Category: Personal news

Still Cheesed Off

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

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I’ve had a few days to think about it; and that business Thursday with Dr. So-and-So just makes me madder the more I think about it.

I think they wanted to play Hot Potato with me as the potato: whoever gets stuck with this patient when the  grim reaper rings his bell is the loser and has to pay the others. They do like to have as many doctors in the game as they can get. It’s a kind of Dr. Roulette.

I know, I know, don’t think about it. But every few seconds my busted hip reminds me that I actually have plenty to think about; and it’d be so nice if the damned hip didn’t hurt. But they won’t fix it–because this patient is 76 years old and might have cancer. He could land you in the losers’ circle.

Hippocratic Oath, my ass.

O Lord, I’m finding it exceedingly hard to forgive this.

‘Calling Dr. Shyster… Dr. Shyster…’

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

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I got out of bed angry today, just thinking about that doctor yesterday who blew us off and went his merry way.

“Why, sure I’ll do your hip replacement! As soon as a bunch of other doctors can boost you into perfect health, otherwise, and be ready to take the rap if you should happen to die. You’re 76, you know–gotta keep an eye out for the Reaper!”

By taking on only easy, “can’t miss” cases, Doc Shyster can puff up his record of success–all he has to do is blow off anyone who comes to him with even the slightest medical hang-up. Sort of like the way they used to promote not-very-talented boxers by matching them up against hopeless palookas. (See The Harder They Fall).

So as of today I have no doctor willing to fix my hip. And no, I’m not going to go to upper New York state or lower Honduras to get one.

 

Doctor No. 2: No Way

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Male doctor consulting a crazy patient with stethoscope

So we went to see this other doctor about preparing for and scheduling a hip replacement; and the upshot of it is, we don’t want to see him anymore. He can take his slimy fast talk somewhere else.

Oh, he’ll do the operation, all right–as long as the patient is as healthy as a horse and very unlikely to die on him. But if he were to do mine, I would have to go through a whole carnival of medical procedures by another big top full of doctors. So if anything does go wrong with this 76-year-old patient, chances are good that it’ll be on some other doctor’s watch.

(“No, you can only have this surgery if you’re otherwise in perfect health.”)

I don’t want to die. And I certainly don’t want to be in agony from a broken hip for the rest of my life.

I want to live. Just to spite him.

 

Is My Ship Sinking?

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

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I don’t want to be one of those old men who goes on and on about his various ailments. But if I disappear suddenly, I’m sure some of you will want to know why.

Tomorrow I go to Dr. No. 6–or is it 5? or 7? Can’t keep track–and the next day, another one.

I’ve got to get my hip replaced. Several people who’ve had it have told me it’s no problem, I’ll be fine when I wake up, bob’s your uncle.It’s hard for me to believe this. I have a superstitious fear of dying.

And our internet has been on strike most of this morning, so I went out and had a cigar. There won’t be any cigars, where I’m going.

Sorry! Couldn’t Make It Today

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

How can I tell if my cat is sick? | Berkeley Vet Blog

My afflictions got the better of me today, so it’s a skimpy blog. No Joe Collidge. Nothing in the way of nooze. Maybe I should have posted more hymns.

If I could just get a good night’s sleep!

Next week I’m scheduled for a chin-wag with doctors who are going to install a new hip. Supposedly that’s a relatively easy operation, but I’m not sure there’s any such thing. Then they have to schedule it. And all of a sudden it’s December.

This is getting me down. Please pray for me.

It’s Our Anniversary Today

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

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It’s our 48th anniversary today–calloo, callay, O frabjous day! Don’t expect too much in the way of writing here today. Gotta celebrate. The associate editor and the bookkeeper of The Bayshore Independent–that was us, once upon a time.

(Dude, do you really want to write nooze on your anniversary day? With your wife right here in the living room? Say it ain’t so!)

So, we have a sunny day with a tolerable temperature, the guy from the Chinese restaurant will deliver our supper, I’ll have a cigar, we’ll watch a movie… I know it’s not much, but neither of us is up to much trapeze work.

Our neighbor, Josh, will take Patty to retrieve her car when he comes home from work. He’s like the nephew that we never had.

Well, I guess I’ll got outside and read. It’s back to the hospital next week so they can mess around with my hip. *Sigh*

This Day So Far (Fooey!)

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Top 5 Reasons Your Car Won't Start - Mundie's Towing

Yesterday Patty’s car wouldn’t start–I don’t have my car anymore–and the man had to come and jump-start it.

Today it won’t start, and now we’re waiting for a tow truck.

You’d think we could catch a break sometime. I’m a mess, I’m useless–once upon a time I could walk to the garage and pick up the car when the job was done. Now I can barely make it across the living room. It’s getting to my wife, big-time: she has to do everything.

Next week is the chin-wag concerning my hip, which needs to be replaced. I wonder how long they’re going to make me wait before they do it.

Oh, Grandma!

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Are Weekly Visits With Grandma Enough for Bonding?

My grandma died in the mid-1960s: lived just long enough to be a Mets fan. She was wise, she was gentle, she was good. She raised six daughters (including my mother) who grew up to be good. And one night, her family having just watched the Lawrence Welk Show, she announced, “I think I’ll go to bed now.” And that was the end.

I was only a boy when she died, and it was a long time ago. But yesterday, from out of nowhere, it hit me like a truck.

No Grandma! How could that be? Can she have any idea how much I miss her? I had no idea until just then!

Okay, I’m sick and my emotions are brittle. But dammit, where is everybody? I want my grandma. I need for her to know that.

And Then We Had an Earthquake…

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

New Jersey had an earthquake last night. Patty and I slept through it.

It wasn’t a very big earthquake, but I was surprised that I was able to sleep through anything at all. Nor did it wake my wife. We must’ve been exhausted.

Our state does get an earthquake every now and then. It’s rather alarming when you’re sitting on the pot at work, trying at the same time to organize your day. That happened to me when I was editor of  The Bayshore Independent. It felt like a subway going by… only this town didn’t have a subway.

I keep thinking the LORD is trying to tell us something.

What’s in a Dream?

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Everybody tells me I look good, but I sure as shootin’ don’t feel it.

And last night I dreamed I was dying. That was not pleasant. Took me a very long time to get back to sleep.

What is it with dreams? Do they foretell the future? Near future, or distant future (everybody dies)? Is there some mischievous imp lurking in your subconscious mind,  who tries to freak you out?

I guess I’ll sit outside for a while. Maybe clear my head.