August 25, 2020

Every so often when the occasion arises, my wife will quote an old wive’s tale: “Things happen in threes.” Usually, it’s mentioned relative to deaths, but it could be said of most anything. It’s a superstition of course, but one I’ll ride tonight.

It’s been an odd day. At men’s Bible study tonight, my friend Chuck hit the nail on the head when he said, “You’ve reached the age when the check engine light comes on.” A week and a half ago, I developed an eye infection; I went to my primary physician’s office, saw a nurse practitioner who wasn’t sure what was going on or what to do about it. Visited my eye dr, who glanced my way while walking into the examining room, and said, “I know what’s going on,” and proceeded to tell me what to do. I did it, and it got better. “If it goes into the other eye, you need to see your regular doctor for an antibiotic, because New York is the only state in the union where we aren’t allowed to write prescriptions. 

Last Thursday I had my semi-annual prostate checkup. The doctor looked at my numbers with a worried look on her face. My PSA numbers decided to take a little trip into the stratosphere, prompting the scheduling of an MRI with a followup biopsy probably in the works. In the meantime, my eye infection returned, migrating to the left eye this time. I called my primary physician’s office to have them order the prescription the eye dr recommended if it recurred. Of course, they wanted to see me first. 

Meanwhile, I get a call from the urologist telling me I have a UTI and ordering an antibiotic for it. Fortunately, the scrip had already been called in by the time I got to the doctor’s office, so rather than doubling up, I’ll just be taking the one. I feel like a ping pong ball!

Now for the good news! On my way to get the prescription, I decided to have a cup of coffee. About the only place in town that has inside and patio dining is Panera, so that’s where I landed, and just as I was getting ready to leave, Linda pulls in with three granddaughters in tow. They had been out for a day of birthday shopping, and stopped in for lunch. We laughed a lot, talked about some serious issues, and I left blessed beyond measure. The check engine light may have come on, but this old heart is purring along quite contentedly. In this case, good things do come in threes.