Take a couple deep breaths.....

Yes, it was that time again. I had to go back for my 6 month check-up.....back to the place where you feel like you're on an assembly line.

I was right on time but had to wait for 25 minutes before being called into an examination room. My "doctor's assistant" was charming and smiley. She sweetly chirped, "ok, follow me down the hall and we'll get you weighed". I looked at her and said, "no, I don't feel like it, okay?" I was half-way kidding...and was totally surprised when she said. "oh, ok" and we didn't have to do that. Why do they always put those scales out in open view of half the world? Well that kind of perked me up.....I couldn't believe my luck!

Then she started doing all that stuff they do....blood pressure, temperature, and something new....a clip they put on your index finger to check the amount of oxygen in your blood. Interesting. Everything checked out ok. Then she drew blood and that was ok as I'm really easy to get blood from....the nurses just love me. Then my doctor came in. He asked about this and that and talked about my last test results...they were all good, which made me feel even better.

So I decided to ask him about my foot. I woke up with it all bruised up and couldn't figure out what happened. He looked it over and then ordered an x-ray. The x-ray tech asked me how I injured it and suddenly I remembered that I HAD hurt my foot.....a couple days ago as I was HURRIEDLY putting groceries away a 24 oz full bottle of pop fell over and rolled off my kitchen table and landed right on my foot. Of course I wasn't wearing shoes at the time. I swore a little and then went about my work and forgot about it. I guess the pain pills I take kept me from really feeling how bad it DID hurt. Anyway.....come to find out, I have a broken toe. Oh Happy day! Well, it could have been worse....it could have been a broken FOOT.

While there I told my doctor about being called for jury duty again and he wrote me a note advising that I would be unable to serve due to medical problems. I don't know if this will work or not.....its not a lie, I do have medical problems as far as walking and getting around but remember what happened when I tried to get door delivery for my mail? So, we'll see. He said if they declined to accept the excuse to let him know......so my dear friends I may not have to go after all and that thought just thrills me to pieces. Let someone else have a chance at it who has never done it before.

I came out of there with my prescription refills and he gave me 90 day supplies refillable. This is the first time I've had them dispensed like this and on the way home it dawned on me that this was going to save me about $160 over the course of the 3 months. All right Doc! Of course the pain pills couldn't be written like that....too many restrictions.

They told me that eventually prescriptions will be transmitted electronically to the drugstore. Now I like that idea....that way they will be all ready for you when you get there.

This is also my first x-ray under Medicare....and I am wondering just how much it will cover. Before Medicare I was covered 100% by Blue Cross. Now Blue Cross is supposed to pay what Medicare doesn't, but I found out that's not always true...it just depends on what it is.

A visit to the doctor.....

I've been going to the same doctor for years and years. He's moved twice in that time. The first move was to a smaller office, which I absolutely LOVED. It was nestled in an area that was very wooded and it just gave the area a peaceful look. Inside his waiting room was the biggest fish tank I've ever seen, along with the TV up in the corner. His waiting room was quiet too. Everyone called you by your name and you felt comfortable....or as comfortable as you could be seeing as it was a visit to the dreaded doctor.

Well, he has moved again and this time into a 5 story medical building. Even though this building is only a mile from his old office, the difference is shocking. You feel like you're in the middle of a large city when you go into this 'complex'. Yes....yes...I know...progress and all that. But I miss his old office.

Yesterday was my first visit since he moved in about 2 months ago. Needless to say, they are still working on getting things streamlined but for the most part, everything is up and running. Gratefully, the parking was close to his office doors. I just hate to have to park and then travel by foot for half a mile before you finally reach your destination. The outside wall is all glass....and the fish tank is there but there were so many chairs. He's now in with 7 other doctors. Picture a huge square in your mind.

