hurry and wait

 Having reached the age of maturity, a completely ambiguous term, I find myself frequenting the doctors office and medical facilities quite often. If not for myself, I am accompanying the wife, she is mature too. We had to go yesterday for a simple blood draw. You gotta love the terms used by those that do that sort of thing everyday. Just relax while I draw your blood. It does feel like a rather large pen is being jammed into your arm! As we entered the building I remarked, you know you are getting older when you are as familiar with the layout of these buildings as you were the high school. At least the signs are in larger print and they do have those automatic doors. So we entered and signed in. Finding a seat we made ourselves comfortable, you know this isn't going to be a quick deal. We signed in to wait to be called to, sign in at the insurance desk. They send you down the hall to another waiting area. Yes, we are well aware you might as well settle in. 

 Now it is an amusement of mine to observe the others waiting. People can be so strange. Yesterday there was a lady that was obviously disturbed by the whole thing. She was fidgeting and grousing the whole time. At one point she let out an outburst! I'm thinking it may have been her son or grandson with her, he sat calmly reading the Bible. But she turned to him, and in what could only be described as a shout in this situation, proclaimed she was never coming here again! She had been waiting for half an hour! The son, or grandson just glanced up and told her to be patient. She said nothing further and he continued to read. I'm thinking I know why he was reading the Bible. he needed the strength. She did get called shortly after that to go to the insurance desk. She wasn't there long before she was calling for her son or grandson. Nothing was going to be easy for this lady. I couldn't help but think, wait till she finds out she is just going to another waiting room. I didn't see her again and hope all went well for her, and her son. 

 Next Monday I have an appointment with my primary physician. Isn't it wonderful how we have a primary and then a string of specialists. It is a strange set up if you think about it. It's almost as though the primary doctor doesn't know what to do so he sends you to others. I look at it like, I'm taking my car to the shop, the head mechanic looks at it and says, I don't work on that problem, you need to see Homer, Homer does spark plugs. So the head guys knows what a spark plug is but doesn't work on them. But I have to check in with my primary doctor for a review. He'll tell me if I am alright or need some maintenance work, maybe some diagnostic testing. I'm pretty sure I will not hear, you're fine. And then we have some that can't seem to understand why the cost of healthcare is so high.

 It's disturbing when you realize you are beginning to act like your parents. I can't go here or there, I have a Doctors appt. My medicine bottles aren't in the medicine chest in the bathroom, they are in the cabinet in the kitchen. That chest in the bathroom is no where near big enough to hold those bottles. Besides that I need them close by when its' time to refill the daily compartments on that pill case. You know what I'm talking about. I've already worn the days off the lids so I get confused what day of the week it is! Had to write it back on there with magic marker. God, I remember when magic marker was a new thing! I also remember when the caps weren't child resistant, now they are mature adult resistant! 

 Isn't it something. Now that I am playing in the second half, if not the final quarter, I understand more about how the body works than ever before. I can talk about blood pressure, glucose levels, heart rate, and all kinds of medical conditions. I'm well informed. If I had known all that earlier I may not have to know it now. But I'm thinking if I had known all of that I probably wouldn't have had such a good time. Yes I've put some hard miles on this old body with little maintenance. Still, it's running. To the bathroom mostly, but running. Well places to go things to do, catch you guys later. Life really is like the military in some ways, hurry up and wait. You have to be somewhere at a certain time, when you get there, you wait.