Minutes to Memories

My status as one who is “getting older” became official with this solitary statement: I went to the doctor today.

Nothing wrong with going to the doctor. I’ve been to the doctor at certain times in my life, mostly from breaking some part of my body playing basketball. I even went to the doctor ten years ago for something or another. There’s nothing wrong with that at all.

But today, I went to the doctor just to go, and in my feeble little mind, I felt as if this was my crossing over into the land of the aged. The very fact that the words “prostate exam” came up without a joke attached got my attention. And to double the fun, my new doctor followed up by using the phrase “when you turn fifty.”

Sigh…

For all the readers well past fifty, I mean no disrespect. It’s just that I thought I was eternally twelve years old until today. Alas, I am not. I am (here’s the phrase) “getting older.”

The doctor’s visit came as a result of a couple of important developments in my life: (1) we are now of the six or seven people in this country with affordable health insurance, and (2) my wife has decided that there should be no more chance of any little Al’s and Jody’s running around in this world, and since she remembers my promising to be the one to do the little procedure when she was in labor nine years ago (she never forgets a thing!)…well, let’s just say the “we don’t have health insurance” card was good while it lasted.

But in my mind, it was more than those two important pieces of information. I knew it would be good for me to go visit a doctor. Since I am, you know, getting older.

So I did, and overall it was good. The doctor was professional, thorough, and actually listened to me. I know his nurse, as well as a nurse practitioner in the clinic (they’re sisters), and it was good to see and get hugs from them. I now have a prescription for something to try for my occasional (and now I’m told, probably migraine) headaches. And I even have a nice little note that can get me in to see a surgeon who will do that little procedure I truly dread!

Well, I’d better get some sleep. I have a big day tomorrow with a little bingo, a few crossword puzzles, and an AARP mixer.