Red Letter days. The ability, tentatively, to run errands to other destinations except those needed for life and health. Well life and health but not emergency type. Two routine doctor visits. I decided not to rush a third the Dentist by rescheduling and will just wait for the next appointment in September. Talk about your intimate exposures to mucous membranes. They have worn masks/shields and gloves for years, but there's still a lot of moisture spinning around in my view with all those swooshing machines, scrapings and spitting action.
Digress: I've been going to the same dentist for many years and even brought the next generation there when it was time for my daughter to be seen. I think I still have the picture they took of her in the big" chair". She was smiling.
2nd digress: When my daughter and I met her orthodontist for the first time to discuss the treatment plan I was told what a fantastic doctor he was-because he was extremely expensive and lived in, basically a castle I guess. The mark of truly great doctor. Anyway I am a prodigious note-taker and I was doodling away on the complicated payment plan when he tapped the table and said "Mother, pay attention to me!" I believe I said something like "excuse me?" (asshole) , the animal reference silent of course. Well, number one, I was not his Mother and number two, what a jackass. Never liked that guy but the results were beautiful. I probably own a brick of his castle. His attitude rankles me to this day obviously.
Anyway, I was a patient of my dentist when the guidelines for HIV came into effect. Being an intrepid safety and health proponent who never rests I, of course, lectured them on the use of proper protective equipment before we could continue our relationship. They complained of not being able to do their job with gloves on bla bla bla, but they survived and thrived as they say.
I had done so many lectures and training sessions on AIDS/HIV at that point, I had no problem explaining in detail the horrendous consequences of not taking precautions. As I succinctly put it at the end of my training sessions as they squirmed in their seats (they were primarily male audiences), "If you're not shooting drugs or having sex in the workplace you shouldn't be exposed". The mosquito questions were the best. Depends on what you and the mosquito are doing obviously.
My first visit was to the ophthalmologist. Interesting experience taking all the eye tests with a mask on. Having a small face it was a constant battle between fabric, hair and getting my eye into proper relationship with the machines. Watching them clean the machine seconds before one places one's precious organ against it was an "eye opener", pardon the pun. As an ex-FA/CPR teacher I understood a full 60 seconds was needed to actually achieve some type of sanitation or the semblance of same.
Check-up with the Doctor went well. No changes, no problems though I have to wonder how effective the technician was who managed to totally obscure one eye photo with little hair-like structures covering the all-important parts. What disease had I contracted in this age of pandemic? Imagination running wild, I later learned the little hair-like structures were.... HAIR! It's been many months since I had a haircut, but really lady, could you not see the wildness of my coiffure before you snapped the picture?
Next a routine checkup with the Internal Medicine chap to see if I aced my six-month blood test scores. How do you have a contact-less, touchless physical exams? Everybody keeps their clothes on and gloves are used. Hand washing by each participant is overseen by my eagle eye. Masks are mandatory for all who play and the medical staff are pretty used to them anyway so that seemed normal. As long as we don't lie any about symptoms when they ask the usual pandemic questions all is good.
Though I do miss the mandatory handshakes that say "I'm a real person and I see you and acknowledge your uniqueness as a person". As far as I know I am just a chart and we no longer have any pretense about it anymore. There is something discomforting about the thought that at a certain age, you do not feel you are taken as seriously as you used to be when you were young and more vital apparently.
Noticed a favorite breakfast place was open for internal digestion so we took a chance. We were treated like royalty with "virtual" bowing and scraping occurring. Although there were cars in the lot, the manager acknowledged they were staff decoy cars as they were hoping people would see them and feel safe enough to take the bait. As a few more consumers arrived they were literally applauded. Need I say service was impeccable even though the pepper was delivered in little packets and my hot sauce needed to be requested. Although a lot of cleaning occurs right before your eyes, take your own Clorox wipes to be sure.....After all these people are all wearing masks.
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