Idiom

It suddenly struck me today, that the the old idiom about beating your head against a brick wall was at work in my life, the part that states that it feels so good to stop.

We are seniors. At this moment in time there is a public dental plan for seniors, this is relatively new, and one has to apply annually as a senior, to be eligible. Attila and I are eligible. I do not need dental work at this time, but Attila does. A week or so ago he made a call to make an appointment, and left a message on their answering machine. He had received no reply. He called again this morning and has an appointment for assessment in the next three weeks. What a relief.

Also, today was my final assessment in the cardiac rehabilitation program. It was a great opportunity to get professional, customized feedback about my heart and vascular health, and to explore my limitations with the aneurysm. Although I can research most of the information myself, the assessment of my physical condition was something I could not accomplish on my own. I believe also that the tips I received from the Internist (doctor), the Nutritionist, and the Physiotherapist were invaluable. They cut through the information clutter that abounds, to find that most relevant to my particular set of circumstances, and then worked with me to look at solutions and possibilities.

I followed all the advice I was gifted, lost a bit of weight, improved my diet even further, improved my measurable stamina, improved my grip, and lost a few cm around the waist. The upshot is that I am doing great, and should continue to do the things I am currently doing. This is very good news, because my present lifestyle is very comfortable, and easy to maintain long term. I am doing the best I can for myself.

As I was sitting here after arriving back home from the assessment, and hearing Attila’s good news about getting a dental appointment, I realized how lucky we are to have this systemic support in our old age. We didn’t have it during the past ten years, and particularly during the pandemic when Attila’s health was at risk. During those years without a primary care provider, and during the pandemic, we were pretty much on our own figuring out how to survive. Any health care we did receive involved eight or more hours waiting in the emergency department waiting room to see a doctor, and no dental care at all. My blood pressure was not well controlled, my cholesterol was not well controlled; both were too high due to inherited conditions. We worked so hard during those years just to keep going without the health care we needed.

And now we both have a GP, and I have an endocrinologist and a vascular surgeon. Attila now has a dentist, and I guess I do too if I need one. After feeling relatively abandoned by the health care system for so very long, Attila and I both feel that we are in good hands, and we feel so much more relaxed not having to fight so very very hard for basic health care.

It is a great feeling and huge relief!!!!!!!!!

Worldly

Weather

23°C
Date: 12:00 PM EDT Tuesday 16 September 2025
Condition: Partly Cloudy
Pressure: 102.5 kPa
Tendency: Falling
Temperature: 23.2°C
Dew point: 11.6°C
Humidity: 48%
Wind: ENE 17 km/h
Humidex: 25
Visibility: 24 km

Quote

“People say to me so often, ‘Jane how can you be so peaceful when everywhere around you people want books signed, people are asking these questions and yet you seem peaceful,’ and I always answer that it is the peace of the forest that I carry inside.”
Jane Goodall
1934 –

I wish that peace of the forest, or a variation of it, for everyone!