You’ll let me know when I’m elderly, right?
“Yes. I will,” says Rissa.
“Thank you.”
“You are elderly.”
“Runh?”
“Ma, you’re showing all the signs.”
“I’m 52!”
“Do you, or do you not implement fall prevention measures?”
“Yes, but that’s for the ear thing…”
“Is that a bowl of hard candies on the counter?”
“Yes…”
“How many pills do you take each day?”
“Many of those are vitamins!”
“How many are prescriptions?
“Two,” I say sullenly.
“What was that?”
“TWO!! I TAKE TWO PRESCRIPTIONS!!!”
“And what else?”
“Iron pills.”
“For?”
“Anemia!!”
“Do you have more than one pre-existing condition?” She raises her eyebrows at me.
“Oh for the… YES! But I only have the ear thing because of the thyroid thing!”
“What about migraines?”
“Well, if you’re going to count EVERYTHING…”
“Hypoglycemia??” Another eyebrow raise.
“Shut up.”
“All signs point to elderly.”
“I would just like to say that when I updated my life insurance, that NONE of my conditions stopped me from getting coverage again.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. All my issues? Unless they’re heart or lungs related? They mean dick to insurers. So SUCK IT!”
“Is that an early-onset dementia mood swing??”