THE VERSED SYNDROME

I mistakenly called Stilz Avenue Speed Ave. in my last blog. Now, understand, I am not one to make excuses but due to my history of the last seven years, I have had multiple doses of a drug called Ver-sed(syllabication is my idea) It is an amneasia drug. The patient is fully awake and aware of the procedure taking place but within a short time the memory of the procedure is lost for all time. I must wonder if it has long term effects on the patient. Those times when you try to recall facts, names, experiences and so on and draw blanks, could well be "Versed moments," instead of " Senior moments" or "blond moments," or "memory lapses" or downright "dumb moments". You be the judge. Would you be unkind to a person who has intermittent or recurrent amnesia? Lets hope not!Mea culpa.

Another Spring!

I drove through Seneca and Cherokee Park this morning and it was evident that Spring had truly arrived. I drive through there frequently on Saturday mornings and there is always some activity but today was especially awesome.First of all the golfers were out in numbers. Golf carts wheezing along the fairways and the new walkway. All the guys eager to get out there and forget all of their bad habits and really play some golf this year. Hope springs eternal in the golfers heart.The trees and shrubs are just beginning to blossom out. The Tulip Trees are the most advanced in the blooming stage, then the Red Buds ,finally the DogWoods beginning to take on their popcorn personna. All of the other trees are beginning to bud out too. A beautiful sight. A new beginning. I love it! The winding roads were alive with runners and power walkers in various stages of dress and (almost) undress. Bare legs and almost bare cheeks on some of the ladies. Muscle shirts and slick running shorts on the macho guys.A few baby stroller/runner carriages with shapely moms pushing up and down hills. Even a balding fiftyish guy cruising through the throng in his convertible with the top down.Would it be Spring for real if you didn't see a convertible with the top down on the first day of 60+ weather? As I left the park and drove down Speed Ave. on my way to Frankfort Ave. I could see a train in the distance on the tracks that run parellel with Frankfort Ave. As I drew nearer I could see the train consisted of Army vihicles of all sorts and types, even brand new Red Cross ambulances, jeeps, half-ton trucks and many conveyences that I could not identify. A sudden jolt back to the reality of war and all that it entails. I fervently hope and pray that all of our men, women and boys will live to enjoy the beauties of springs in the future.

home

We came home from the rehab center last Wednesday, Mar.7. The task of taking care of a diabetic is horrendous! I'm sure it will get easier and easier but for now getting the bloodsugar number, giving the insulin shots and manageing all of the medication is quite a task. My first shock after getting Doc home was getting all of the prescriptions filled at the pharmacy. It was not only a shock for me but the pharmacist, and all of the people standing in line for their turn, were shocked too. The total that I had to pay was $337.00. Not counting the Avandia. The Avandia was over $200.00 dollars so they suggested that I only pay for 5 pills and hope that their call to our Dr.and his call to the drug comapny would result in a lesser amount. I am going to check that out today to see if they were successful. I knew when I heard that he was going to be put on Avandia that it would be expensive! Just how much does Patty LaBelle and or Della Reece charge to urge all of us to rush to our Dr. and ask for Avandia? The supplies for diabetics are paid for by Medicare but not all of the various drugs that are supposedly going to keep him alive. He, who is well known by members of the family as being opposed to taking pills, now takes 12 pills a day plus two shots of insulin. He is also required to drink thickened liquids because of the residual effects of his stroke. He has a swallowing problem and is not permitted to have any thin liquids or foods. He cannot have any food that melts at room temperature,(ice cream, jello, popsicles etc.) and may not eat anything crunchy, which means that cereal three times a day is no longer an option. Life, as we knew it does not exist anymore. Ciao,ciao