June 20, 2014

    Today was clearance for surgery visit with cardiologist.  The Medical Arts Building is under construction, and is presently torn apart.  Bigger and better must be the byword.  I waited only a few minutes, maybe 5 or 6, and then was called for weight (oops, a few lbs. up)  and BP (also oops, up a little) and an ekg.  Waited a few minutes more before seeing the doctor, who said all seemed fine, that the ekg was exactly the same as before, normal, that my BP was slightly elevated, postulated probably that I was a little anxious about surgery, etc., and that any "off-center" sensation was most likely due to walking alignment, or something like that. He did not repeat my blood pressure reading by taking it himself as he usually does.  That could be because I appeared so healthy, but it could also be because he was pressed for time due to  a patient in the waiting room who wanted  to see him during her husband's appointment, and he agreed to do so.   He said nothing about my weight, but then he never does. He did ask about the kidney stone, but I told him that was over a year ago.   I notice he has the same socks, or at least of  the same pattern, as when I'd seen  him last Nov.  I see him once a year, have for a long time, and was scheduled for return visit this coming November, but he said that wouldn't be necessary, to schedule for a year from this appointment. It occurred  to me a post-surgery check might be helpful, but what do I know.   I'll have to remember to check his socks next June, kind of a dreary pattern of tan on tan.  I'll know it when I see it.
      He wrote  me a prescription for routine  bloodwork, but said not to go to the lab, but to bring the script to St. Peter's so as not to duplicate what they may order.  He also said the seventies age group is fairly young, with maybe 20 or so more years to be walking around, so surgery would be a good idea.  Shows what he knows.  He shook my hand and wished me good luck.  I thought, in the interest of avoiding germ transmissions, that doctors were doing fist bumps now, but I guess he's not the type.