Stuff

An interesting week. 
 
It started with my wife wanting to get another shot for pain.  I took her to the Doctor and he said that he couldn’t give her any more shots since she already had the maximum.  He therefore gave her a transfer slip to go to the hospital.  She had X-rays and they said that she must be admitted to the hospital, however their affiliate hospital specializes in Orthopedics and she should go there.  They transported her by Taxi to that hospital. 
After a complete examination, the Doctor said, “We will fix you up.”  I suppose belief that you will get better is the first step in the healing process.  Her Osteoporosis is severe and the bones brittle.  The deterioration of joints, due to age, causes much pain in the joints and it was also affecting her lower spine.  In the interim she received intravenous fluids for pain relief. Yesterday she received six injections of (some substance) that is injected between the bones.  Prior to the injections, she was given a paper to read indicating what “could go wrong” especially when placing needles in the spinal column.  She wanted to know how often things went wrong and it was rare, so she said, “Do it!”  They also measured her bone density and then prescribed a “pill” that she will take once per week that is supposed to help rebuild the bones. She already feels better, but that didn’t prevent her from falling.  They have Rollators (walkers), but she didn’t want to use it saying (to me) that they are for old people.  At 76 she doesn’t think she’s old?  She fell in the hallway on her face.  Besides a cut lip, she hurt her left knee and is being treated for that.  I suppose if one is going to fall, doing it in the hospital is about as good as it gets.  With insistence, she now uses the walker. 
She receives therapy six times per day similar to a Rehabilitation Clinic.
Most hospitals are short of nursing personnel.  (No unemployment for nurses)There was just one nurse on duty during the night and my wife wound up on the floor and couldn’t get up.  She slid over and pushed the call button, but the nurse was with another patient.  When the nurse finally came, the nurse said, How do you do your floors if you can’t get down to clean them?”  My wife said, “My husband does it.”  The nurse replied, “Erhlich!  Ich habe so etwas nie gehört” (“Really! I never heard of such a thing.”)  I suppose “Men’s work and Women’s work” is still an on-going way of life.  I just don’t understand how they can follow that thinking especially when women also work in the fields/vineyards.       
 
The injections to replace natural fluids lost due aging made me think of mechanical devices, i.e., door hinges that begin to squeak and we squirt them with oil.  I suppose the body reacts in a similar fashion, the difference being that there is pain instead of the squeak.

Chronic pain is not pleasant.  Sending Giselle good wishes and hope that the treatments work and she is feeling better.

Thanks Ann.

My heart goes out to your wife and to you, along with wishes for her speedy recovery from this setback. 

It is one of the most frustrating aspects of the human condition that there is a disconnect between the mind and body as we age. Absent the debilitating and tragic consequences of dementia in all its forms, the mind is forever young and longs to soar with the vigor of youth that is always just a few eyeblinks in the past, when all things were still possible. The body is another matter, as it provides daily evidence of decline and an ever narrowing range of possibilities as we head into old age. (I'm in my mid fifties and don't consider the 70s old, but feel as though I'm in my 80s on too many days. In a very real sense we are as old as we feel and health plays a big part in that equation.)

I've written directly and indirectly many times, especially in my fiction and poetry,  about the duality of human nature with its mixture of the divine and the profane. Usually I refer to that duality in the context of the capacity of human beings for good and evil, but our bodies also serve as a metaphor for that duality. The mind longs to soar unfettered while chained down by a body daily sinking further into the mud of existence. It is a tragedy too deep for words that cannot be expiated through the knowledge that we're all in this together or through the catharsis of tears.

But there is hope too--hope in the advances of modern medicine always at the brink of new discoveries and treatments that will lessen or even eradicate the ravages of time and assuage or end the pain and limitations of debilitating illness. I trust in science. And I trust in God. I know as an article of faith that even if science cannot bring timely comfort to end human suffering, including that which exists in my immediate family and among my friends, the best part of us--the divine part--will triumph over the profane and our spirits will fly home unfettered and forever free. In the meantime, I find comfort and hope in God and in science.

3/30/2014

                         Abe..

