Negative

Donna received her results on Monday bright and early, I didn’t get mine until this afternoon. So in a way I already figured what my results would be, because of our situation, whatever she was I was, sure to be as well.

SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19), DIAGNOSTIC
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Performed at: 01 – LabCorp Seattle
550 17th Avenue Ste 300
Seattle, WA 98122
Lab Director: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx MD, Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
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Testing was performed using the Aptima SARS-CoV-2 assay. This nucleic acid amplification test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by LabCorp Laboratories. Nucleic acid amplification tests include PCR and TMA. This test has not been FDA cleared or approved. This test has been authorized by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). This test is only authorized for the duration of time the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of in vitro diagnostic tests for detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 infection under section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3(b) (1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.

When diagnostic testing is negative, the possibility of a false negative result should be considered in the context of a patient’s recent exposures and the presence of clinical signs and symptoms consistent with COVID-19. An individual without symptoms of COVID-19 and who is not shedding SARS-CoV-2 virus would expect to have a negative (not detected) result in this assay.
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Component Results

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) by RT-PCR
Standard Range Not Detected
Your Value Not Detected

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Collected on 10/16/2020 12:02 PM from Nasopharynx (Swab)
Resulted on 10/17/2020 10:05 PM
Result Status: Final result

Happy Election Day

Oregon was the first state to exclusively go to voting by mail by passing a measure in November 1998 by a 70% to 30% margin after starting with optional for local voting in the late eighties.

Our ballots came thru our mail slot along with a flyer for Bed Bath & Beyond on Friday afternoon. We had planned on filling them out on Saturday, but got to watching college football and didn’t get it done. So we did it this morning.

Even with all falderal from a certain President, we have zero qualms about the process because of this state’s long history with voting by mail. Still, we won’t actually mail our ballots, we dropped them into an official collection box like we did for the primary back in May. Unlike back then though, today we rode the tandem instead of walking.

When we rode into the parking lot where the drop box was, there was a young couple with their toddler standing next to it. We circled the lot a couple of times while they unloaded, then loaded back, their kid so the child could put their ballots in the slot. And all the while they snapped photos of the process to post on social media. I didn’t have a problem waiting this out at all, because I planned on that same sort of exercise for us too (see my InstaGram account.)

As we were loading back up onto the bike to leave, a fellow in a pickup truck cruised up to the box to drop in his ballot. I said to him, “Happy Election Day.” He looked at me sort of quizzically and replied, “Yeah, you too. Have a nice day.” Come to think of it, Happy Election Day does sound a little strange, but what would have been a more appropriate greeting anyway? Merry Election Day? How about “Go Democracy?” Maybe a golf style cheer, “In the Slot!”?

The only downside to the whole Vote by Mail deal is I don’t get a little “I Voted” sticker to wear around all day…

Tested

I have been to see a couple of doctors recently and every time I check in to be seen, one of the questions asked is, “Have you been tested for COVID in the last 14 days?” My answer has always been, “No.” Why bother? Neither Donna nor I are exhibiting any symptoms…

Today we changed that answer. Firstly, so that next time (at least for the next two weeks) the answer to that question can be, “Yes.” And secondly, although we have no COVID-19 symptoms, for the last week I have been randomly getting when inhaling through my nose a sort of weird sweet smell and occasionally my back teeth will hurt when biting down. These are not any COVID symptoms I have ever seen listed anywhere, but in the past, these things have meant to me personally, that I am coming down with a flu. But in that case these symptoms show up for maybe a day and then I’m sick. Right now I’m not feeling sick.

The local hospital system has a testing site in a parking lot of one of their medical clinics that is right up the street from us. We pass by it at least every other day. There has rarely ever been a line and today was no exception, but by the time we circled the building to get tested there was one car ahead of us. They weren’t ahead of us for long as they were not in the system and were unsure if their insurance would cover the cost, so they pulled through and parked to the side.

The paperwork took the longest, even with us being already in their system. The test took all of 5 minutes total, but just 5 are seconds spent with a long handled mini brush looking thing in your sinus cavity. Not too unpleasant, but I’m glad I am not in any sort of position where I have to get tested daily.

The test results will take a couple days and I’ll be sure to let you know the results.

Sport, Off-Road, Touring

The Pandemic Second Wave Edition of SORT.
As of Monday, October 12, 2020 at 9:00 PM pacific time:

Sport Off-Road Touring
2004 Ferrari 360
Challenge Stradale		 1988 Toyota
Land Cruiser FJ62		 1968 Clark Cortez
20′ Motorhome
Just the thing for tearing around this pandemic savaged country. Just the thing for off-road touring this pandemic savaged country. Just the thing for on-road touring this pandemic savaged country.

This Was Number 3

I’ve had an annoying pain in my right side for a while now, never very painful, say 2 or 3 on a scale of 10. It comes, hangs around a week or two, and goes, reappearing a week or two later. Well, three weeks ago, the pain appeared and was a bit more painful and appear in front and back at the same time. I called and got an appointment with the Physicians Assistant.

After hearing my tale of woe and pressing and prodding where the pain was, she asked when was my last colonoscopy. “Eight years ago,” I said. “Well,” she said, “Let’s get a stool sample first and see what that says.” They found no blood, but did find something called Lactoferrin which could be an indicator of Crohn’s or IBS. The colonoscopy was scheduled for today.

Turns out, the last part of the gastrointestinal tract was just fine and I have the photos to prove it… The doctor brought me about eight little souvenir snapshots from his trip along my intestinum crassum. I think he really did this, not as proof of my shiny colon, but because I mentioned that at my first one I asked for photos to put on my blog.

Anyway, what’s with the pain? He said maybe I have a small diverticulum or two that appear when my colon isn’t full of air that might snag something. What he didn’t say was maybe it is all in my head…

For the weirdos and medically curious out there you can read about colonoscopies Number 1 and Number 2. Plus, there a couple of bonus episodes about my one esophagogastroduodenoscopy: 1 & 2.