THE
Medicare With Confidence! You don’t have to make decisions by yourself. Insurance Co-Pays Prescription DrugFormularies Changes to Medicare Benefits Monthly Premiums
As licensed insurance agents, we can help you with: • Medicare Education • Multiple Health Plan Options • Plan Analysis & Review • Comprehensive Support & Service
Having a local, independent agent on your team year-round makes all the difference!
Call today! In-person and over-the-phone appointments available at no cost.
Gail Blankenship
253-259-4472 (TTY: 711) gail_blankenship@ comcast.net
Bob Siegfried
206-850-7042 (TTY: 711) robertsiegfried100@ gmail.com
Mary Ryan
253-561-3177 (TTY: 711) Mryan2401@gmail.com
Bob Mitzel
253-988-3299 (TTY: 711)
PERILS OF
PILLING PEARL “You cannot look at a sleeping cat and feel tense.” —JANE PAULEY
Pearl, my eight-yearBY DORI GILLAM old cat, began sneezing recently. I took her to the vet, who in turn referred me to an internist who proceeded to explain that Pearl might have aspirated a seed or a piece of grass. On the other hand, and a bleaker possibility, the vet explained it could be polyps, feline herpes, or cancer. And here I thought it was just a cold. And so began the “talk” about that four-letter word: test. Or in this case, lots of recommended tests, from a CT scan—aka, a “cat scan”—to inserting a tiny camera on a scope up Pearl’s nose and then down her throat. During the procedures she’d need to be anesthetized and intubated and I’d need to pay $3,500. “Is there any medication we could try first?” said my bank account, knowing that feeding a pill to my skittish Pearl may present a whole host of challenges. Fortunately, medication was an option with anti-viral and antibiotic pills to try. Pearl is not the docile
kind of feline who naps in the sun and entertains by agreeing to play dress up in a cute or kitschy costume. She and I have a clear social contract: she lets me feed her and I let her sit on my lap while I work. It doesn’t include coercion. She took one look at the pills and locked eyes with me,
Bob@rmitzelinsurance.com
Independent Insurance Agents Serving Western Washington
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3rd Act magazine | fall 2020
www.3rdActMag.com