                               I hope and will say a prayer for Giselle, I'm sure they can help
                      her. My sister-in-law 62, has a similar problem with the spine.

                                                                      Joe

Wow.  What an ispiring response, Victor, and thank you Joe for your prayers and good wishes.


The mind is a powerful thing.  We are told that we only use a small portion of our mind’s potential.  Scripture comes to mind at times like these that concerns faith.  If you have faith even as a grain of mustard seed, you can remove a mountain. (Paraphrased).  Other passages, “your faith has made you whole.”  Faith/belief is powerful.  I remember an incident when I was in Canada driving the President of our California conglomerate company from Montreal to Toronto.  I had a terrible cold.  My eyes and nose were running and I was miserable.  My eyes became so wet and weak that I could hardly see to drive.  The Chief said, “Abe, get rid of that cold!  Do you know why they haven’t found a cure for the cold?  Because it’s all in you head.”  I trusted and believed what he said and mentally dismissed the cold.  Before reaching Toronto, the cold was gone.  I’ve tried that methold since that time and it didn’t work.  Perhaps it was his commanding voice that created the belief and faith in me to do it. I don’t know, however I think many of us have faced situations where the power of the mind with belief/faith made a difference.
So I do welcome the positive energy send to my wife.  Seeing her today with a smile and without pain was great.  She will continue with her therapy and I think she believes she will get better and so she will.

I believe in putting positive thought into the universe to collect and multiply.  I have seen how negativity is catching in a much too close and personal experience.

I wonder sometimes, though, about modern medicine.  It is directed to ameliorating the pain of symptoms at great expense instead of preventing the problem in the first place.

I once attended many health spas with their lectures, exercise, vegan meals and cooking classes.  I always felt great for the the month or so after when I could continue what I had learned.  Then, bit by bit, I succumbed to my less disciplined way of life and lost the benefits.

I don't know that a revolution against the food industry and Madison Avenue propaganda would give us longer lives, but I do think we could earlier learn to avoid those foods and activities that damage our bodies for the rest of our lives.

It won't happen.  I am weak.  The money mongers are strong. 

So, I guess we are to be grateful for the relief from chronic pain and not angry that the same funds spent on relief did not go into prevention.  Relief is repetitive.  Prevention is not profit making.

Tell your wife, Abe, that age has nothing to do with using a walker.  When any part of the body is less able, we use something as an assist.  Does she object to wearing glasses?  Do either of you wear hearing aids?  How about a sling for a broken arm? 

A 99 yrs young woman who does the reading at my church had to drag an oxygen tank for a while.  She dressed it up like a doll and gave it a name!  Perhaps your wife could put a bow on the walker and give it a name - personally I'd pick a secret name - a secret friend - just for the mystery of it.

Funny, DK.  Today as we sat outside in the sun with her walker, I jokingly told her that when she comes home I will get one for her and put headlights on it.  Perhaps even turn signals.  It did bring a laugh.  I think she won't object to using something that will benefit.  Sometimes it is just a matter of getting used to the idea.  Often when we walk she will say, "It would be nice if there was a bench nearby where we could rest a bit."  The walker has a seat on it and can be used for that purpose.  Accepting our limitations and dealing with them is an adjustment.

3/30/2014

                   Many years ago a friend of mine was a Christian Scientist, they believe in mind
                   over matter, I read one book by the founder Mary Baker Eddy, some of it made
                   sense to me, I believe you can make yourself better, another item they believe
                   in is death is nothing but a dream, we go from one dream to another, life is nothing
                   but a dream, I wonder ?

                                                           Joe

Joe, I don't discount what you said.  Life is a mystery and I believe we all have views about it that makes sense to us.  I know that mine are different than others based on posts I've read.  The unknown is an interesting subject.  There are some things that occured during my lifetime that changed my view on religion and life in general.  Sometimes it was just a thought that made sense.  Other times it was a dream that seemed real.  Have you ever gone somewhere and got the feeling that you were there before or have seen that view before?  Could it be that you were there in another life?  It does give us pause to consider those possibilities.

3/30/2014

                    Abe..

