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

Long Days

I have been spending all of my time at the hospital or the re-hab center. Very tiring. As soon as things improve enough that I can be home for an extended time, that is , anytime longer than three or four hours, I have already composed a few blog entries in my head and I will print them.

Doc is doing well. Today he walked without his walker and walked better than I've seen him walk in a year or so. He had to be talked into walking with a rolling walker and I think he may stick to that. He has all kinds of therapy and the one's I've sat in on are very good. I particularly enjoyed the speech therapist. I guess he still has a lot more that they want to teach him so he will probably be there for another week or so. As long as it is doing him some good I am all for it.

MOre in a few weeks. I'm pleased that Carrie joined the bloggies, I really like reading Pat's (better known as Dolberry) and the Sparky etc. Sometime I should identify who the Owl'sPineTree is. I never have time. Ciao

Same theme

Guess what? We are going to have snow tomorrow! Could this be the real thing this time? Predictions call for 1 to 2 inches on the grass!! Double Wow! We shall see.
I'm on my winter break and it would be so lovely to have snow on Saturday and maybe it would linger into Sunday and then warm up to 60. Ohio has had so many snow days that they have used up all of the days allotted to them by the state. So any that come from now till May have to be made up in June. Bummer.

More Snow Reports

Every day since my last blog the tireless meteorologists have continued to talk snow. They have crawlers across the bottom of the screen saying "snow watch' they show pictures of the area map with white patches, green patches and blue patches and inform us of which patches represent 1 inch, 2inches, etc. and warn us repeatedly that we must be very cautious when driving, walking , sleeping and any other activity that one might engage in in the course of a day. "It will start to snow Mon on into Tues. and then maybe a light dusting on Wed. Guess what! Nada, nothing, just a few flakes. Maybe a light dusting but only those of us that get up at 6 AM get to see it, and it is just on the grass. Two feet of snow to the north of us 6 feet to the far west of us, So new forecasts come out. There will really be snow on Thurs. Friday and on into the week-end. UH, No snow. They are so persistant, they come on again when those days have gone by and still no measureable snow and start predicting again! They never giveup. Here we are at Friday of this week and despite all the predictions, we still have not had snow but we did get to see the pictures of Owesda, N.Y. shoveling out from under 88 inches of Lake Effect snow. I must admit, I don't want 88 inches or maybe not even a foot but I would like to make some snow Ice Cream and would like to look out the window at the snow piling up and put a pot of white chili on to bubble and boil, and huddle up with my book and read! I haven't given up yet. Tonight John Belski said we may have snow next Wed. on into Thurs.!!Ya' think?

M.N.T.D

I did actually write a long blog entitiled Mourn Not the Dead, that happens to be the beginning of a quotation of William Penn. "Mourn not the dead, but rather mourn the apathetic throngs that see the world its anquish and its wrongs and dare not speak. I expounded on the situation in our country and world today and the lack of people speaking out against all of the wrongs and all of the anguish that surrounds us. I tried to spell check and my writings disappeared and they are floating around in cyber space I know not where. I tried everything I knew to try to retrieve them but my skills are limitted. If they should re-appear as mysteriously as they disappeared I will share them with you. Ciao