Four days into the Christmas Season...
... and less than a week to go until New Years Day. This seems like an appropriate time to share a few thoughts about the year soon to end and the one about to start.
Health-wise I have my sixth primary care doctor in the six years I've been enrolled in the US medicare system. I have not been displeased with any of my previous doctors, nor have they been displeased with me. The changes mostly came from insurance company and medical group realignments. For a 71 year old man I'm in acceptably good health, and I'm thankful for that. Routine lab work done every six moths or so with the followup doctor appointments allow me to keep a close enough watch on my physical condition.
A new eye doctor this past summer gave me the most thorough eye exam I've ever had, and gave me a diagnosis I've never had: compound cataracts in both eyes. They're not quite bad enough to require surgery that my insurance will pay for, but they're headed in that direction. The best corrective lenses I can be prescribed only give me 20/40 vision. When I can no longer be corrected to better than 20/50 I'll qualify for eye surgery. The doctor expects degeneration to that point will be very gradual. But it's still something we'll need to monitor on a yearly basis. The doctor chuckled when he said, “You know, you'll never have 18-year-old eyes again.”
Hopefully 2020 will see a major change in my living situation. S and I are planning a summer vacation to the Philippines which may well be extended to a permanent move. Getting the logistics worked out for that is challenging. Complicating this is the very recent news that the Philippines may be changing the visa requirements for US citizens entering their country. It still isn't clear if, what, and when those changes will be made, but I'm following that news very closely.
All things considered I feel good about my 2019 and I'm looking forward to my 2020 with joyful expectation.
by Roscoe