Today’s memory challenge is inspired by the fact that I am trying to cram in all sorts of doctor appointments into my busy days while I still have the better health insurance.

So I am thinking about getting sick and going to the doctor when I was a child.

When I was sick, the throwing up kind, my mom brought out this small child-sized pale pink bucket. That was my sick bucket. Easy enough for me to carry around and small enough to fit next to me on the couch. I was sick a lot so that came in handy. Anyone who has read Hugging the Rock might remember that Rachel also had a sick bucket.

When I was sick, the next door neighbors would bring me fried prawns and fried won tons from their restaurant. It shoudl have be the worse thing in the world for my stomach but it always made me feel better.

I remember going somewhere when I was very young to get, what was it, the polio shot or sugar cube or something? I remember being held over my mom’s shoulder and waiting in a very long line.

I remember getting the measles and staying all alone in my room except for my deaf cousin Danny who was the only one who would come in and play games with me.

I remember the face of the pediatrician I went to but not his name. But I remember he had great vitamins he would give me when I went in for a visit. When he retired my mom made me go to her doctor, Dr. Byers. I hated him. I really did. He was a pear-shaped man with dark hair and dark glasses but that wasn’t why I hated him. I hated him because he always pointed out all the ways in which I wasn’t like my mom. And I really hated that he was the one that pierce my ears with one of the very early ear piercing guns. He marked my ears with a pen and he still screwed up and made them lopsided.

Okay, your turn. What do you remember about doctors and being sick when you were a child?