Saturday, July 19, 2025 – Day 340

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Good morning. It’s the weekend. I’m always thinking about those of you who are still working and the joy you get from sleeping in or doing something fun after a week of the grind.

I had my annual physical yesterday—now officially called a “wellness check” since I joined Medicare. Honestly, it’s a strange exam compared to the physicals I’ve had in the past.

Once I was in the exam room and confirmed who I was with name and date of birth, the tech started asking a long list of questions I’m not used to. Things like: Do I cook? Do I do housework? No to both those questions…I thought I would be shamed at that point.

And then instead of asking if I’ve fallen in the past year, it was: How many times have you fallen? I guess they just assume that anyone 65 or older will fall. In my case, maybe it was the orthotics and cane that tipped her off.

So I answered truthfully: nine times. Well… that led to a host of follow-up questions. Next question…do I feel safe at home? I paused and thought about my nine falls and my initial thought was to say “not all the time”, but I thought better just to say “yes, I feel safe at home.”

The whole process, including a quick vitals check, took about 15 minutes. I wonder if there is follow-up that I should expect…like a call from a social worker to make sure there is no elder abuse in the home.

When the doctor came in, he reviewed my prescriptions, listened to my lungs and heart, and checked my throat and ears. Finding nothing remarkable, he asked if I was seeing a dentist regularly. I confirmed that I was. Then came his final question—whether I wanted to take the Prevnar 20 pneumonia vaccine.

I paused. I’ve had a rough time with vaccines in the past. No matter which one it is, I always seem to have side effects, and I know I’ll lose 24 to 48 hours recovering. I told him I’d think about it. I said, “If I get pneumonia, there’s a good chance it would kill me.” Without hesitation, he agreed: “It probably would.” Something for me to seriously consider. And with that, the appointment was over.

I looked at my watch—10 minutes with the doctor.

Last step was bloodwork. The phlebotomy tech came in, took one look at both arms, smiled, and said I had “great veins.” She had her samples in under five minutes, and I was cleared to go home. Although…this morning I see a bruise where I was stuck…that’s a surprise.

All told, the visit took 30 minutes. Before leaving, I stopped at the front desk to make next year’s appointment—even though, if I’m being honest, a small part of me wonders if I’ll be around to make it. I’m sure I’ll get a no-show fee if I miss it. Well, I’m not going to worry about that today.

Then it was off to get my haircut. I go every five weeks now—this new “messy hair” look takes more effort, especially now that I have a stylist named Mary. Back when I was going to a barber, it was more like every two months… and by then, I’d be pretty shaggy.

I made the switch to Mary a year ago, and it’s been great. She’s fast, efficient, funny, and knows what she’s doing. I look forward to those 30 minutes—she’s one of those people who makes you feel better just by chatting with you.

While I was in the chair, Mary mentioned that she was going golfing in the afternoon. I asked if she could have someone take a picture…because up to this point I hadn’t posted a photo of Mary in the blog. Just then, in walked Les—one of the tax volunteers I’ve known for 10 years. Total surprise! It happened a few months ago too, so it’s quite the coincidence that it happened again.

Perfect opportunity to get a photo of Mary and me. Les pulled out his phone and snapped a quick photo. He wasn’t quite sure how to send it—he’s from a generation that doesn’t really send photos (I think he said this was his first). But Les is an engineer, and of course, he figured it out…after five minutes or so.

So I’ll pause there…I’ve probably told you more detail than you want to know. Sorry.

Have a great Saturday.

Love you guys!❤️