Feelings

A short time back I wrote about feeling like we're treading water. Last week we felt like a Yo-Yo! Three trips to Tucson (about 100 mile round trip), one each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, all for medical visits.

Monday we needed to see Dr. Butler, Suzy's orthopedic surgeon, for a follow-up visit after her shoulder replacement. Suzy's doing fine, Dr. Butler is happy, and wants to see her again in the fall.

Wednesday was a visit to Dr. Bhola, a pain management specialist, for another in a series of epidural injections (that's a needle in the spine, if you aren't familiar with the term) to help control back and leg pain. It's always a good visit, because the procedure is virtually painless, and gives immediate help, which further improves over a couple of days. However, after about six weeks, the old pain level is back again. This shot can be given only six times a year.

The Friday visit was to Dr. Bluestein, our primary physician, for Suzy's monthly visit. Dr. B (as we call her) is monitoring all of Suzy's systems, and helping to discover exactly what is causing the pain, then directing us to specialists for specific treatment.

Fortunately, we have excellent medical coverage despite the current hoorah in Washington DC and all the rants and raves about it. Medicare is primary, of course, and we pay for supplemental coverage through AARP. While that plan is not inexpensive, it does cover us anywhere in the US we travel. We never pay a co-pay, we never pay for anything, except prescriptions. AARP has another plan for prescriptions, with several levels depending on individual needs. Suzy has the top level plan, but still has to pay through the nose during the donut hole.

While we are in Tucson, of course, we get to visit Costco for gasoline (which we use a lot of for the trips) and other wonderful things, such as their $1.50 Polish Dog and soft drink. We can also go to Home Depot, Lowes, Staples, Michael's, and anywhere else we need to shop.

So you can see why we feel like a Yo-Yo, running back and forth and the same string so often. And all of that while we are trying to oversee the completion of our casita remodeling! Most weeks it's only one trip to Tucson, sometimes two, and even ... wonder of wonders ... no Tucson trips at all.

Speaking of Yo-Yos, do you remember reading about our trip through Chico, California three years ago? One big, but tiny, attraction in Chico is the Yo-Yo Museum!

The museum is in the back of a toy store.

It chronicles the entire history of Yo-Yos, and displays the World's Largest Yo-Yo.

"Yeah, but how do you play such a large Yo-Yo?" you say. "Easy," I say. This is how!

The Yo-Yo was played twice: once in San Francisco at its unveiling, then in Chico when it was installed in the World Yo-Yo Museum!

That's the way it is for this part of ... Our Life on Wheels!