”Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
The morning is rainy and cold. I’m glad for the rain. This has not been one of my better days. First was the dentist. Luckily, that went quickly, and I only whined a couple of times. My next stop was to have blood drawn. I hate lines, and there was a line. The bank was my next stop. I seemed to have misplaced my checkbook and ATM card. Lost is probably the more accurate word. I checked my car. I checked the driveway. I called the 24 hour line. I got a new ATM card. Only one stop is left, but I’m taking a coffee break after which I’ll get my Covid and flu shots. The day can only go up from there.
When I was a kid, I never saw the doctor much, only out of necessity. His office was a front room in his house. The house was enormous, an old white house beside the entrance road to my school yard. I remember he had a skeleton right by his desk. He was a big man, big as in heavy, not muscular. His white coat was too small. He wore suspenders. I remember he did not have a gentle touch. One time I split my chin so my mother and I walked to his office. He cleaned the cut by roughly rubbing a cotton square across it. I remember the pain. He said it was infected so he couldn’t sew it. I wanted to cheer. He closed it as well as he could and put a bandage over it. I was glad to leave. I skipped home.
I love New England and its four seasons. Fall is the most spectacular. The trees are a riot of colors. The mornings are crisp, the days warm. The nights are cool, perfect for sleeping. On my ride yesterday, I noticed the bogs are red with cranberries. Harvesting usually begins in October. I check when bogs will be harvested as I like to watch as the berries are gathered. It is such a tradition on Cape Cod. The apples are ripe for picking. It is time for apple cider donuts. This morning I noticed so many houses already decorated with mums and pumpkins. I also noticed some ghosts hanging from trees, gravestones in front yards and a scarecrow or two. It is time to start embracing Halloween.
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September 19, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Hi Kat,
Same weather today as was yesterday. Still hot.
Tomorrow I go to the dentist to have another implant done. Not necessarily painful to my body, but to my pocketbook. Thankfully, I have dental insurance which will soften the blow to the finances.
When I was kid doctors made house calls. They always carried their black medical bag and were dressed in a suit and tie. Whenever they came to the house it was because either my sister or I were ill. My mother always said that if the doctor didn’t give us a penicillin shot, she felt that she didn’t get her money’s worth. No wonder there’s so many bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
These days I have to make an appointment six months in advance to see my primary care physician. When I have to receive my semiannual physicals, I normally see the PA. Unfortunately, if I don’t go twice a year, they won’t renew my maintenance prescriptions. If I can get an appointment with the real doctor, they usually call to tell me he’s out of town and I have to see the PA anyway. 😦
September 19, 2024 at 7:55 pm
Hi Bob,
It has been raining since early this morning and is supposed to rain for the next two days. It had been a couple of weeks since our last rain so everything was so dry.
I remember the doctor made a house call when we all had the measles. Even the school nurse came by to check on us. I remember how horrible it was having to stay in a darkened room to save our eyes.
I see my primary every 6 months so unless there is an emergency, I don’t have to make an appointment. I do have blood tests before I see him.
September 19, 2024 at 9:51 pm
Same with my doctor. Since Medicare, the doctors figured out they could charge for bloodwork every six months and a physical exam. A couple of years ago, the receptionist scheduled my next physical a year later instead of six months. I received an email on my patient portal informing me I needed to come in twice a year at my age. I only got away with it once. 🙂
I remember having the measles and being in a darkened room for over a week. My kids were lucky, they received vaccines for those childhood ailments.
September 19, 2024 at 11:20 pm
Bob,
I don’t have Medicare. I wasn’t eligible. They tell me I need 17 more units. That isn’t going to happen.
I am on medications which need to be checked so the blood tests are necessary.
I got 4 shots today: second shingles, RSV, Covid and flu. I figure I’m covered.
September 19, 2024 at 11:27 pm
I won’t get that many vaccines at once. I spread them out. The one that knocked me for a loop was the Covid vaccine. I get it on a Friday so I have a couple of days to recuperate.
September 19, 2024 at 11:36 pm
I haven’t had any reactions from shots in other years so I figured I’d get the maximum. My arm is a bit sore but that’s it.