I took a step toward becoming a normal human being again today!
I had a doctors appointment, an in-person visit.
As I was waiting for him to come into the little room, It hit me that I can't really remember the last time that I've seen a doctor face-to face, rather than via a virtual visit. It's been a longgggggg time because of the pandemic. I've had plenty of diagnostic tests done during the pandemic, but no hands-on visits with a doctor.
I wear this unique N95 mask. If anyone is interested in what kind it is, post here, and I'll post a link for it. Without writing a novel here, I'll just say that it has a gel padding around the rim, and it forms an incredibly tight seal around your face. Absolutely NO air leaks in or out around the seal of of this mask. I put it on in the car before walking into the hospital where the doctor is located. It takes me a good 5 minutes to put it on and test it. Then, I throw a surgical mask on over that.
I had to walk a few hundred yards to the entrance, and then I walked up five flights of stairs because I didn't want to take the elevator. I don't get winded very easily, but by the time I made it up those stairs, I was sucking wind so bad that I almost passed out. I had to sit down in a chair in the lobby outside his office because I was breathing so hard. I didn't mind it too much though, it just told me the masks were working.
I'm a people watcher. I enjoyed watching the people coming in and out of the waiting room, and realized that's another thing I haven't done in a long time.
The doctor was wearing an N95 and a face shield with an opening at the top of the shield, rather than the bottom.
It was the most through exam I've ever had in my life. He felt parts of my body that I didn't know I had. He asked a ton of questions. I got a prostate exam. Then we sat and reviewed an ultrasound that I had recently. He explained every single line and shadow on a series of ultrasound pictures. He explained every result of my blood work. He spent an HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES WITH ME.
Bottom line of the appointment is that everything is good. Long-existing problems have remained pretty stable since I last saw him.
Joked around with the women in the check-out office. Had actual conversations. Face-to-face. Drove home feeling on top of the world.
It felt so good to get all that done because I was not looking forward to it. I'm glad I did it now, because Covid cases where I live are rising horribly fast again.
THE END
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Last edited Tue Mar 29, 2022, 02:42 AM - Edit history (1)
Cases got really low in my county, so I scheduled a bunch of appointments and started goig out more, but now they are rising because no one around here wears a mask.
Thanks for your kind words. 
