Just raise the mower deck, grind up the leaves while exhausting the leaves up against the tree trunks. Preferably before a good rain. Mulches and feeds around the trees. Then gather up any excess in a wheelbarrow and feed your Binford tumbling composter.
More power!
Well, I got some good news this morning. 19 months ago I went in for a physical that included some blood work. My first physical in decades and first blood test ever. The results were actually pretty good across the board except I had elevated RBC (red blood cell) markers. Specifically the hemoglobin, hematocrit, and cell count. My PA (physicians assistant) who did the physical wanted me to come in a month later to test again. I did. The markers improved but were still considered elevated. He let it go. Turn the clock forward to this past September (my next physical) and the RBC markers were still elevated. He referred me to Hematology for further analysis. I call to set up an appointment and they answer the phone, "Duke Cancer Center, how may I help you". My jaw drops. Cancer? I'm immediately thinking leukemia. So I go into a bit of worry mode. Had to wait more than 2 months to get an appt. Good grief! At the same time it kinda told me if I was red alert status they would of had me in there right away. Anyhow, long story short I saw a retired Hematologist. They have a shortage of them at Duke so he works just one day a week. Guessing he's in his upper 60s. Great communicator, exudes confidence. That made me feel good. Before he entered the room, the gal who checked me in and takes blood pressure an all that crap out of the blue asks, "You realize you're at Hematology and not the Cancer Center, right?" I about came out of my chair and hugged the stuffing out of her. I said, NO! Said no one told me (despite me unsuccessfully trying to find out if they were checking for cancer). Their communication at Duke is horrible. Can't get a hold of anyone. World renowned medical institution, amateur communicators. If it wasn't for their online patient portal where docs and nurses leave notes I would have known nothing. Even then they are very complicated and confusing notes. Words I never heard before. May as well be written in Chinese.
Anyway. doc did more blood work. During my visit he said I likely have polycythemia vera. The risk is blood clots leading to heart attack and strokes. Technically it's a blood cancer but treatable. They drain a pint of blood every few weeks until your RBC markers get back in the normal range and then put you on RBC production blockers, blah, blah, blah. Well after the results came in he ruled out polycythemia vera and ordered two more tests. One was for some kinda blah blah blah level. That came back normal. The other test was a JAK2 mutation. Another blood cancer with the same clotting risks. The results came in last night. He called me this morning. There is no JAK2 mutation therefore, "There is no health concern" per my doc. In other words, I have elevated RBC markers but it is of no health concern. I'm a bit of an oddball but he said I'm not the only one. Whew! Dodged a bullet.
Bottom line here folks is try your best to get your blood checked annually. My insurance pays for those tests...they're considered preventative. And when you get to be our age there is bound to be something out of wack and it likely can be dealt with. It's amazing what these blood tests reveal. In fact, I also found I have no Hepatitis B immunity. None. So I'm in the middle of a 2-dose Hep B vaccine regimen...similar to what they've been giving all infants for the last 19 years. Kinda nice to know I'll be protected from Hep B, yuh know?
Anyway. doc did more blood work. During my visit he said I likely have polycythemia vera. The risk is blood clots leading to heart attack and strokes. Technically it's a blood cancer but treatable. They drain a pint of blood every few weeks until your RBC markers get back in the normal range and then put you on RBC production blockers, blah, blah, blah. Well after the results came in he ruled out polycythemia vera and ordered two more tests. One was for some kinda blah blah blah level. That came back normal. The other test was a JAK2 mutation. Another blood cancer with the same clotting risks. The results came in last night. He called me this morning. There is no JAK2 mutation therefore, "There is no health concern" per my doc. In other words, I have elevated RBC markers but it is of no health concern. I'm a bit of an oddball but he said I'm not the only one. Whew! Dodged a bullet.
Bottom line here folks is try your best to get your blood checked annually. My insurance pays for those tests...they're considered preventative. And when you get to be our age there is bound to be something out of wack and it likely can be dealt with. It's amazing what these blood tests reveal. In fact, I also found I have no Hepatitis B immunity. None. So I'm in the middle of a 2-dose Hep B vaccine regimen...similar to what they've been giving all infants for the last 19 years. Kinda nice to know I'll be protected from Hep B, yuh know?
Only if God wants to punish you.
I actually thought about you and Mamaw the past couple of days. As part of my physical I got back in September my PA referred me to the lung cancer center for a low dose CT scan to check for cancer (as an ex-smoker). Purely preventative. I really don't remember him doing that referral and it took them 2-1/2 months to finally call and get me scheduled (imagine my reaction when they said they wanted to do a lung cancer scan before I figured out it was a preventative referral). I was told they have 386 referrals! Anyway, it's a preventative scan for early detection of lung cancer. My insurance company (and I believe Medicare now) pays for this preventative procedure. So I'm scheduled for later in January. I can always cancel but I might go thru with it at least once. My Hematology doc told me it takes 20 years for an ex smoker to have the same lung cancer risk as a person who never smoked. I'm nowhere near 20 years.
Uh huh. Sometimes they can't communicate. Sometimes you wonder if that's because they just don't know anything.
Hmmm,my hematologist says 15 years! Which one is right?
EDIT: correction ,I meant to say pulmonologist . I was sent for the "preventative referral". Get checked every year for a nodule that showed up on CT scan.
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If I had to guess the average person would level the risk after 15 years but there will be some who take longer due to how much/long they smoked and their physiology. How's that for some Bronze BS?
It works!If I had to guess the average person would level the risk after 15 years but there will be some who take longer due to how much/long they smoked and their physiology. How's that for some Bronze BS?
I'm sure that explains some of it. My limited exposure to docs also suggest they have way more patients than ability to properly care for them and the first casualty is communication.
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