Your Kidney's Are Up

 

Went to the doctor today.  The wife went to see him too.  The girls will see Dr. Chernack the following week.  All I knew about this doctor was that my mom had seen someone else in his medial group there in Poughkeepsie for years.  My dad had originally recommended someone over in New Paltz.  And though they take my insurance group, my specific policy dedicated to small business owners was the one variant they didn’t take.  With Dr. Chernack I was good to go. 

 

I needed to make this reservation a full two month’s in advance, as I was a new patient.  No matter.  But with all this build up, I hoped that I would like this gentleman.  I had no idea if he was a dullard, or a bad listener or someone enamored with Trump as the secretary had been to my surprise over at the optometrist two years back.  This was to be the first step on building a relationship.  And the challenge was that not only did I need to get along with this gent, but I was angling for my whole family to extend thumbs up as well. 

 

The staff at Premier Medical Group were all quite pleasant as my wife and I filled out our forms and answered questions about contact info.  I was called in first and weighed and had my vitals tested by an absolutely wonderful young woman whom I could have continued talking with for some time.  The Dr. himself turned out to be a lovely gent, who set aside four or five fears I’d had gnawing at me for months now.  “Where does it hurt?  There?  No.  Your kidney’s are up there.  That is something muscular, tied to something in your foot.”  Your blood pressure?  Yeah.  Normal.  I don’t think it has anything to do with the numbness in your fingers . . .”

We talked literature and non fiction.  We talked about the Serengeti and summers in Maine and by the end of the session I was ready to invite the Doc to my next cocktail party whenever such a thing resumes.  Ahh, but I get along with everyone.  It may not be so easy with my wife.  But wonderfully, she was also enchanted.  We’ll see if the girls agree.  But for now we’re off to a good start with our new family practitioner.  I’ll let you know if I end up feeling the same way about the proctologist he recommended.  Fortunately, for now, his office isn’t taking appointments for at least six weeks.

Wednesday, 12/16/20