The doctor wants me to have a colonoscopy, which, though have avoided it on purpose for many years, I know is an important test. It could find bad things, of course, but it also could find bad things that the doctor performing it can fix, right then and there.

Such an important test, important for a man’s personal survival. The doctor prescribed the preparation juice that serves to clean one out. So he can take this very important test.

The prep cost me $78 at the pharmacy. That’s my co-pay. When I bought the prescription supplement for my Medicare, I bought what I was told was the best plan, covering most everything, blah blah, blah blah.

So, here I am, a guy who’s trying to live off the meager amount I’m getting back from Social Security, and I’m prescribed something that costs ME $78.

Have you ever seen commercials for new cars? New luxury cars, especially. There’s a new device that will stop your car if it’s going to hit someone or something. Then there’s forward and backward video, all the better to back up. There’s the assisted parking device.

These are all things — well, except for the parking device — aimed at saving lives.

But they are only available in new, high-priced luxury cars!

I just figure things that can directly save lives should be included in every new model car and maybe retrofitted into older models.

I think if it saves a life, maybe it ought to be more readily available. Just as if a medicine is aimed at older people who are maybe on fixed incomes, aimed at saving their lives, it maybe ought not to cost $78, for Pete’s sake!

As you can tell, I get worked up about this nonsense.

I have a new prescription for another prep for something else that’s coming up. I haven’t heard how much THAT’s going to cost me.

At least the medicine that keeps my blood pressure down is reasonably priced.