Ring-Around-the-Rosey-with Health Cd’are

S R Janssen

Shifting the New Year in gear by playing “ring-around-the rosy” yet again with the “health care” provider. Primary physician within current health care provider says, “lets manage the high blood pressure, because high blood pressure can damage kidneys.” Physician writes a prescription for blood pressure medication.

Now physician expresses concern about the patient’s (that’s me) elevated creatinine numbers in the kidneys.  Patient gets smart and does what she should have done earlier: check on side-effects of the blood pressure medication. Surprise! Side-effect #4 on the list is elevation of creatine in the kidneys.  Could it be that the “cure” is the cause of the problem?

Just saying if you are a geriatric patient don’t take your physician’s input as gospel. They get to sluff if of with “you are getting older, expect to be sick.” Sadly only a very small percentage of licensed physicians practicing in the United States specialize in geriatrics and understand the dynamics of an aging body.

No wonder, so many seniors seek other opinions from the physicians on You Tube.

//www.americangeriatrics.org/membership

Children are the Point of it All- REALLY?

S R Janssen

Feeling guilty, I was late night binge watching a police procedural wherein a bereaved mother, whose son had been murdered 30 years ago, sadly comments to the investigating detective “without my child, what is the point?”

My stars and garters, although she grieved her son had she really squandered thirty years clinging to the thought her life had no point? That’s not sad, that’s appalling.

I realize the scriptwriter had to have this bereaved mother say something. But if it was written with the intent to elicit some sympathy from the audience, it certainly fell flat with me. With a world filled with need, with all the children, elders, dogs and cats and plants who need, she couldn’t find a point to her life!

Instead of feeling sympathy l wanted to boot her up the backside.  Dollars to donuts her teenage son must have felt exasperated and trapped by a mother who considered him the be all and end all.  At least once a day I bet he muttered under his breath “Mom, get a life.”

In conclusion, the notion that our offspring are the alpha and omega of existence might seem like the ultimate sitcom plot twist, but it’s time to flip the channel on that perspective. There’s a whole world out there with characters of all shapes and sizes So, instead of being the star of a one-note melodrama, let’s embrace life’s improv session.