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********************************** MEETING NOTICE
Security Disability
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CONTENTS
From Barbara
To the Children of Polio Mothers
Decision to Consider Knee Replacement
Taking a Cruise or Getting Taken for a
Ride
Special Poem for Senior Citizen
Handicapped Permit Crackdown
English is Easy
Medicare – Preventive Care Added
Raise Your Prescription IQ
One Day at a Time
Just Remember
Upcoming Conferences
Friend Poems
***************************************
FROM BARBARA
Our March 20th meeting was
cancelled by Red Lobster as they said during Event Weeks they do not take
reservations. They apologized – but as it
is a busy time in March and Easter Sunday is the following week, it was felt
best that the meeting be cancelled.
Well, nothing else really to report in
this newsletter except that I flew up to Long Island mid-February to see my
fifth grandchild…. a beautiful boy
(Griffin David Goldstein) – yes, a baby boy can be called beautiful. I was there for two weeks and had the
delightful chore of giving him his formula from his morning feeding to about
his 9:00 pm feeding. I was a little
frustrated as, at this point, I have to have someone literally put the baby in
my arms as I’m unable to even pick him up and walk a step or two to sit down
with him. Changing him was also
impossible --- but, my wonderful, loving daughter-in-law kept telling me what a
big help I was just giving Griffin the bottle and enabling her to take care of
the 16 month old (Gavin Jerome) and getting the not quite 7 year old (Morgan
Alexandra) off to school. Also, allowing
her to not have to take both the infant and the 16 month old out to do her
errands. Made me
really feel better about my difficulties.
Oh, you may recall that my son’s house
has the bedrooms upstairs – well, with the third child going into the fourth
bedroom, they have redone the basement with a lovely bedroom, accessible
bathroom (with a 17” commode and a shower with grab bars wherever needed). More importantly, while I was there the had a
Stair-Lift installed so that I no longer have to go up and down the basement
stairs (which I am and have not been able to do). I used the Stair-Lift but it’s a little
“scary” as my right leg (with the long-leg brace) likes to go to the right
b-u-t it is certainly better than going up and down and I’m sure that after I
use it several more times (when I go back up in April for Griffin’s
christening) I’ll feel more comfortable.
Oh, I flew up with Southwest Airlines
and had absolutely no problems. They had
wheelchairs waiting for me, helped me get my luggage at
Those of us that were at our January
meeting enjoyed hearing all about Dave Clark’s experiences as both a major
league and minor league baseball player.
Dave has some tapes of his experiences that can be purchased – if
interested, you can reach him at:- Dave Clark, 2801 SW 25th Terr,
That’s it for now.
Barbara
***************************************
The following
article was sent to us by a new member of our Support Group – David Dysart. It answers the question of whether polio
could be passed to the infant through pregnancy of the mother. Thank you David for sharing
your story.
TO THE CHILDREN
OF POLIO MOTHERS
“Will the baby be
alright?” This was the first question my
parents asked the doctors when, three months pregnant with me, my mother
contracted polio. That was 1955 and
almost no one knew of post polio complications, much less polio in utero (a non-paralytic strain of the virus which was
possibly passed through the placenta).
Now Post-Polio Syndrome has become a recognized and acknowledged
condition and as the children of polio mothers are approaching their 50’s, new
attention is being paid to polio in utero.
My mother was
initially paralyzed from the neck down, but regained use of most every thing
but her legs and some diaphragm muscles.
One of the many things I learned from this remarkable woman was her love
of life and family. When I was old
enough to hear and understand her tale, I will never forget her saying, “I
didn’t care what shape my body was left in as long as I could live
independently of a respirator. I had a
husband and three children who needed me.”
And what a life she went on to lead.
She was an inspiration to all who met her. In her 50’s she began to develop what we now
know were symptoms of PPS. She took them
with the same matter-of-factness that she did her paralysis. Unfortunately they progressed unrecognized by
her doctors until she died at age 64.
There is much more I could write about this amazing woman, but I have
been asked to write an article for this newsletter in order to tell my
story. Our hope is that it will help
others with similar stories.
From childhood I
have had joint and muscle problems and never seemed to have the energy of my
peers. I can remember, in the middle of
playing with friends, having to go home to lie down due to pains in my
legs. Mama said they were “growing
pains.” Sounded good
to me. From my teens on I had
arthritic type pain in my hips and legs, and the older I got the more it spread
and the more severe it became. Tests
never revealed anything conclusive.
