7 September …
Trip to the new doctor last wednesday began with a noticeable scent in the air
and the mountains to the southwest blue-grey behind a haze.
As we went out Dale Creek past the reservoir we had trouble seeing the Mountain.
If we hadn’t known where She is, we would have missed Her.
The depth of the smoke picked up as we went north.
By the time we got to Yreka, the haze had become a pall and it was difficult to see across the road.
It wasn’t much better by the time we headed home.
This morning is much clearer although the Gap fire is still out of control. Depends on the direction of the wind.
~~~
Aside from the smoke situation, my appointment with the new doc was interesting to say the least. When he came in I said hello and that I didn’t need care, I was there to meet him. His reply was that I had just deleted the first five minutes of his presentation.
I tried to be as open and honest about my situation as possible. We often don’t realize what we are not sharing. But I did the best I could and I think I answered his questions truthfully.
The outcome was that although he honors Dr. Kolpacoff, he wants to make his own assessment of my staph situation the next time it occurs, and white-coat-anxiety aside he wants to check on my blood pressure. He said he would give me a one time script for the staph antibiotic I’ve been using, but not the prednisone. He wants me to start the antibiotic as soon as I recognize the symptoms next time and get in to see him asap. I told him that cellulitis leaves me a blubbering mess and asked what trouble I would have getting an emergency appointment and he said he always leaves time in his schedule for just such events. We shall see. If I’m lucky, my body has decided to not do that thing any longer and I will never have to test the front office’s protective issues.
It was a normal appointment. However, I still miss the days of going in, being met by a single front desk person (often the doc’s wife since there were very few female docs back then and office’s were often in the doctor’s home), having vitals checked by a back office person (often the same person as the front office person and even sometimes the doc himself), and then talking with the doc.
And if for some reason you couldn’t make it to the office, the doc came to you.
Nowadays the front office consists of a receptionist, a transcriber of the required medical history information sheets, a telephone person, an insurance person, an appointment maker, and in some cases a door keeper even before you get to the front desk.
Once past that area, there is the information reviewer, the vitals taker who may or may not be the one to show you to the “exam” room, and once in the exam room, the reviewer of all that went before who is often the transcriber who stays in the room and notes every action and word. Then, during the “exam”, techs of various kinds and the keeper of the medical records may be involved.
Last wednesday I saw seven different people in addition to the doctor and that was without any diagnostic procedures being done.
It’s similar to the contrast between the Emergency “Room” when I first went to work and the Emergency “Department” now.
Back in the “old” days, I was the only person in the “room” … receptionist, clerk, phone person, vitals taker, transcriptionist, etc. as well as the RN doing triage, initial care, collector of specimens, and implementer of any orders from the doctor. And after office hours or on weekends (I worked weekend nights), the RN had to call a general practice doc (at his home) if he was needed for orders or to actually come to the hospital.
Now that “department” has all the separate people noted earlier as well as in-house techs, an extra RN or LVN, and a 24-hour specialty doc.
Oh well …
End of rant-like observation.
~~~
My scheduled session at the Family History Center last thursday was cancelled due to the smoke. The amount of smoke was less (the wind had shifted a bit) but the Sister with whom I was scheduled to work has asthma and couldn’t go outdoors.
LDS Church rules don’t allow anyone to work alone, so I had the day free.
~~~
Seasons are changing.
I’ve picked the last of Daddy’s green roses.
Herbs and peppers are hung to dry and hummer feeders taken in.
~~~
AC no longer “herds” the ladies but sits with me and waits for them to herd themselves into the house in the evening.
I have begun the process of weaning him away from the chickens and introducing him to the barn cats. Not easy. He has never lived with cats, at least not since he was abandoned.
But there was an encouraging development last monday. I’d begun giving him his breakfast at the barn door and monday morning I saw him with one of the barn cats. AC left him (or her) to come to me, but there had been no antagonism.
Things are as they are …
~~~
I had been getting antsy about firewood. George said he couldn’t skid the logs for cutting into rounds without the tractor … and it was being recalcitrant. Thursday he got it running (carburetor) and so will skid in the next day or so. Then into rounds and then (after a week or so) splitting followed by stacking. We may stay warm this winter after all.
Next year I’ll start getting antsy earlier and we may be ready earlier.
Yea … right.
Oh well …
~~~
Picked up Mountain View Organic tomatoes on monday. I’ve been using their tomatoes for Ruby’s soup and sauce for several years.
They give me the field runs (not so pretty) at a very good price.
They have been chopped
and stewed. Soon, our winter 7-11 will be stocked with soup and sauces
in addition to the Cold Comfort grape jelly.
(That’s my “gratitude” jar beside the jelly)
~~~
The High Holy Days are coming and I recently saw a list of questions to ask yourself in preparation. Three of them hit me as useful even if you aren’t Jewish.
What are my three most significant achievements?
What are the three biggest mistakes I’ve made?
What project or goal, if left undone, will I most regret?
I’m working on my answers.
So … ’til next week …