Dr. Appointment—Routine Checkups
Abbe’s Ruminations December 2025
I’ve always disliked doctor’s offices, anything that caused pain. Until I understood what real illness was. Now, I follow the regime handed out by Medicare.
A notice from my doctor’s office arrives by official postal mail. Time for your yearly check-up, time for your mammogram, time to look at your eyes.
I drag my feet just a bit, but when my daily meditation takes me into an inner mental room that appears to have anemones floating, I sense that this might be my internal cellular make up, wanting to be seen. It’s either a sign of my imagination or a divine intervention.
I call the mammogram department where a live person, a male receptionist, answers. I verify my name, my date of birth, my address and phone number. He begins asking me questions about my health, if I have a cold, and have been out of the country in the last four weeks. I answered no to all but let him know that these questions might not pertain to the date of the appointment for two months in the future. We continue and he asks about breast cancer, I tell him about my large lump that was removed when I was in college. Benign but since then, every year I check. I also mention that I even had the “gene” test which said I was okay. Not ten questions later, he asks me about my family history. I don’t say that I just told you that story and am polite as I say yes and no to the queries. He verifies again my date of birth again, 12/08/1952, and not three or four questions later he asks me, have you lactated in the last six months.
At this point, I burst out laughing. In between the giggles of exasperation, and disbelief, I say, “ Sir, sir, if I had lactated in the last six months, every doctor and journal in the world would be at my door, at this miracle. I’m almost 73 years old.”
There is a pause. He says, “I take that as a “No” answer.”
I’ve lost it at this point and laugh and laugh and laugh, until the poor receptionist finally laughs with me. When I finally hang up, I decide to take a break, and make my other doctor appointments on another day.
I’d love to hear from you, I promise to listen– find me at http://www.abberolnick.com