After almost two decades of doctors making me feel as if it were all in
my head, I began to believe them.
However, after several days of being bed-ridden this summer, it was if
Mama tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Sweety,
think about your history.” I immediately
began to research PPS and was amazed at what I learned. Researchers around the world seem to agree it
is entirely possible that polio mothers could have pass a non-paralytic strain
of the virus and therefore the offspring may develop PPS like symptoms without
having had actual paralysis. This has
been an incredible journey of knowledge and empowerment and I have been most
anxious to share it with others with similar stories. Even though no one knows what the future will
bring to the children of polio mothers, simply having some explanation to life
long ailments does much to raise spirits and hopes.
If you are the
child of a polio mother or know of one, I would be most grateful if you would
contact me at ddysart@stetson.edu. Researchers are very anxious to gain more
data which could serve to benefit us all.
Thank you for taking time to read my story.
***************************************
This article was
also done by a Support Group member – Judy Mullis. Many thanks, Judy.
DECISION TO CONSIDER KNEE REPLACEMENT
The decision to seriously
consider total knee replacement was not an easy one to make, nor did it come
quickly. As a 'polio child' and now a post-polio adult, I experienced many
physical changes primarily in my legs. Gradually these changes amounted to
diminished ability to function at the same level I had and a significant
increase from nagging discomfort to real pain. After years of denying that knee
replacement might be needed, I found myself face to face with my doctor one
day, armed with a written list of questions:
How much pain will
surgery relieve?
Will the replacement be firm or will my knee
still be prone to instability and shift?
Will replacement aid balance and prevent
buckling?
Will walking be easier or stay the same?
Would replacement mean my leg will be straight
again? Do I have the muscle and tendon
strength to hold it in place?
How long does a replacement joint last?
What are the risks of infection and blood
clots?
And, most important, Will I have an MD
Anesthesiologist knowledgeable about the unique problems polio survivors can
have with anesthesia?
Fortunately Dr.
Dunlap and I have a background spanning over twenty years when I first noticed
the twinges of new weakness primarily in my legs. At a time when so little was understood about
the late effects of polio, he was the only source of help and hope for
many like me. He suggested this surgery several years ago, but typical of many
'polio people', I thought I could just buck-up and handle it like countless
other times. However, the pain only intensified
until it was constant, around the clock.
Dr. Dunlap gave me
straight answers; most, but not all pain should be alleviated, no to the shift
question and yes, about buckling and balance. He didn't think my ability to
walk would be improved except that the pain when I did walk would be much less,
the joint would be stable and, in the process, the replacement would mean my valgus leg would be straight again. I could expect about
twenty years use out of the new joint.
The risk of infection was a factor he said, but one where extraordinary
precautions would be implemented including antibiotics implanted with the knee
joint. I knew from a past newsletter, there were many drugs post-polio patients
should avoid, so we also talked about my concerns regarding anesthesia.
The process toward
Total Knee Replacement officially began several weeks before the actual surgery
with the usual pre-surgery tests; EKG, chest x-ray, blood work, urinalysis,
etc. There was also an in-depth interview by the counselor on staff. This gave
me an opportunity to personally talk with the Anesthesiologist about the choice
of anesthesia he would administer. I truly appreciated this. Next in the
process were several trips to the blood bank for analogous blood drawing to
assure I would receive my own blood back by transfusion if needed. I was glad latter, since I experienced very
low blood pressure after surgery and needed the two pints back.
Surgery day came in early September,
between two of the four hurricanes we experienced. The five-hour procedure went pretty much as
anticipated. There was a significant buildup of scar tissue from two previous
knee surgeries I had in childhood which required extra effort to remove. But
after that a Stryker Scorpio total knee system was successfully set in
place. The hospital stay was uneventful except for needing the transfusions.
Pain for the first couple of days was a factor. In hind-sight, I wish I had
asked for a medication pump to be used to administer pain medication. That way
I could have gotten the medication before the pain level escalated. Even though
the staff was excellent, they did not always deliver the pain pills soon
enough. As soon as my blood pressure
stabilized PT began with the unheard of task of standing up beside the bed! PT
gradually got easier and continued for two weeks after I got home. The only thing I was not prepared for was an
injection of Fragmin each day to guard against
infection. Before I was dis- charged after four days,
I learned to give myself the injection, which I reluctantly did every morning
for several weeks. I never did get used
to that procedure and was very glad when it was no longer needed! Knowing the Fragmin would greatly lessen the possibility of
infection, a serious risk with surgery of any type, especially orthopedic, made
it tolerable.
