I'm Off To See the Doctor . . .

I was walking with my friend Susan the other day when she asked me if I had been to the doctor recently. I laughed. I just barely went to the dentist after an eight year hiatus, (no cavities, thank you!!) and I was pretty sure it has been about that same amount of time since I have been to the doctor (minus the gynecologist).

Susan told me she had a check up recently and suggested I might consider doing the same. "Okay, I thought. When I get around to it, I will do that."

Then yesterday my friend Lisa called. She said she woke up with me on her mind and was wondering when was the last time I had been to see my doctor.

Now let me tell you something about Lisa. Lisa always gets premonitions about people. She knows who is pregnant before they do. She knows who the new Relief Society president will be before the bishop extends the call. So you don't want to dismiss Lisa when she says she has you on her mind.

"I am going to die!" I thought. My heart started racing, my chest was constricting, my head started pounding. In fact I was pretty sure I was going to have a heart attack or stroke that very minute.

"Calm down" I told myself. "You are going to be fine." But even so, I called the doctor's office. I told them I needed to make an appointment with my doctor. They told me my doctor is not taking new patients and I would need to see someone else.

"But I am not a new patient. I went there once about eight years ago."

"That is too long ago so you are considered a new patient"

"Well, maybe it was seven years ago."

"Still too long. But you can see one of the other doctors."

I didn't know anything about the other doctors so I had no idea how to choose between them. But I did want a female so I asked for that and they gave me a list and then added, "But most of them aren't seeing new patients for three or four months."

Are you kidding me?! Doesn't this lady realize both Lisa and Susan think I need to see a doctor now? What if I die before then?!

"Okay," I said, "Is there one you could recommend to me?"

"Well," she answered, "If you want to get in sooner you will want to see Dr. _______ (I can't remember the name). She doesn't have very many patients so is more available."

Great. I am trusting my life to a doctor no one else wants to see. "Okay. When can I get in?"

"March 2". Apparently even the unpopular doctor has a wait.

So that is how I have come to have a doctor's appointment for the first time in eight years. Now if I can only hold on that long . . . :-)