Only me.
I went for my nearly-annual check-up today. Prior to seeing my doctor, the nurse asked me, “Is there anything specific you’d like to talk to the doctor about today?”
“Yes. I’d like to talk about the syphilis vaccine - the one for people over 50.” I smiled--being proactive felt great.
“Ummm… the syphilis vaccine?” she said, staring at her computer screen.
“Yeah. I’ve seen signs for it at every pharmacy.”
“You have?” she asked.
“My pharmacist said he would give it to me, he just needs the ok from the doctor.”
“You talked to your pharmacist about it?” she asked — just staring at me.
“Of course,” I said with nonchalance.
I waited a half an hour for my doctor. I heard some talk in the hallway about a vaccine, but I was making a grocery list, and sketching outfits I would like to make, so I didn’t really pay attention.
My doctor came in, smiling, and apologizing for running late. She has been my doctor for several years, and also looks after my two daughters, so she’s fairly aware of our family “story”.
“So…what vaccine did you ask the nurse for?” she asked.
“You know ... the one for people over 50...umm ... oh, it’s related to chicken pox.”
“Oh,” she said and started to laugh. “The nurse told me that you wanted a vaccine for syphilis, and I told her that there was no such thing.” She continued laughing. “I knew you were in here, and it just didn’t make sense. I told her that she must have heard you wrong.”
Omigod! A light bulb blinked on in my head. “Oh No! I did ask for a syphilis vaccine,” I said, “I meant shingles—they are roughly the same length…you know when you picture the word in your head, AND they start and finish the same.”
“And you’d be surprised how many symptoms they share.”
Only me.