Therapy came by way of three very professional
and wonderful individuals; an RN, Occupational Therapist and a Physical
Therapist. They each came to my home three times a week for several weeks. The RN took care of normal issues of BP, temp, etc, while the OT helped with the practical
day-to-day functions like how to maneuver in the kitchen without tripping over
the walker etc. It was my Physical Therapist who helped me and my new knee to
begin to become friends. She pushed, pulled, rolled and rubbed, bent and
stretched almost to the point of exhaustion. But every uncomfortable effort is
paying off now, big time. At the beginning the knee literally would not bend
beyond an inch or so, now I have a bend of about 110 degrees!
Today I am almost four months post surgery and with the
exception of a set back due to a bad slip and fall in November, things have
gone very well! I am so glad to have had this surgery! From the beginning I
knew for post-polio patients healing can be a very slow process, and so far,
that is true. Total healing could be anywhere from three months to a full year.
Periodically there are problems with painful swelling when nothing but ice
brings relief. There are times of aching for no apparent reason but this occurs
with less frequency as time passes. Although I depend on my little green Jazzy
for shopping and part of the time at home, when I do walk, it is
definitely with much less discomfort, increased stability and greater confidence.
For that I am so very thankful.
***************************************
Reprinted
from AARP Bulletin, February 2005
Taking
a Cruise
or
Getting
Taken for a Ride?
When Douglas Spector boarded the luxury ship Norwegian Star on his electric scooter,
he had no idea his five-day cruise would take him all the way to the U.S.
Supreme Court.
But this month the court will consider
the lawsuit Spector and four others filed arguing
that cruise lines that cater to Americans, use
A friend of the court brief filed by
AARP and several disability rights groups agrees that cruise ships – even if
registered in a foreign country – should be subject to the federal Americans
with Disabilities Act, which requires public accommodations and transportation
to be accessible to people with disabilities.
Spector, who
cannot walk because of a tumor on his spine, says he paid a premium price for a
wheelchair-accessible cabin, only to find one barrier after another throughout
the ship, obstacles that blocked him from dining in the restaurants, swimming
in the pool and using restrooms and emergency evacuation equipment.
Though most cruise ships are
registered in foreign countries – Norwegian
Star is registered in the
While a number of foreign-flagged
ships are now wheelchair-accessible, whether they are required to be is a murky
legal issue.
“Cruise lines have their headquarters
in this country, and they market to
The Norwegian Cruise Line, which is
based in
FECPPSG Editor’s
Note:-
Although I haven’t cruised on the Norwegian Line, I have been on both
Celebrity and Royal Caribbean and found both to be fairly accessible. No problems with restrooms or dining
rooms.
***************************************
SPECIAL POEM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS!!
A row of bottles
on my shelf
Caused me to analyze myself.
One yellow pill I have to pop
Goes to my heart so it won't stop.
A little white one that I take
Goes to my hands so they won't shake.
The blue ones that I use a lot
Tell me I'm happy when I'm not.
The purple pill goes to my brain
And tells me that I have no pain.
The capsules tell me not to wheeze
Or cough or choke or even sneeze.
The red ones, smallest of them all
Go to my blood so I won't fall.
The orange ones, very big and bright
Prevent my leg cramps in the night.
Such an array of brilliant pills
Helping to cure all kinds of ills.
But what I'd really like to know...........
Is what tells each one where to go!
There's always a lot to
be thankful for if you take time to look for it.
***************************************
The following article was sent to me by one of
our
HANDICAPPED PERMIT
CRACKDOWN
Altered tag is a
felony in
first arrest of its kind
by John Valenti,
staff writer
Calling it “the lowest form of human
endeavor,” Suffolk County Sheriff Alfred Tisch last
month vowed police would crack down on drivers using altered, forged and fake
handicapped parking permits – and, for the first time, charge them with
felonies instead of merely issuing them a summons.
