Being a retiree I go to a lot of Drs. appts. As the commercial says, that's what you do. I also go to have blood drawn often, I think they are just checking the level, like an old car I might be leaking some. Then, al least once a year, I'm put on the rack for x-rays, cat scans or mri's. A couple years back I had to have an overhaul done, now I'm doing just fine. I remember when I used to have to schedule time off from work to go get these things done, now they are the schedule. I have to schedule vacation around them! I haven't reached the point where the appointments are the central focus in life but I'm definitely aware of them.
Yesterday I had to go get my blood checked. So I went to the phlebotomist. You know you have going there frequently when you know that is, what that procedure is called, a phlebotomy. That is especially true when you have never been to any type of medical training school. I've noticed that I can name several specialties these days without giving it a thought. I even catch myself saying things like , my cardiologist, my nephrologist or oncologist. I see them following my visit to my primary care physician. It's his job to send me to all the others. He is just a Doctor and all the others have a title that ends in " gist. " I guess that is to indicate that they get the gist of whatever body part you are talking about.
So I'm at the phlebotomist getting a phlebotomy and chatting it up a bit. She is a pleasant young lady and asking the necessary questions. Yes, I fasted this morning. As she was searching for a vein I start to tell her a story about a Navy corpsman attempting to do that procedure. They get an hour of training in that, or maybe it's a half hour, but that doesn't slow them down any. So I'm telling that story and she is laughing a bit. Then she asks how long I was in the Navy. I tell her 20 years and that I retired. She asks when that happened. I told her I retired over twenty years ago! She looks at me surprised and says, you retired that long ago? At first I'm feeling pretty good about that, thinking she thinks I'm younger looking. Then she asks what year was that? I tell her 1993. Her response? Wow, I wasn't even born yet! Now I'm not feeling so great. So I change the subject and say, you know the Challenger disaster happened on this day in 1986. That is met with a puzzled look, she has no idea what I'm talking about. Then it dawns on me, that happened before she was born!
At this point she is done filling up the test tubes and ready to send those out for analysis. Putting enough gauze over that puncture wound to stop a flood she tapes it in place. Reaching for a cup and a pack of disinfecting wipes she says I'm going to need a sample. Hey, no problem I've been drinking black coffee, that's allowed even when you are fasting, so I'm good to go; no pun intended. Having giving me the obligatory instructions she thanks me for my service. As she says good bye she asks if I know how to get out of the building. Yeah, I remember. I also remember I don't have another appt untill April, my cardiologist. I may have forgotten why I walked into the kitchen but I don't forget Dr. appts. Well the truth is my wife kinda keeps track of all that, and birthdays. I remember other stuff, important stuff like when it's time to change the oil in the car or when the football game comes on. Oh and 1993, I remember it well, wasn't all that long ago.
Yesterday I had to go get my blood checked. So I went to the phlebotomist. You know you have going there frequently when you know that is, what that procedure is called, a phlebotomy. That is especially true when you have never been to any type of medical training school. I've noticed that I can name several specialties these days without giving it a thought. I even catch myself saying things like , my cardiologist, my nephrologist or oncologist. I see them following my visit to my primary care physician. It's his job to send me to all the others. He is just a Doctor and all the others have a title that ends in " gist. " I guess that is to indicate that they get the gist of whatever body part you are talking about.
So I'm at the phlebotomist getting a phlebotomy and chatting it up a bit. She is a pleasant young lady and asking the necessary questions. Yes, I fasted this morning. As she was searching for a vein I start to tell her a story about a Navy corpsman attempting to do that procedure. They get an hour of training in that, or maybe it's a half hour, but that doesn't slow them down any. So I'm telling that story and she is laughing a bit. Then she asks how long I was in the Navy. I tell her 20 years and that I retired. She asks when that happened. I told her I retired over twenty years ago! She looks at me surprised and says, you retired that long ago? At first I'm feeling pretty good about that, thinking she thinks I'm younger looking. Then she asks what year was that? I tell her 1993. Her response? Wow, I wasn't even born yet! Now I'm not feeling so great. So I change the subject and say, you know the Challenger disaster happened on this day in 1986. That is met with a puzzled look, she has no idea what I'm talking about. Then it dawns on me, that happened before she was born!
At this point she is done filling up the test tubes and ready to send those out for analysis. Putting enough gauze over that puncture wound to stop a flood she tapes it in place. Reaching for a cup and a pack of disinfecting wipes she says I'm going to need a sample. Hey, no problem I've been drinking black coffee, that's allowed even when you are fasting, so I'm good to go; no pun intended. Having giving me the obligatory instructions she thanks me for my service. As she says good bye she asks if I know how to get out of the building. Yeah, I remember. I also remember I don't have another appt untill April, my cardiologist. I may have forgotten why I walked into the kitchen but I don't forget Dr. appts. Well the truth is my wife kinda keeps track of all that, and birthdays. I remember other stuff, important stuff like when it's time to change the oil in the car or when the football game comes on. Oh and 1993, I remember it well, wasn't all that long ago.
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