Halloween News?

[Andybev01]

I'm doing well. This happens to be one of the periods where my various regularly scheduled appointments lineup, one after the other.

If i'm not mistaken, I only have one in october which is more than fine with me.

I appreciate that we live in a time when all of these resources are available and fairly easy to navigate, but I also suffer from what psychologists call 'white smock syndrome', where just the thought of going to a doctor causes anxiety.

[Murfreesboro]

Oh, Andy, I so sympathize! So far I am blessed to be pretty healthy, yet all those routine appointments just wear me down. And they cost a fortune even when you aren't sick.

Anyway, good to hear from you!

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I know that you guys aren't going to believe this, but I swear that it's the truth, I haven't been sick one single time since 2015, not even the common cold. The only issue that I've had was when I slipped and hurt my back. Of course, by opening my mouth, I'm sure that I'll get sick next week.

My wife and Sam have been sick multiple times, but Phoebe has only had a cold once in her life when she was 3, aside from that she hasn't ever been sick. I can only assume that it's because she used to drink a lot of orange juice when she was a baby, and the excessive amount of vitamin C must have built up her immune system. Man, that kid loved her orange juice.

[Murfreesboro]

Wow, that's amazing. I'm pretty susceptible to respiratory stuff, but I think In part it's because of seasonal allergies. Sometimes those can get bad enough that it might as well be a cold. My husband is stronger in that way than I am, but he is more prone to digestive issues.

At my age, whether you're sick or not, they dog you about all kinds of check ups, stuff you never thought about when you were younger, like bone density scans, colonoscopies, etc. And you have to get fasting blood work at least annually, something which maybe everybody does now, but wasn't a thing fifty years ago. You end up running to the Dr a lot just to keep up with the preventative stuff

My dentist also wants to see me every 4 months for periodontal cleanings, which are expensive and not fully covered by my insurance. I can count on shelling out $250-300 every four months just on my teeth, even if nothing needs to be repaired. And now my eye dr also wants to see me every four months to the tune of c $165 after insurance, because he thinks I have glaucoma. The thing is, if I do, it's not presenting in the normal way. My eye pressure is normal, but the optic nerve is fraying, which is another symptom. I have to hope he's right, because my grandmother died of myesthenia, which would also do that. But he doesn't think it's that because I don't have other symptoms. I have another eye dr, a retina guy, with whom I discussed this, and he agreed that it could be glaucoma even without the pressure symptoms, so I'm just running on, so far so good. Despite the potential gravity of either diagnosis, I'm actually pretty chill with it. I just get tired of running to drs. And I also resent the way all medical people can sometimes attempt to play on your fears. I refuse to live afraid.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

On the plus side, at least you still have your original teeth! I know a lot of older people that have dentures. Andy has mentioned dentures a few times in a joking way, but I still don't know if he was serious or not.

Millie still has most of her original teeth, she's only missing a few of the back teeth. She also hates doctors, but they make her visit them once a year even though it's basically pointless because the doctors say that she's doing better than expected for her age, and that she should just continue doing what she's doing.

I do wonder if she will continue with the visits now that my aunt and uncle are gone, and she has a live-in caregiver, either way, her health is doing well and she's clearly outliving everybody around her.

[Murfreesboro]

True, and I'm actually doing pretty well, all things considered. My husband has not been feeling well this weekend. He somehow wrenched his back, I guess, and he doesn't know how. That's another thing about growing older. You can hurt yourself and not feel it until five days later. Weird.

Hooray for Millie! I think attaining her advanced age is mainly the luck of the draw. But most centenarians, like her, are clear- headed and more able than many people decades younger.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I hope that Mr. Murf feels better soon. I know from experience that back pain isn't fun, and can cause other issues if you don't let it heal properly, and sometimes just turning in the wrong direction can cause further issues. Tell him to take it easy, and find what works for him, either heat or cold routinely applied to the area definitely helps alleviate the pain, and will speed up recovery.

[Murfreesboro]

Thanks for the advice. He feels somewhat better today.

[Andybev01]

Less than 2 hours 'til October!!

Now this old man is off to the land of nod so, see you next month.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

It was already after midnight here when you made that post.

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[Murfreesboro]

Hooray! The best month of the year!