On Tuesday night, Donna Caggiano, 41, of
Last night Donna Caggiano’s
husband, Michael Caggiano, called the situation
“ridiculous” and said: “They’re treating
this like this was the biggest bust since the Brink’s robbery… They think they got Ma Barker here.”
Michael Caggiano
said the permit was his and he altered it because he had forgotten to apply for
a renewal. He said his wife also has
disabilities but never applied for a handicapped permit. “This is really, really stupid,” he said.
Still, Donna Caggiano
was in First District Court yesterday.
She was arraigned on one count of criminal possession of a forged
instrument and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Appearing before Judge Paul Hensley, Caggiano pleaded not guilty to all charges. Caggiano was
released on her own recognizance. Her
next court date is Valentine’s Day.
Criminal possession of a forged instrument
– the altered handicapped parking permit – is a Class D felony punishable by 2
½ to 7 years in prison. Each count of
criminal possession of a controlled substance – in this case, Vicodin and oxycodone, according
to police – is a Class A misdemeanor and is punishable
by a maximum of 1 year in jail.
Donna Caggiano
could not be reached, and her husband declined to comment about the painkiller
possession charges.
Undersheriff
Donald Sullivan, a spokesman for the
“She’s very shooken
up about this,” Michael Caggiano said last night,
adding: “”Any other day, she would have
just gotten a parking ticket.”
FECPPSG Editor’s
Note:- Truthfully,
I think jailing someone for illegally using a handicapped permit is going just
a little too far – BUT, I’m glad to see that Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is
taking it seriously. I feel that if they
ticketed everyone who misused the handicapped permit, it would stop others from
doing it.
I do recognize the fact that this
particular Handicapped Permit was altered and that that, in itself, is a
punishable act and that the Sheriff was right in arresting Mrs. Caggiano and charging her as he did.
***************************************
English is easy…
So a 2
letter word has a hundred completely different meanings.
So what is
this stuff about English being easy?
There
is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meaning than any other two-letter
word, and that is “UP.”
It's
easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list,
but when we waken in the morning, why do we wake UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we
speak UP
and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the
secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP
our friends And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.
At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this UP is confusing:
A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP
a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!
To be knowledgeable of the proper uses of UP, look UP the word in the
dictionary. In a desk size dictionary, the word up, takes UP almost 1/4th the page and definitions add UP to about thirty.
If
you are UP
to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways
UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is
clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say
it is clearing UP.
When it rains, it wets UP the earth. When it doesn't rain
for a while, things dry UP.
One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP
for now my time is UP, so.........
I'll shut UP.....!
Enjoy!
***************************************
Reprinted from
MEDICARE
Preventive Care Added
As of January 1, new enrollees to Medicare are
eligible for a one-time “welcome to Medicare” physical exam, and all Medicare
recipients will have access to free cardiovascular and diabetes screening.
***************************************
Reprinted from Daytona Beach News-Journal’s USA Weekend,
Raise Your
PRESCRIPTION IQ
Even the most medicine-savvy person can pick up
a few tricks, tips and tactics to help make wise choices, cut pill bills –
maybe save a life. These true-or-false
questions are just what the doctor ordered.
By William H. Thomas, M.D.
When you
open your bottle of prescription drugs, you
are in charge of your health – not your doctor.
The risks you run and the benefits you reap depend greatly on what you
know about your medications, or your Prescription
IQ. Drug-smart patients know the pills
they take are life-enhancing yet potentially dangerous. In my geriatrics practice, I’ve seen hundreds
of patients whose health has suffered from side effects, drug interactions or
simply taking too many medicines.
Sometimes these problems are a nuisance.
Sometimes they end lives. How
smart are you? These questions test your
knowledge.
True or
False?
You
don’t need to keep a list of the medications you take, because your doctor has
that information.
FALSE:- Don’t assume that doctors and hospitals have
up-to-date information about you.
Healthcare professionals do their best to be accurate, but you’d be
surprised how easily errors can creep into your medical chart. Each time you visit a doctor or hospital,
bring along an up-to-date list that includes:
·
DOCTORS:- The names and phone numbers of all the
doctors you’re seeing.
·
DIAGNOSES:- Your cirrent and
past conditions.
·
MEDICATIONS:- Include the names and dosages of everything you
take; don’t skip over-the-counter drugs, herbal remedies and vitamins.
·
HEALTH EVENTS:- Give dates and
descriptions of key hospitalizations, surgeries, medical procedures, etc.
