edition on DVD.
In a game where health and strategy collide, every move counts, and the stakes are personal.
Well, I have been officially out of Camzyos for over a week. I finally got it after calling the insurance every day for a week and being told something different. It started out that the ECHO hadn't been uploaded to their portal. Message to doctor on MyChart. Sent it to the wrong cardiologist. I have 3: a cardiologist, a HOCM specialist, and an electrophysiologist. So forgive me for picking the wrong one. The message still got to where it needed to go. Didn't matter anyways, as the insurance then found another thing they didn't like on Wednesday. They didn't like the dosage the doctor ordered because they didn't think it needed to be increased because of the ECHO. So they had to reach out to the doctor. Again, another message in MyChart, same thread that I was told I messaged the wrong office. Again, got to where it needed to go. At least they are all looking at the same messages.
Echoes of a family’s journey across time and borders.
I’ve been wanting to blog about this for a while. This will probably be a long one—and it might even turn into a series of posts around a central theme.
My mother—more than me, but me too—has always wondered about her mother’s family.
A Childhood Cut Short
My grandmother was born in Poland in 1926, before World War II. She was just 13, almost 14, when Germany invaded. According to my mother, my grandmother was at school in Kraków when the invasion happened. She was taken away from her parents, older brother, and sister. The last time she ever saw them was before going to school that day.
I just learned this part while preparing for this post: my grandmother was taken to a concentration camp and was “in line for a shower.” She was seen by a German officer, who pulled her out of the line. She was forced to serve as an au pair—but in truth, she was a slave.
My mother told me that, surprisingly, my grandmother was treated well by the German and his family and was almost certainly saved from death by that officer. My grandmother never knew why she was chosen out of everyone in line.
We all know what “going into the showers” meant. But I don’t think it was just fate that saved her—I believe it was divine intervention. If not for that moment, how would my mother be here today—and, by extension, my brother, sister, and me?
God has a plan for all of us, and He always makes sure His plans are carried out.
I’ve made more progress on my blog poster program. I’m doing a few minor changes and adding new features before moving on to another service/platform. The images haven’t changed since my last post, so there are no new ones this time.
I added a Kudos button to my Write.as custom domain, michaelmitchell.blog. It’s powered by Tinylytics. I’ll probably be adding more features soon and doing some digital gardening along the way.
🎬 Alien: Earth – Season 1, Episodes 1-7
⭐⭐⭐⭐
May contain spoilers
The show and its cast are excellent. Although it began somewhat slowly with necessary background information, it proved worthwhile. I eagerly anticipate the next episode and season. 🎬
DVD:
🎬 Grantchester – Season 10, Episodes 1-8
⭐⭐⭐⭐
May contain spoilers
I consistently enjoy this series. The British excel at producing TV series and entertainment, often surpassing American productions, which tend to be more inconsistent. This series improves with each season and never seems to run out of creative ideas. While I will be disappointed when Season 11 concludes the series, I acknowledge that all shows must eventually end. 🎬
🚨 AI voice cloning + robocall scams are rising—don’t fall for fake loan calls!
For nearly a month now, I've been getting a phone call almost every day from numbers all over the U.S., numbers I don't recognize at all. I've only answered twice: the first time it was a female voice, and the second time a male voice. Both were obviously AI-generated, pitching some kind of personal loan.
From pay toilets to high-tech pods—two eras of public convenience.
This has been on my mind lately. I was listening to the Planet Money Podcast and caught an episode about why it’s so hard to find a public toilet. It made me think of London. I’ve never been, but I watch a YouTube channel called London City Walks, which often films around Horse Guards Parade. The host strolls through the area, narrates what he sees, and points out that this busy tourist spot barely has any public toilets, except a few in the Underground.
