Monday, January 29, 2024

at the doctor's office

The exam room is warm, but there are no windows to view the falling snow.  I sit on the exam table as the doctor listens to my lungs.  I take a deep breath in and out as instructed.  I focus on staying calm to keep my heart and blood pressure from racing.  I try not to think about what tests I need now at forty-five, or whether the weather outside has worsened.  I leave the room with some sort of clean bill of health, but only time will tell.

 mild days
take a short breather
as snow falls


28 comments:

  1. Eloquently written! I like how you evoked the concern we all have while sitting in those examination rooms!

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  2. You are still very young. You have a long way to go. Great haibun.

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  3. The worry will age you twice as fast, Maria. As Dwight said, you have a long way to go. Peace be with you, dear.

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  4. Only forty-five! So much life ahead, Maria. :) Great haibun!

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  5. Well done. It's always a little scary at the doctors for these things but yes, you're still young!

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  6. A relatable haibun, Maria, and I love the haiku! It’s milder here at the moment, but it’s been known to have snow right up until Easter.

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  7. Your message of embracing moments of calm and resisting worry of storms ahead, hit the spot. Thanks!

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  8. I sometimes wonder how much the stress of the test impact the result. My wife was disagnosed with high blood pressure until she got some 24 hr testing.... it was only the measurement that pushed her over the limit.

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    1. I have read about "white coat hypertension" in which a person's blood pressure readings go up when they are in a medical setting. Perhaps that is what happened to your wife. Thanks for reading Bjorn.

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  9. The message is almost, take every moment as it comes. Enjoy the mind days, just breathe.

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  10. Every day is a blessing and the older I am, the more I know it. Tests can cause anxiety but a clean bill of health brings another day. Breath it in.

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  11. You aren’t much older than I am. I hope we continue to have clean bills of health for years to come.❤️

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