The Interview

Time he decided finally to retire from his
highly stressful profession finally, at age 75
to enjoy his life now as he will. Leaving
us, his patients the past 40 years to search
out a replacement for the general
practitioner who looked after our
health and that of our children, all
those years past. We remain grateful.

Our children, now older than when he,
as a young medical practitioner first
hung out his shingle, are dispersed, see
other physicians in other cities. As for
us, finally an interview with a prospective
MD, a rarity, someone who may be willing
to take on new patients. Or old ones,
seeking reliable new doctors, perchance.

"Dr. Djanicek I presume", I presumed
to venture as she entered the small chamber
we were ushered into, to await her arrival.
Glossy black hair, lovely young face, tight-
fitting summer frock over a perfect form;
chunky jewellery, no marriage ring. She
smiled, and the health-history interrogation
commenced. Age each? 73, Doctor. How
long married? 55 year, Doctor. Medication?
None. Last physical? Ten years, Doctor.

Family members? grandparents: Holocaust.
Father? arteriosclerosis, dead at 74. Mother?
mortal reaction to experimental in-hospital
drug protocol; fatal asthma attack, 71. Father?
cancer of the oesophagus, age 52. Mother?
two bouts of colon cancer, age 56, 71;
death by frontal lobe dementia, age 84.

Highly professional, rigorously businesslike,
first order to initiate daily calcium supplements
companioning vitamin D we already commit
to. Second order of business, yearly intensive
medicals. Preventive initiative. We accede. She
takes us on. It now remains for us to forward
to her office our exceedingly slender case histories