Today I met my new doctor, which went very well and was a relief after what it took to get there.
It started a couple of months ago when I signed up for medicare, then had to pick another insurance company because, well, that’s how we do it in the US. That company needed to have a presence in Texas (my domicile) and on the Peninsula where I spend time.
Got that squared away and then ended up in the emergency room in Nevada, still covered by Group Health of Puget Sound, but that was going to terminate in a month. Then, I needed an appointment with my old doctor when I got here to get a prescription for the meds I need. Only, just for the fun of it my old doctor had retired and so my old doctor was actually a new doctor. But in a couple of weeks he would become an old doctor.
My new doctor (in Poulsbo) is part of a nice practice in a totally modern medical center next to a Walmart Pharmacy. I spent an hour with him, answering his questions, and complaining about side effects. Not only did I get two great ideas to relieve my discomfort, he didn’t waste time with off-topic crap which we can get to later. And he’s going to arrange for a definitive diagnostic for my condition.
I now have the summer to get all the issues I have with the meds worked out. The meds are now a fact of life for me, though it was a surprise. One day all I took was Ibuprofen, the next I’m in a Walmart Pharmacy wondering what to do and how to do it.
And today was another Walmart Pharmacy visit, this time the doctor connects directly so all I do is walk up to get my order.
So besides my new doctor, I am experiencing a LOT of new things like pharmacies, medicines, terminology, and insurance stuff. And it looks like I get to experience cathing, imaging, and stenting. Can’t wait.