True or
False?
After a
medication is prescribed for a serious illness, it’s dangerous to ever decrease
the dosage or stop taking it.
FALSE:- When I speak to doctors, I often ask if
anyone remembers attending a med school lecture on the art of tapering
medications. Typically no one raises a
hand. Modern medical education pays very
little attention to how to safely discontinue drugs. This is a tragic oversight, because
continuing medications past their effectiveness is expensive and
dangerous. Ask your physician: “Are the medications I am taking still
necessary?” Help your doctor provide
good care by letting him or her know you understand that more is not always
better.
True or
False?
You
should keep medicine where it belongs:
in the medicine cabinet.
FALSE:- To preserve their power, medications should
be stored in a cool, dry place. That
rules out the medicine cabinet; bathrooms are among the moistest rooms in a
house. A kitchen cabinet is better, but
your best bet is a dresser drawer. Just
use the childproof cap if the grandkids are around. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, one-third of the accidental prescription drug poisonings in
children involve a grandparent’s pills.
Another good
idea is to use pill sorters to help keep track of medications. These small plastic trays can hold a week’s
worth of medication, slip easily into a purse or bag, and provide visual
evidence of which doses already have been taken.
True or
False?
Savvy
consumers dispose of outdated medications by flushing them down the toilet.
FALSE:- It’s a good idea to get rid of old medicines,
because prescription drugs are chemical compounds that break down over
time. But flushing them is not the best
option. Researchers are finding traces
of pre-scription drugs in some public water
supplies. The amounts are tiny, but the
consequences could be huge.
A better
option: Take your old pills back to the
pharmacy – most pharmacies accept the return of outdated drugs.
True or
False?
Some
side effects mimic signs of aging.
TRUE:- If you’re suffering anything from memory loss
to erectile dysfunc-tion, don’t just blame it on
Father Time. Certain conditions are
chalked up to “normal aging” when they’re actually side effects from
medications. Tell your doctor if
something is not right, and do some research of your own. Sure, you never read the flimsy package
inserts that accompany your medications – the print is tiny, and they’re about
as easy to understand as an income tax form – but your pharmacist can provide
you with more readable and useful medi-cation
guides. You also can learn more about
the side effects of specific medications on the Web, at www.fda.gov. The
consumer informa-tion is current and accurate.
True or
False?
Lifestyle
changes are less effective than drugs in improving long-term health.
FALSE:- Healthful
eating habits, regular moderate exercise and weight loss are all linked to
increases in strength, endurance, improved sleep and a better overall sense of
well-being. Next time you pop the top on
your medicine bottle, ask yourself whether a new commitment to diet and
exercise might be part of the answer to your health issues. For example, weight loss, exercise and salt
reduction can lower high blood pressure, and eating less saturated fat but more
vegetables can lower cholesterol.
As a doctor,
I can tell you that some people will need to take medications no matter how
much they exercise and how closely they watch their diet. But many more people can reduce the number of
pills they take by embracing healthful food, fresh air and exercise.
And it’s
never too late to start: A study that
followed more than 7,500 women ages 65 or older found that those who had been
inactive, but took up exercise, had a 48% lower risk of death from any cause
during the 12 years of the study than those who stayed sedentary.
True or False?
Prescription
drugs are tested on people of all ages before they receive FDA approval.
FALSE:- Few research trials include older
people. As a result, doctors often have
little information on how older people may respond to a particular medication. It’s a critical issue because older people
metabolize medications differently from healthy young adults. When prescribing medication to an older
patient, my philosophy is “start low and go slow.” If you start taking a new medicine, ask to
begin at a reduced dose and make changes gradually. Doing so can protect you from unpleasant and
dangerous side effects.
True or
False?
You can
safely save money by splitting tablets at home.
TRUE:- Sometimes you actually can buy two pills for
the price of one. For example, my local
pharmacist tells me Zoloft costs $2.87 for a 50mg pill – and a 100mg pill is
the same price. So people taking 50mg of
Zoloft a day could buy the 100mg tablets, break them in half with a plastic
pill splitter (which costs about $4) and save $43.05 a month. If you take 10mg of Lipitor
a day, you could buy the 20mg strength, split the pills and save $1.87 a day, a
28% discount adding up to $56.10 a month.
