Praise then darkness, and creation unfinished

T cells found!

2022-03-11T17:13:06Z

I just got the results of the T Detect test for covid T cells, and it's positive, meaning they found T cells.

This comes with disclaimers about them not knowing what it means for immunity, of course.

ETA: I sent this information to my doctor soon after receiving it, and got a very enthusiastic "yay!!!" in response.

I just got an email from the company saying they have approved my request for financial assistance, covering everything except the prescription fee, and including a code to use during the ordering process. I wrote back, asking how to apply this retroactively. The FAQ on their website says that "If you have already purchased the test and your application for Adaptive Assist is approved to provide the test at a reduced cost, a refund will be processed to your credit card." ~~So I probably don't need to do anything, but I wanted to follow up. (Given when I sent that, I don't expect a reply until Monday.)~~ They have emailed to say the refund will be on my credit card in 3-5 business days.

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T cell test

2022-03-03T15:18:06Z

I have ordered and paid for the covid T cell test, in the hopes of learning something useful. I'm supposed to get a confirmation within the next day, and then go to a place a few miles away and have blood drawn. Then, 7-10 days for the results. I decided to do this because a positive result would mean I fretted less about things that we have agreed are OK for the two of them to do while properly masked, like take the bus or go to the library to pick up a book. I don't think a negative result would change anything, and a positive result might not change what I consider safe for me to do.

The nearest place I can get the blood drawn is in Waltham (four or five miles from here), because they're not working with Quest, which has a lot more locations. So I will be going there sometime tomorrow, I think.

Separately from that, I'm planning to take one of the rapid at-home covid tests on Saturday, because of the dentist yesterday.

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more blood test results

2021-11-10T23:03:28Z

I just got automatic notifications of blood test results. Everything in the hepatic function panel is normal. There's one number slightly outside the reference range in the complete blood count.

In addition to the hepatic function panel and complete blood count tests that I knew my neurologist was ordering, he had them run a covid antibody test. The automated report on that is so full of disclaimers that I am wondering why he bothered ordering it:

The explanation notes explicitly that the clinical significance of either a positive or negative test in people who have received a covid vaccine is unknown.

I told Dr. AbdelRazek that I didn't want to pay for unnecessary tests, and after a little discussion decided that it did make sense to have the CBC now rather than waiting four months. But this covid antibody test feels like a perfect example of an unnecessary test: they don't know what a positive result would mean, they don't know what a negative result means, and I have no relevant symptoms. (The result was negative.)

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another negative covid test

2021-09-10T01:24:47Z

Now that I've been home for more than 72 hours, I just took another quick covid test, which again came back negative. This means I can comfortably and responsibly go outside tomorrow, maybe even go to the drugstore (I need another wrist brace, having accidentally left mine in Montreal).

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covid test for travel

2021-08-30T23:51:22Z

This afternoon, I went to Logan Airport to take a covid test that is acceptable for travel to Canada. I had to get (and pay for) a quick-response one, because the test must have been taken no more than 72 hours before my flight leaves. I have again tested negative, which surprised me not at all: this wasn't a medical test because I had symptoms, or any reason to believe I'd been exposed to covid.

Having run into serious bus problems on my way to visit adrian_turtle a couple of days ago, I made plans today that had room for T problems, and I needed them. I got to Harvard, walked through the subway turnstiles, and almost immediately heard "this train is returning to Alewife" followed by something about shuttle buses to Park Street. It took a few minutes to find out where the buses would be -- an MBTA employee had to call headquarters, and spend a few minutes on hold.

At that point, old reflexes kicked in--I hurried up the escalators and along the sidewalk, took the shuttle bus, and then hurried down thed stairs first at Park Street and then at Government Center, rather than waiting for the elevator. I just missed a blue line train, but the following train, plus airport shuttle bus, got me to Logan Terminal C with a few minutes to spare.

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Covid test negative

2021-08-25T20:30:16Z

I just took a BinaxNow quick covid test, and it was negative, which is unsurprising but reassuring.

This is my first covid test, because mostly I've been dealing with things by staying home a lot, as well as masking, distancing, and getting vaccinated as soon as I could.

edited to add: cattitude's test, half an hour or so after mine, is also negative.

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