Doctor Herb

Retirement ages like 65 were invented because at such an age, you need enough time for all the doctor and dentist appointments, therapies, and treatments. I remember when all my doctors were older and dignified, radiating knowledge and expertise. It was shocking when my medical providers began turning into my own age. But I kept thinking I was younger than I was. When a doctor in Wichita explained why I should have a certain procedure, he used the words, “This is what I would recommend for my own father…” I did not hear the rest. His father! I was in my 40’s. How old did he think I was? I finally accepted that some doctors were getting younger than me. This is both good and bad. I show age bias with my reluctance to have my 74 year old ophthalmologist perform surgery on my eye. I went to high school with him and am just projecting my own incompetence because I do not think I should be allowed to cut my own toenails. But then again, I was shocked that a 14 year old was performing my root canal. I thought he was in the dentist office on a Take Your Son to Work Day. I hate the concept of cheating but I have always cheated on my own medical evaluations. I faked my bite as a 14 year old, avoided braces, and was rewarded with a lifetime of crooked teeth. I memorize eye charts. If the doctor cannot see my floaters, maybe I should not mention them. I even have an Herb Doctor who plants laughter into my treatments. I am healthier on paper than in real life. So odds are that my death will come as a complete shock to everyone, including me.