Not every
drug can be chopped in half: Capsules
cannot be split, and some tablets (mostly long-acting ones or those that are
coated to pass intact through your stomach) should not be split either. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about each
medication you take before splitting pills, and be sure to follow that advice.
True or
False?
Herbal
remedies and dietary supple-ments rarely have side
effects; that’s why they don’t require a prescription.
FALSE:- Herbs and dietary supple-ments
are prescription-free as long as they don’t claim to treat specific medical
conditions. That’s why packages tend to
make vague promises such as “Prostate Health!” or “More Energy!” or “Lose
Weight!”
Not only can
these remedies have serious side effects, but they also can interact with
prescription drugs. Some examples: Ginkgo can affect the body’s response to
anticoagulants or anti-platelet agents, while saw palmetto can increase the
effects of estrogens.
It’s always
best to ask your doctor or pharmacist about possible inter-actions before
trying an herbal remedy.
True or
False?
The new
Medicare prescription benefit law provides the same coverage to all regardless
of income.
FALSE:- This year, low-income beneficiaries can apply
for a Medicare discount card and receive a $600 credit for drugs. Check medicare.gov for eligibility
information. Next year, the discount
card program and the “direct subsidy” both end.
But people with the lowest incomes will pay no premiums or deductibles,
will pay small or no co-payments, and will have no coverage gap. Slightly higher incomes will have a reduced
deductible; some will have a sliding-scale premium.
True or
False?
Brand-name
medications are more expensive than generics because they are more effective.
FALSE:- The FDA guarantees that every generic
medication works exactly the same as its brand-name equivalent. The only real difference is price. Generics cost an average of 20% to 40% less
than their brand-name coun-terparts. Drug companies spend millions of dollars
emphasizing the size, shape and color of their drugs. But it’s what’s inside the pill that counts,
so ask if a generic form is available.
True or
False?
Drugs
that have been on the market for years can be as effective as new ones – and
may be safer.
TRUE:- Older and more established medications can be
a wise choice for several reasons.
First, they have a well-established track record, so you are unlikely to
get a nasty Vioxx-style surprise when you open the
morning paper. Older drugs often cost
much less, because the original patent has run out and they are available in
generic form. In some cases, older
medications have been shown to outperform new drugs in head-to-head
comparisons. Don’t assume that newer
automatically means better.
True or
False?
People
taking six or more daily medications are more likely to have a negative drug
interaction.
TRUE:- Wayne
Anderson, dean of the State University of New York School of Pharmacy, notes
that patients who take at least six drugs a day have an 80% chance of
experiencing a negative drug-drug interaction.
Even more alarmingly, about 7,000 people die from medication errors each
year – about 16% more deaths than occur from work-related injuries.
While some
people have medical conditions that require the use of complicated drug
regimens, it’s best to use the fewest medications possible. Prescription drugs are double-edged swords
and always must be handled with care.
Here’s an
example of one drug-drug interaction to be wary of: People taking cholesterol-lowering statins should not use antiboiotics
related to erythromycin; that combination can cause dangerously high blood
levels of the statin drug as well as muscle soreness.
FECPPSG
Editor’s Note:- When I saw this article and thought it would
be a good one for the newsletter, I also thought it would be a good idea to
show it to a pharmacist friend of mine to see if the article read true. My friend told me it did but to remind
everyone that they should always check with their doctors before taking any new
over-the-counter drugs, and also to make sure that their medications don’t
interact with each other. She also said
that if you go to the Google search engine on your
computer and put the name of the drug in, you can get a lot of information.
***************************************
The following poem was sent to me by a long-time member,
Jack Briggs. Thanks, Jack.
ONE DAY AT A TIME
A SUNSET TO REMEMBER
By Jack
Briggs
Appreciate the view that has come your way
For tomorrow brings yet another day.
Clear your mind of every thought, except for the wonderful
colors the sunset has brought.
Whenever life seems to be passing you by, STOP, take a
moment and look at the sky.
It’s usually the end of a very hectic day, when toward the horizon your eyes
may stray.
Invite someone to sit down with you;
It’s a special moment for your loved ones, too.
The colors may change from sunset to sunset,
But this peacefulness you will never forget.
***************************************
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The below was e-mailed to me and I thought it most apropos to how many
of us feel. I would add one line (before the
“and”) to it – something to the effect that we now “wheel around” more than “walk around!!” Just remember... We are more valuable than any of the y |