                            Years ago a friend of our family, she's a retired nurse now, she bought a house
                  not far from my Mother's house in Brooklyn ( I used to babysit her two kids when I
                  was a teenager, $30- every two weeks, anyway) I went to her house and when we
                  went to the basement I had this feeling I had been in this house before, but I never
                  saw it in my life, it was the strangest feeling I've ever had ?

                                                                        Cheers..Joe

Dreams.
I have had dreams that have been so "white" is the only term I can say.  Translucent and electrified visions.  A woman in a chair looking at me.  The vision was me in a future.  I know that.  I was old.  Very old.  I take that as a hope of living long enough to be that vision. 
Love,
Betty

Many years ago I had an old friend. He jumped from a five foot platform. (would not use the ladder.) Fell, and broke his arm...In the hospital he quoted the Bible…”Pride come before a fall."
I'm 78. I still make plans to do things like I'm thirty? Some people, their mind get older than their body, and others, the mind stays young. I enjoyed my youth, my middle years, and now I'm enjoying finding out what old age feels like...it helps in my writing, some of my characters are old...I could never give them feelings before.
Here is a saying I heard from a man who was in WW1..."If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."  I made a note of that, and stuck it on my forehead.
If you put lights on the walker, don't forget the honk, honk, horn...it scares the heck out of people when you want to pass them.

Abe,

You and your bride are in my prayers.

You guys are the greatest.  It's like family.  I appreciate your thoughts and prayers or whatever you call the positive forces you send.

And you started such an interesting discussion!  I recently interviewed two WWII vets who were members of a fascinating unit called the "Ghost Army."  They were here for a special event.  One was 99 and could only stay a few days because while he was here (he's a practicing architect in New Jersey) his girlfriend broke her wrist and he needed to return.  The one who was 91 (he retired finally at 87) brought his fiance with him.  Both men were a delight to interview - suddenly cast from anonymity into the spotlight as the documentary for the Ghost Army was shown on PBS and special events want these men as guest speakers.

I know that I once regarded 65 as ancient.  My, how time changes points of view!

Interesting, DK.  It is often said the one is as old as they feel.  Some days I feel ancient and at other times I feel like I could run a race.  Of course if I tried it my feelings would change.  

I don't feel old until someone mentions my age.  Based on longevity statistics, that makes me feel old.  Of course people are living longer today than previously.  The Bible grants man the age of 70.  Insurance companies use statistics for coverage based on 65, although some have increased that to 70 and then the Premiums are crazy.  (If one would pay premiums into a fund instead of to an
nsurance company, I believe they would have sufficient coverage.)  I believe the mind sets the age- tone.  Sometimes the body can't keep up, but at least it's worth the try.

I'm excited.  My wife may be coming home this weekend.  She is pleased with the treatment she is getting and feels that the staff are truly concerned about her. 
Yesterday as she was waiting for therapy, someone dropped something and it made a loud noice.  One of the men said, "That scared the hell out of that old woman, meaning my wife."  My wife replied, "Ich bin nicht Alt! (I'm not old).  It silenced the man.  She still has her spunk.

Good for her! Hope she continues to get better.

When we are children we can hardly wait to be "old."  When we are "old" being labeled such is an insult.  Where does old begin?  For me it began with the first young man behind the counter at Burger King that called me "m'am." 

Old became certain when I could no longer be hired for the work I've done successfully all my life because my transcripts have my birth date on them.  Schools only hire older men, not older women.  It's because those in the administrative ranks are predominantly male and the females that are there have learned their style.

Yesterday, running on the beach, I felt young.  The warm sun, the cool salt breeze and the ability to run was no different than if I was 16 years old.  Sometimes age is relevant to our circumstances at the moment.  Sometimes, in the arms of someone loved, age is irrelevant.

Your wife, Abe, has been through a lot and rather than old, she just may be a bit tired.  Whatever you can do to help her regain energy is good.  She probably needs to regain the youthful glow in her cheeks.  Home is always better than a hospital once you begin improving.

Thanks DK.  I promised to take her to her favorite restuarant, The Poseidon.