You walk in and through the waiting room to the south side of the 'square'. There is a huge counter with cubicles to the left and one open place to the extreme right. There, you write your name, date of birth, appointment time and the doctor your appointment is with. There is a stack of round miniature UFO looking discs on the counter. Each has a lighted number on it. You take one of those, writing the number of it next to your name. You take a seat and wait. I kept thinking about this pager thingie. I'm not so sure I like that idea. What if someone is sneezing and coughing all over it. I supposed they disinfect them at the end of the day.....hmmmm, something to think about. The pager suddenly vibrates and red lights go on and off all over it. I get up and walk to the counter. I hear someone calling my pager number. I walk to one of the cubicles and am told to have a seat. She's very nice and sits in front of a computer typing my personal info into it. She takes my insurance cards and my driver's license and scans them into the system. She says I will have to show ID each time I come in. I fill out paperwork on who to contact in an emergency and sign it. Then she hands me back the pager and tells me to have a seat and wait and when my pager goes off again, to go to the door at the far end. I return to the waiting room and wait. Soon my pager goes off and I respond to the appropriate door and a nurse takes my pager and tells me which room number to enter. I am now on the east side of the 'square'. A nurse comes in and takes my vitals, she draws blood because its time for me to have that done. Then my doctor comes in. Finally a familiar face! I can't read him and I don't know if he likes it there or not but he says everything is fine and yes, I will always get him....not to worry about being shoved off to a strange doctor.

After his exam, he writes me prescription changes and refills and then I'm told to go to another cubicle. I am now on the north side of the 'square'. Another person is sitting in front of a computer and takes my information. This is where I would make new appointments and/or pay. However, they are in the middle of changing computer software and she can't schedule me for an appointment six months away at this time....I'll have to call back in a couple months or so. That's ok with me. I'm then told to round the corner and take the hallway straight to the door at the end. I'm now on the west side of the square. I open the door and I'm out into the waiting room again, except out of a different door.

The office is beautiful. Its new and clean and streamlined. I felt like a car that was being built on the assembly line in Detroit....I'm sorry. I know that with the explosive population we have....this has to be done. Too many people....not enough time. But I really miss how it used to be done. You felt more like an individual....not an object. I love my doctor....he was the same friendly face as always, but I wonder how long he will stay that way in this type of environment. Sigh ~ progress, I know.....but it comes at a price.

Poked, probed and x-rayed......

This morning it was freezing rain and foggy and….OF COURSE….I had to go out in it. I had a doctor’s appointment and his office is approximately 5 miles away. I got there without any trouble and was surprised that I didn’t have to wait long….maybe they had some cancellations. Anyway, I had a new nurse this time. I love that because as she stopped at the scale I said…”I don’t want to do that, I’m not in the mood” and…..I got away with it! Wahoo! I HATE weighing in. It always puts me in a rotten mood….and with a new nurse you can usually get away with intimidation…at least once.

Well, after checking my x-rays, my arthritis is worse and now he wants me to see an orthopedic surgeon for my hip. Even though he says I don’t have to do this immediately, we are talking surgery here and I’m not pleased about that. He is also going to try a new medication and see if that helps; and is doubling up on my pain pills. I can’t believe that I once used to jump up on a horse and ride bareback at a full gallop. Oh well….at least I’m glad I was able to have that experience in my lifetime. Those are sure happy memories.

To soothe my nerves, as soon as I got out of the doctor’s office, I swung by Dunkin’ and got a coffee and some coffee cake muffins. Oh my…if you’ve never had those muffins, try one. They are great. (now you know why I skip the weighing in).

I’m also concerned about my friend, Jamie, who is having surgery today. I know they have had a horrible ice storm in her neck of the woods and I sure hope that everything went ok in spite of that. I’ve been thinking about her all day. If you get a chance, stop by and wish her well.

I had a great time at the party that Anonymous Boxer had last weekend. I visited a lot of blogs and had a lot of party-goers visit me. AB, if I didn’t already do this….thank you for the invite….sorry I didn’t stick around to help you clean up.

The movies we watched last weekend at my family night get together were pretty good. There was a slight change and we watched Spiderman 3 instead of Shrek III. It was very good…lots of action and a pretty good plot. The other movie, TRANSFORMERS….was pretty good too. Its definitely a “male” movie. My grandson was in seventh heaven. I have a couple complaints about it…one, it was pretty long at 2 ½ hours and two, I sometimes had a hard time telling the good guys from the bad ones. But lots of action and the graphics were impressive. The plot was a bit shallow but they threw in some comedy to make up for that. All in all…not a bad movie.

Family night was a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. If my son hadn’t decided to have ten one too many beers, it would have been a 9 or 10 for sure. We are still going to have family nights even if I have to pull hair to make them do it. Sigh ~ its not easy being mom.

We still have weather advisories up and I sure hope we don’t get what Iowa got. In the meantime, I’m gonna snuggle in with a good book. I’m reading Dean Koontz’s last one: The Darkest Evening of the Year.