My wife and I are making our regular four-hour excursion to the UCLA Medical Center to see her rheumatologist. It will be the first time we’ve been there since the disaster months of November and December, 2007. I’m taking the day off of work so I can be there and talk to the doctor. I think she’s an excellent doctor, and I trust her, unlike the score of medical wackos my wife has seen in the last few months.

It’s a terrible drive, and the sun is always a problem. We try and put something over a window so my wife doesn’t get too much sun, but it’s no fun for her. We try and cover her up, but then she gets hot and we have to blast the air conditioning, which quickly turns me into a snowman.

On the other hand, it is nice to get some quiet time together, even if it’s for a crummy reason.

I was wondering if anyone else has to, or chooses to, travel like this to see a lupus specialist that they consider worth the inconvenience?