What's for lunch? I don't know.

I adore my job. Not because I have the rare privilege of assisting in the occasional transmetatarsal amputation, or even for the virtue-cultivating experience of daily suppressing the desire to go on loud rants about the evils of Medicare. I mean, those things are great and all. But mostly I love my job because I meet so many people that I would otherwise probably have no contact with. And if that were the case, I would really be missing out.

One of my favorites is a patient we'll call "Susan." I only see Susan once every 60 days, when Medicare will pay for her periodic diabetic foot check. She is mentally handicapped. A paraplegic. In her mid-thirties. Always accompianied by her case worker. And always happy to see me.

We have essentially the same conversation every 60 days.

"Susan! How are you today?"
"Very good. It's good to see you. How are you doing? What's your name?"
"It was still Marci, last time I checked. And I'm doing great."
"Oh hi Kathy! I will call you Kathy. Hi Kathy!"
"Wait! I thought you were Kathy!?!"
"No! I'm SUSAN! You are Kathy. Hi Kathy. How are you Kathy?"
"I'm just super!"
"What's for lunch? I don't know. What's for lunch? I don't know."
"Ummm. I'm going to have...donuts. What are you going to have?"
"Hot dogs. We're having hot dogs. What are you going to have?"
"Ummm....spinach enchiladas."
"What's for lunch? I don't know. What's for lunch? Do you like hot dogs?"
"Only at campfires and baseball games. Do you like hot dogs?"
"Yes. I LOVE hot dogs. It's so good to see you Kathy."
"Well, it's good to see you too!"
"Hot dogs are made out of carrots and peas."
"Really. Is that so? Where did you hear that?"
"Bible study. Hi Kathy. Hi Kathy."

Last week was even better.

Enter the doctor:

(Doctor) “Hi Susan!”
(Susan) “Hi Patty!”
(me) I thought I was Patty!”
(Susan) “I’m Patty. You’re Kathy. Hi Patty. Hi Kathy.”
(Doctor) “Hi Patty. How are your feet doing these days?”
(Susan)“Just fine. I got my nails painted. What’s for lunch? I don't know."
(me)"Hot dogs. I'm going to eat 10 of them."
(Susan)"Hot dogs? Yuck! I hate hot dogs. It's so good to see you Kathy.”
(me)"You too, Patty."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyway. I'm headed off to Chicago for the weekend to learn about foot deformities and shoe inserts and the like. I get to go the cadaver lab again this year. I'm pretty stoked about that. Nothing wierd about a bunch of severed feet laying out on tables in a fancy hotel ball room. Nope. Nothing weird at all. ;) Have a nice weekend.

I know it's spring...

...because all the little allergens have come out to play! I hate taking medications, but thank goodness for antihistamines.

I also know it's spring, because I looked at my calendar (graduation in less than a month) and panicked. As per usual Marci correspondence study habits, I'm nowhere near being done with my classes. But it's sunny and 75 degrees out, so the world could be coming to an end, and I'd probably still be in a good mood. I'd write more, but I think it's a sin to be inside on a computer on a day like today, so I'm heading out to enjoy a little more sunshine before I have to go to my meeting. Adios.

At the risk of sounding like something Hallmark would print on a coaster set, let me just say this: old friends are important. The kind you can see after not talking to them in 2 weeks, or 6 months, or even 4 years, and have a good conversation, and leave just feeling better about life in general, but not feeling like "keeping in touch" is going to be a burden. The kind where you can say, "I'll see you later." and not know when that's going to be, but just know that it will happen sometime, sooner or later, and you will pick up wherever you happened to leave off. I've gotten lucky enough, a few times in the last couple of weeks, to run into some of this type of friend, and have lunch, or coffee, and enjoy one another's company and conversation and brains and point of view and stories for a while, and then go our separate way, having been blessed. Of course you have to have the people that you keep up with and communicate with on a regular weekly or daily basis. People need intimate relationships. But it's also just nice to catch up with people who "knew you when..." and have had enough distance from you to notice you change and grow as a person. Anyway, I'm exhausted, so I'm going to head out. I'm still housesitting, and not staying at home these days, so I can't write at the ungodly hours of the night. And the horses are probably hungry. I'm out.