I am a grown ass woman and I still suffer from white coat syndrome.

This must end.

The majority of patients in the waiting room are way beyond the Medicare qualifying age.

I’m heading in that direction so my visits may become more frequent then an annual rendezvous.

I’m pushing back with a daily dose of exercise and healthy eating, but who the hell knows if this will be a successful preemptive strike.

Yesterday, was a doubleheader filled with intimate moments with the gynecologist and my primary care    physician.

Luckily, both doctors are fabulous women so the meet and greet was great, but the weigh in, blood pressure and reality checks are not my idea of a good time.

I always take my BP several times at home before I have my date with destiny and it is fine.

My first go round in the doctor’s office constitutes  high anxiety.

Then I proceed to beg for a second chance and like the recent stock market, it had a precipitous drop.

It seems that aging brings on a new litany of conversational topics.

No longer am I checked for STDs, pap smears or female issues.

Now it’s, “Did you have your shingles series, a pneumonia and a flu shot? Any digestive or bowel issues?”

And there is poking around at my cognitive skills…I can easily remember to say ‘F’ off!.

So far the results are positive.

Unless I deteriorate rapidly in the next 12 months, I can pack away the white coat until next summer.