My Doctors are dropping like flies.

I had a couple hours off late yesterday afternoon, and decided to bop by my doctor's office and see if I could get a swine flu shot. I talk Linda into going with me.

We walk up to the medical clinic, and notice my doctor's name isn't on the list printed on the door. Uh, oh.

"Is Dr. So and So here?"

An almost sneer from the receptionists. "He was here for only a short time....please go to the other window."

Argghh.. This is like my fourth doctor in 6 years that I've lost through no fault of my own.

"Um....can my wife and I get a flu shot?" I say to the other receptionist, who's eyeballing me leerily.

"Only if you have an account with us...."

WTF? Linda and talk a moment, and decide I might as well get my shots.

The people in the office and even in the waiting room seem to be sniggering, and I realize I'm being a little too extroverted. All friendly-like, like I would be in my own store. I've discovered this manner works great when I'm the host, not so great when I'm the guest. This is an Office! There are sick people here! Tone it down!

I tone it down.

"I have an account. My name is Duncan McGeary...."

I start filling out a short form, and not 30 seconds later, I hear my name called.

"Which shot do you want, the regular or the swine flu?" the nurse asks, as she leads me back to the shot center.

"Both!"

I see a hitch in her stride.

"Well," she says, in a huff. "I have the regular flu ready to give you. I can give you a swine flue shot, later."

"That's fine," I've decided to be a Buddha in the face of medical office recalcitrance. These folk deal with sick people all day, and endless red tape -- I'd be grumpy too.

"You don't have diabetes or asthma or anything?"

"Nope! Healthy as a horse."

"Well, you really aren't in the 'at risk' group, you know."

Now I'm wondering what's going on. I thought they WANTED us to get flu shots. "This is the first time I've ever gotten a shot," I say. "I'm 57, I thought that I had to be slightly older to be immune."

"Well," she says grudgingly. "That's true....."

"Look, " I say. "I'll be glad to wait if you're short of doses...."

"No, no..." I can see her start to soften.

"I mean, I understood that there was an all clear signal on swine flue shots. I own a business, and can't afford to be gone for long, and I'm exposed to the public...but really, I'd be more than happy to wait."

"Well," she says, with a much cheerier tone. "I appreciate the offer. But it's O.K. But if I were you, I wouldn't get both shots at the same time."

"I'm a trooper," I say. (Inside I flinch -- why do doctor's offices always make me feel six years old again? I'm a big boy, I am!)

"Yes, but for some patients, their immune system kicks in, and they get minor flu like symptoms for a few hours."

"Right!" I say. "I'll come back tomorrow."

My guess is that they are so used to warding off unworthy swine flue seekers, that they haven't changed their tone, even though the need to ward off swiny unworthies is over.

Back in the office, Linda decides that she'll set up an appointment with one of the doctor's, since she hadn't been happy with her last visit, and we both choose the new doctor. For now. We can check up on the doctor list, later. One of the nurses comes out and recognizes Linda and they banter about books for awhile, and the office people soften toward both of us another few degrees.

All in all, an interesting experience. But I only have to see them once a year, for a check up, at least for now. And they are only a few short blocks from my house...

I went home, and boy did I have a reaction. Stuffy and coughing and I believe maybe a bit of a fever. Feel fine this morning. If that was just a minor dose of what I could've gotten, I'm glad to avoid it.

I'll bop by for my swine flue shot this morning.